Because Your People Matter

An integrated handbook for managers, entrepreneurs and leaders.

As D B Leatherdale commented on Amazon -

"SMEs are so often forgotten in the management and leadership literature, in favour of the Harvard-type leadership guru stuff that can be very interesting but is a world away from the practical demands of running an organisation that doesn't have all the the HR and leadership development infrastructure of a global FTSE 100 business.

This excellent, thorough and measured book fills that gap beautifully. The writers' experience in the field comes through loud and clear, and they have produced an impressively clear, practical and evidence-based manual for anyone running a team, a function or a department in a small to medium-sized business."

A second reviewer, Dan B, continued:

"Whether it be setting objectives, managing performance, or looking out for employee well-being, the theory is presented clearly and articulately. Regular reflection points ask you to consider your own firm and how you might apply that theory. I found each of those reflections to be thought-provoking and, in many cases, revealing. I will definitely be a better manager for having read this book. Highly recommended."

Because Your People Matter has reflection and practical models that turn theory into practice.

Published by Grosvenor House Publishing, Tolworth, UK. Available from all good bookshops including Foyles, Waterstones, Amazon and Wordery. Navigate to Amazon to look inside.

About the book

2018-12-12 11.04.45Many proclaim the value of leaders.

Many revere entrepreneurs, as if that’s all that’s needed.

And yet someone – the manager – must embrace leadership and be entrepreneurial while building and running the firm to meet stakeholder expectations.

The manager configures the firm, hires the people, organises the people and the technology, motivates, develops and rewards the people, looks after their wellbeing and drives change, ultimately transferring the firm to a new future.

This book details how management of the SME should be done. It builds practical models that managers can follow to get the very best out of their human resource.

Preface to the book

Here's a short extract from the preface.

"They say that you should never kick off by insulting your reader. And yet, if we point out that less than 20% of all managers have the necessary competence to manage the people that work for them, we risk just that. But, get over it! The very fact that you’ve opened this book is to be applauded. It means that you’re interested enough in the subject to put in energy to learn the fascinating science that is people-management.

We were active as people managers, running departments in multi-nationals, large firms and quangos and running small-to-medium-sized-enterprises in the period from about 1985 to 2012 – over 30 years each. During that time...

...Because Your People Matter is specifically written for the manager of an SME. As we’ve written, we’ve held in our minds us as department heads and company managers. We’ve designed the content by asking, “What is it that we needed to be able to do, to know and to understand when we were managing teams of people?”

We believe that understanding is key..."

Read the full preface to Because Your People Matter

About the authors

John Berry is an alumnus of Loughborough University, the Open University Business School and Birkbeck, University of London, in engineering, management and organisational psychology.

He has run technology and engineering companies and led R&D activities in SMEs and multi-nationals for over 30 years. He has been instrumental in driving corporate and public policy across technology and engineering for firms and governments. In a global career, John has led teams in 32 countries.

He is a Chartered Manager and a Chartered Engineer.

He is now a management consultant with TimelessTime Ltd.

For 30 years Sue Berry has led the human resource function in several organisations, heading up and driving organisational improvement and change across chemicals, aerospace, education and charities sectors in four continents. She has been instrumental in shaping relationships between people and firms in pursuit of growth and prosperity for all.

Sue is an alumna of Newcastle University, De Montfort University and the Open University in education, human resource management and psychology & economics. She is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD and has Qualified Teacher Status. She is now a management consultant with TimelessTime Ltd.

For more information and to buy

Because Your People Matter can be ordered from Foyles, Waterstones, Amazon or Wordery priced £25. Follow the Amazon link for a peek inside.