{"product_id":"a-practical-guide-to-government-management-9781598887525","title":"A Practical Guide to Government Management","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA Practical Guide to Government Management provides a comprehensive yet one-volume work on high-level government management and can be described as a management book, reference book, and textbook all in one. It is geared towards any upper level government manager, public administration student, or anyone interested in public sector management.   Government managers receive limited or no management training, and at higher levels, focus more on policy than management, with negative consequences for the agencies they manage. This book seeks to address that dearth, written from the point of view of someone who successfully led government organizations, for an extended period, and faced a wide variety of managerial problems and issues. It covers a number of topics seldom discussed (and certainly not all in one volume), such as handling problem employees, cutback management, prioritization, making decisions, gaining control of an organization, and telling one’s boss — the elected official—no.  Leo Strine, Chief Justice of Delaware’s Supreme Court and a former colleague, says that “In a time when many Americans are jaded about public service, it’s refreshing to be reminded that there are talented people who devote their careers to making our government work for the governed. Vince Meconi always put the public first in his decades of service in all three branches of government, and anyone interested in making government more effective will benefit from his insights and experience.”  Former Delaware Medicaid Director Harry Hill says, “I have led government agencies, managed for multiple Fortune 500 Companies, and run my own business. Vince Meconi is the best manager I have ever encountered. As a student of management myself, I collected over 800 books on the subject. Most offered little new, just a new way of saying the same thing. This book has what the others lacked — written instructions, practical examples, and advice for public sector managers from someone who has actually faced all the challenges for a prolonged period. It is a management book, reference book, and textbook all in one.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne of the interesting things about government is that the elected face of an organization is rarely the person responsible for the day-to-day operations. Government employees in nonelected positions are often appointed or move into the job from an unrelated field of study—often without any management background. This volume aims to offer advice and training for those holding (or who are interested in) positions in the public sector. Meconi, who has held top-level positions in Delaware government since 1993, brings the requisite knowledge and experience to this book. The volume contains three sections: 'You: Managing Yourself,' 'Your Organization: Managing Internally,' and 'Your Environment: Managing Externally.' Each section is further divided into chapters (such as 'Self-Management,' 'Making Decisions and Solving Problems,' and 'The Media'). The information covered includes a broad discussion of budgeting, a look at various personnel issues, advice on assembling a leadership team, and tips on working for elected officials. This resource is recommended for academic and public libraries, where it will be a welcome reference for citizens interested in running for public office as well as those already in such roles. * Booklist *\u003cbr\u003eThe cumulative result is a roadmap which can provide governmental employees and policy-makers with a framework for dealing with the challenges, opportunities, and crises they may face during their governmental service. It will be useful for any prospective governmental employee regardless of their partisan background and what branch of government they will be working in. Recommended for libraries desirous of building and maintaining strong public administration collections. * American Reference Books Annual *\u003cbr\u003eA Practical Guide To Government Management...[is] a thoroughly comprehensive, superbly organized, and effectively presented instruction guide and manual that will prove to be an invaluable reference for anyone charged with a managerial responsibility for any level of governmental service. Impressively 'user friendly', A Practical Guide To Government Management should be a part of every community, academic, and governmental library Political Science reference collection. * Midwest Book Review *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIntroduction  Part I: You: Managing Yourself  1 Self-Management  Introduction  Your Time  Keeping Lists  Meetings  Using Your Immediate Staff  Miscellaneous  Notes  2 Leadership  Introduction  Setting the Tone  Your Leadership Style  Coaching Your Team  Dealing With Adversity  Notes  3 Ethics  Notes   Part II: Your Organization: Managing Internally   4 People  Introduction  Whom to Hire  How to Manage Your Employees  Your Leadership Team  Problem Employees  Making Your Organization’s Culture Managerial  Managing Change in a Bureaucracy  Notes  5 Prioritization  Notes  6 Money  Introduction  The Budget Game  Cutback Management  Notes  7 Making Decisions and Solving Problems  Introduction  Making Decisions  Solving Problems  Negotiations  Crisis Management  Notes  8 Gaining Control of Your Organization  Introduction  Control—What it is and Who Needs to Know  Assessing Your Organization  Gaining Control of Your Personnel  Gaining Control of Your Agenda  Notes  Part III: Your Environment: Managing Externally   9 \tWorking for Elected Officials  Introduction  Taking and Leaving the Position  Understanding the Boss  Elected Officials and Management  Helping Them Do Their Jobs  The Executive Office Staff  Telling Them No  Notes  10 The Legislative Branch of Government  Introduction  Legislative Culture  Legislative Relations  What Legislators Want From You  Legislative Hearings  Legislative Strategy  Notes  11 The Media  Introduction  A Different Value System  Understanding the Media  Media Strategy  Notes  12 . . . And More  Interest Groups  Agencies That Should Always Help You—And Sometimes Do  Privatization, Vendors, and Contracts 2 Lawsuits  A Few Last Random Thoughts  Notes   Acknowledgments  Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations  References  Managing Government Agencies  Introduction  Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3  Chapter 4  Chapter 5  Chapter 6  Chapter 7  Chapter 8  Chapter 9  Chapter 10  Chapter 11  Chapter 12  Biographies and Autobiographies of Managers and Leaders  American Government  Index","brand":"Rowman \u0026 Littlefield","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51041577369943,"sku":"9781598887525","price":48.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781598887525.jpg?v=1750950858","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/a-practical-guide-to-government-management-9781598887525","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}