Tag Archives: reading

138 – Three books with management concepts relevant to local government that might appeal to the reluctant reader.

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Posted by Whistler                                                                                                          1100 words

dr seuss

I posted on the local government reading test a while ago and a few colleagues have commented that many management books are written as simple parables, almost like children’s books, to help convey complex information. One of my children reminded me of some of their early ‘management’ reading and I thought I would post on it.

  1. ‘The Lorax’ by Dr Seuss (61 pages)

I will start with the longest of the books, though none of them is by any measure a challenging read. Even though they were written by a doctor, he has included lots of pictures to ease the journey for the weary reader. Continue reading →

79 – The local government reading test. Would you pass it?

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Posted by Whistler                                                                                          710 words

books 2

Image from a friend – some books it wouldn’t hurt everyone in local government to read.

I am a reader, as are most people posting on this site. This has been identified as an annoying trait. I can testify to that. I am convinced that, unfortunately, it makes people feel insecure and inferior when you actively read and try to talk to them about what you are learning. Thank goodness for blogs. Over the years I have developed a reading test. This is how it goes.

When I start at a new organisation or someone new starts at the organisation I work at, I make a point of having a chat and saying hello. I am not highly extroverted but I like to make people feel welcome and to build a working relationship as soon as I can. When I get to know them, especially if they are in top management, I try to find out what their interests are and establish an intellectual connection. This is when the test starts. Continue reading →

74 – More books to read if you are interested in local government management.

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Posted by Lancing Farrell                                                                              660 words

Leahy and Greene books

I have previously posted on books every local government manager should read (see here and here). Again I will acknowledge the difficulty in getting people in local government to read and learn especially senior management. My earlier posts started with what I call ‘bread and butter’ reading. This post looks at some more focussed reading on specific aspects of management relevant to local government. Continue reading →