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The Peon Book

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The Peon Book

How To Manage Us

Berrett-Koehler,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

To make your staff feel respected and involved, respect and involve them. After all, they won't be peons forever.

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Editorial Rating

5

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Corporate culture clearly divides the workforce into the haves and have-nots. Managers, the haves, set the rules and rule over the have-nots or peons. A few hundred years ago, peons tilled land they did not own, and got paid with enough of the crop they raised to feed themselves. Since even today peons are the ones who actually do all the work, a manager’s success depends on the peons’ support. What’s the best way to enlist the support of the peons who work for you? Ask a peon! That’s the straightforward premise of this book, which delivers what it promises. Author Dave Haynes offers advice to management straight from those uniform Dilbertesque cubicles - and management should listen. To motivate workers, demonstrate integrity, avoid being two-faced and treat your peons as equals. Even better, roll up your sleeves occasionally and work alongside them. They’ll love you for it. getAbstract.com highly recommends this book to managers at all levels. What it lacks in trendy consultant-speak and analysis, it more than makes up for in blue-collar denim truth.

Summary

Get TrustworthyOriginally a peon was an individual in a certain class of people who lacked land, money, power and virtually any control over what happened in their lives. Being a peon has never been fun. Many people in today’s workplace feel like peons or, at least, have that state of mind. You might not believe your organization has people who feel that way, but it does. And many managers, whether they will admit it or not, feel like they are directing the efforts of a bunch of peons.The problem with looking down on the people who work for you is that you need those peons. You need their work and cooperation. To excel as a manager, you need to find a way to motivate those peons to really care about succeeding on behalf of the company. Whether you’re able to do so may well determine whether your career goes the way of Beluga caviar or chicken feed.So what is the insider perspective on how to appeal to peons? The secret begins with a simple five-letter word: trust. From a peon’s perspective, integrity is the most important trait a manager can have. Think about it. A boss-employee relationship is just that, a relationship. Husband and wife, parent and child, sister and brother, boyfriend...

About the Author

Dave Haynes is a self-professed peon and, as such, he’s not ashamed if his resume seems a little on the lightweight side. Indeed, that proves that he is a true peon, and proud of it! He has worked as a lifeguard, a telemarketer, a "pool guy," a school bus driver and a salesperson.

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