Michael Schluter - The Relational Manager: Transorm your workplace and your life

The Relational Manager delivers what it promises a clear, straightforward and pragmatic guide to the importance of relationships at work. It is sensible, well judged and should provide an invaluable guide for busy executives who sometimes forget this central part of their work.

Rob Goffee, Professor of Organisational Behaviour,
London Business School

When I first encountered the work of the Relationships Foundation, countless events and incidents in organizational settings over many years suddenly made sense. Michael Schluter and David Lee understand how people think and behave. Managing an organization mainly involves managing human beings. Relational thinking is a critical tool for those who aim to be better managers.

The Hon. Lindsay Tanner MP, Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Australia

At the heart of every worthwhile activity are people and people thrive on strong relationships. Those leaders who understand this relational agenda are already well on their way to achieving their goals. The Relational Manager offers powerful insights and practical actions to help leaders bring out the best in themselves and the people they manage. In a world of stress and sleaze, it has never been more relevant.

Clive Mather, former Chairman of Shell UK and CEO of Shell, Canada

One of the most significant assets in any organization is its reputation. Its reputation is built through relationships, maintained through relationships and may even be destroyed through not nurturing relationships. This book will provide any director with valuable guidance to assist in establishing relationships with their stakeholders.

Lindie Engelbrecht, Chief Executive of the Institute of Directors, South Africa

The Relational Manager provides a comprehensive guide to the importance of building positive relations at work. It is practical, soundly based on research evidence and immensely readable. Whether you work in the private or public sector, in a small or large organization, the message of this book will transform your approach to relationships and to making a difference at work.

David Strang, Chief Constable, Lothian and Borders Police, UK

Ive read or tried to read quite a few books on management in my time and this one makes more sense than the rest. Though we often forget it, every business consists of multiple networks of social relationships. How well those relationships are working affects the success of the business. This little book exposes the ramifications of those relationships and suggests ways to make them more effective.

Ross Gittins, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age

For those working in the public services this is a timely and accessible book. From health care to housing, management is no longer seen as a separate profession but as an essential dimension of every profession. The contemporary need for such universal and effective management is inextricably associated with the modern burden of more complex and novel relationships. These often extend well beyond past local and organizational boundaries. With its evidence-based protocols, matrices and checklists The Relational Manager offers relevant insights and usable techniques in simple formats that respond directly to all of us striving to manage in todays more demanding workplaces. It is a book that offers daily desk-side support.

Geoffrey Meads, Hon. Professor of International Health Studies, Institute of Health Sciences Research, University of Warwick, UK

In an age of fast-paced, competitive, high-tech business, The Relational Manager reminds us of what really matters: old-fashioned relationships. With concrete examples, specific suggestions and clear writing, The Relational Manager outlines how business leaders can be more effective in building a strong, relational workplace environment.

Dave Kansas, regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal and author of The End of Wall Street as We Know It and How to Survive It

Applying relational thinking can help explain many of the more perplexing challenges businesses face today. This book shows that these relational dimensions can be understood, measured, and that strategies can be developed to improve the relational equity of a business or an individual executive. I commend this book to any business leader or management team looking for fresh inspiration on how to take their business forward.

Paul ODonnell, Vice-Chairman, Ogilvy & Mather, Europe, Africa, Middle East

The Relational Manager provides a compelling framework for understanding and measuring relational performance. I commend this book to all business managers who aspire to challenge the organizational status quo by developing, utilizing, and promoting effective relational skills in all of their professional and personal dealings.

Bruno Roche, Chief Economist, Mars, Inc.

To Phil, who walks the talk

Copyright 2009 Michael Schluter and David John Lee
This edition copyright 2009 Lion Hudson

The authors assert the moral right
to be identified as the author of this work

A Lion Book
an imprint of
Lion Hudson plc
Wilkinson House, Jordan Hill Road,
Oxford OX2 8DR, England
www.lionhudson.com
ISBN 978 0 7459 5368 7 (UK)
ISBN 978 0 8254 7936 6 (US)
ISBN 978 0 7459 5915 3 (epub)
ISBN 978 0 7459 5914 6 (Kindle)
ISBN 978 0 7459 5929 0 (pdf)

Distributed by:
UK: Marston Book Services, PO Box 269, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4YN
USA: Trafalgar Square Publishing, 814 N. Franklin Street, Chicago, IL 60610
USA Christian Market: Kregel Publications, PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501

First electronic edition 2011

All rights reserved

Cover image: Robert Opie

A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library

In the quantum world, relationships
are not just interesting;
to many physicists, they are all
there is to reality.

Margaret Wheatley