Book Reviews

Social Style/Management Style

by Robert Bolton and Dorothy Grover Bolton

"Other factors being equal, the ability to forge productive relationships makes the difference between higher and lower levels of success".

Summary

This book puts forward a model for categorising your own and other people's behaviour patterns. The aim is to create more productive relationships by flexing your style temporarily "to accent those behaviours you have in common with another person". It is easy, if a little pedantic and repetitive, to read, and you are likely to add the 2x2 matrix to your mental library of useful frameworks.

The Best Bits

The authors are passionate about their approach, which brings some life to a potentially dry book. Their emphasis on the importance of maintaining the integrity of your personality is also welcome - they stress that the aim is to "excel at being what you are, rather than try to be what you are not".

The Worst Bits

Infuriatingly, the authors do not provide a questionnaire for you to use on yourself. They say this is for your protection - apparently readers would not be capable of handling the results without professional help. I tend to the view that this was a commercial decision and felt insulted by the attempt to justify it otherwise. I was left feeling irritated that I still am not sure where I sit in the matrix, which hampers my ability to use the approach successfully .

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