

	Management Information

Never Wrestle with a PIG

The business books at the library and book stores fill many shelves. Some authors tend to run a little long at the keyboard. There is one voice that stands out from the crowd, Mark McCormack.

Mark McCormack is the founder of the International Management Group (IMG) and was the guy who became Arnold Palmer's agent in 1959. At the time, although enormously successful and popular, Palmer had only one endorsement deal - with Heinz for $500 a year (and as much ketchup as he wanted).

Mark and Arnie's simple handshake agreement changed the world of sports forever. Stick with me, this is NOT about sports.

It wasn't long before McCormack had signed two other rising stars Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus. McCormack didn't limit himself to golf. In 1968, he signed his first tennis player, Australia's Rod Laver as well as representing athletes from football, rugby, cricket, motor racing and a host of other sports.

McCormack's company, International Management Group or IMG, became the biggest name in corporate sport and moved beyond sports, managing former Presidents and Prime Ministers, Pope John Paul II and even represented the Nobel Peace Prize.

There is more to the sports business than knowing how to swing a golf club or how tight to string a tennis racket. Mark McCormack began sharing his common sense approach to business in 1984, when he wrote "What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School" a book that spent twenty-one weeks at the top of the New York Times bestseller list.

He followed it with "What They STILL Don't Teach You at Harvard Business School" and recorded both of them on audio cassette.

These are not sports books but essential, down to earth, common sense, get-a-grip business advice books. Reading them is great, but listening to them on audio cassette, read by Mark himself is an even bigger treat. McCormack is one of the most plain-speaking and credible business teachers we have, and he comes across especially well in this relaxed studio recording.

Though Mark's principles are powerful, he's a humble teacher for someone at his level. His delivery is so understated you will discover the value of his ideas naturally rather than having to work around an overzealous sales pitch. Listening to Mark's unassuming voice, with no airs, is like having an understanding business partner in the seat next to you as you drive down the road.

Mark died in May of 2003 but his words and ideas will help generations to come. You can find his stuff in almost any library and many libraries have the audio books, too. A quick look at Half.com will find most of his audios in like new condition for a fraction of the cost.

Many times you will be given a choice of Mark's audio books, abridged or unabridged. For years I didn't much care one way or another until I listened to Stephen King on CD telling me why I should only choose unabridged. Sure it takes longer, but you get the drift of the author's thoughts entirely, not just some of them chosen by an unseen editor. Chose unabridged and go the extra mile is possible.

Here is a partial list of audio books and CD's by Mark McCormack that I highly recommend

What They Don't Tech You at the Harvard Business School

What They STILL Don't Tech You at the Harvard Business School

On Selling
On Communicating
On Managing
On Getting Organized
On Negotiating

The 110% Solution

The Terrible Truth About Lawyers: How Lawyers Really Work and How to Deal With Them Successfully

Hit the Ground Running: The Insider's Guide to Executive Travel

Staying Street Smart in the Internet Age

Never Wrestle with a Pig: And Ninety Other Ideas to Build Your Business

For more BIG ideas on business get my article "Voice Mail Can Be Your Buddy" Send a blank eMail to the MailTo:VoiceMail@BigIdeasGroup.com

If you take my advice and listen to Mark McCormack for the first time, I would like to hear your opinion and reaction. MailTo:Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com

Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" Newsletter MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net

MORE RESOURCES:

RELATED ARTICLES

Creativity and Innovation Management - Turning Ideas into Action
The phrase "turning ideas into action" is a Russian doll.Managing the ideas to implementation process is important for at least two reasons:a) To make effective use of resources - investing in one idea uses resources that could be applied to another idea.

How Invisible Communication Barriers Kill Productivity
Many kinds of interferences or disturbances can confuse a message. Communication specialists call them ''noise.

3 Steps You Can Use Developing Leaders In Your Industry
With the economy bordering on a recession, every company is looking for ways to increase revenues while decreasing costs. Some companies believe one of the easiest ways to do this is to cut their employee training budget.

Treat Employees Fairly, Car Wash Entrepreneur sets Industry Standards
I believe that whether corporations expense their stock options is besides the point, especially when the stock is worthless. We have studied over the years the rift between employees and employers and we have discovered many great brand names are eventually destroyed from internal strife and friction within the company itself.

Quality Staffing: Stop Placing the Wrong People in the Wrong Jobs
You can possibly teach a turkey to climb a tree - but it is a lot easier to hire a squirrel. Quality staffing means selecting the right people with the right skills for the right jobs and at the right time.

Leadership Style: What Makes A Good Boss?
In today's competitive environment, companies realize that a good boss is one who can identify and build on the talents of the staff and knows how to retain top performing employees. Take this quiz and see if you are a good boss.

How to Build Your Business and Still Take Time Off
We all know people who are like human dynamos. They seem to make an art form of building their business and still enjoy quality time with friends and family.

Spinning Gold from Straw: Low-Cost Employee Retention and Motivation Tools in a Changing Economy
New York, NY, February 25, 2005 - Employee retention and motivation?why should employers care? A storm is brewing. National productivity was up 3.

5 Questions Great Managers Ask (and they arent hard!)
However hard we try, we seem to make life more difficult for ourselves; more challenging; more complex. Yet it needn't be so.

Its All In The Systems
Have you ever noticed french fries taste the same at every McDonald's? The same can be said for Subway and its Italian BMT. How do these fast food icons replicate themselves at nearly 40,000 locations when some eateries struggle to get it right in a single restaurant? The answer is simple: it's all in the systems.

Hiring a Book Keeping Service
Whether you choose to do your own books and accounting or hire those services out there are a few things you should know first.A good book keeping service will normally charge you around $200 -500 per month while you are still somewhat small and you can receive: Profit and Loss Statements; Balance Sheets; Bill Paying Services; Checking Account Reconciliation; Journal Reconciliation; Tax Information Preparation; Tax Return Filing; Etc.

ISO 9001 and Total Quality Management
Total Quality ManagementTotal Quality Management, or TQM, has become one of the most frequently discussed topics in current business literature. Because of the competitive pressures created by Japanese companies, quality became a competitive weapon in the 1980s in most industries.

Creativity Management - The Value of Being Prolific
When asked his secret to success, the author Graham Green said that it was down to his always writing 500 words a day. There are real reasons why this philosophy rings true:a) The single best creative product tends to appear at that point in the career when the creator is being most prolific - quality of output is closely related to quantity.

Improved Communication to Improve Results
Facilitating good communication can make the difference between a well oiled, effective team and disorganization and ambiguity. By following the tips below, you, the supervisor, can take steps toward improving communication with your employees:1.

Management & Leadership - Doing it right in the 21st Century
The Old Way - Command and ControlAlthough workplaces and management styles have come a long way in the last decade, the command and control style of management remains common practice in many companies. This management approach basically means that employees are told exactly what to do, when to do it and even how it should be done.

Five Ways to Influence Change in Others
Because of my work as a consultant, trainer and coach I deal with change and people's reactions to it all the time. When a Client decides to work with us, they are recognizing that some sort of change is needed.

Follow Up: It Makes A Difference
A while back the headlight switch on our minivan quit working, so early one Saturday morning we took it to the neighborhood repair shop that has been mailing postcards to us the past three years. They said it would take 90 minutes to check things out.

Organisation Tips For The Mobile Executive
Despite the fact that everyone sighs "How glamorous!", the life of the business traveller can actually be hell! Fighting international datelines, jetlag, airline food, hotel pillows filled with rocks, and the constant packing can turn an efficient, organised corporate commando into a bumbling mess.The situation can be similar for those whose car has to occasionally transform into a mobile office.

Recruitment - What Youre Really, Really Looking For
Imagine that you're a sports coach and you need a new player on the team. Would you walk up to someone in the street and say - "I want you to come and play for my team.

Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections
The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you can follow to increase the amount of in-house long term care collections your facility collects.1] Have A Defined Long Term Care Collection PolicyOne of the major causes of delinquent nursing home receivables is that the facility has not clearly defined to its residents/responsible parties and business office staff when the accounts are to be paid.

home | site map | links