When we began to revise the original 911 Management book, we realized that much had changed since 1999, but also that much remains the same. Organizations continue to need good managers and leaders—like you—in order to survive and thrive in the aftermath of a Great Recession and ongoing political turmoil.

Executives must be ready at any moment to address and solve any number of problems arising in this new millennium. The environment in which you operate is fraught with complexity and confusion, and errors of judgment have profound and resonant consequences. In short, management now and in the future—at virtually all levels—imposes significant demands for administrative sophistication.

You are inundated with enormous amounts of information and advice, especially from Internet sources, which also can spread your words and decisions worldwide in a matter of seconds.

The purpose of Management Strategies: Timely—and Timeless—Advice for Solving Typical Management Problems, therefore, is to provide you with experienced-based, relevant professional guidance needed to manage effectively as you navigate a path to prosperity in the 21st century. 

This book is the result of our 80-plus years combined experience working with leisure service organizations in the United States and around the world. Throughout this period, we have conducted numerous classes, workshops and seminars, program evaluations, needs assessments, and organizational evaluations, paying particular attention to the thoughts and concerns of managers in the field.

The topics addressed in this book reflect much of what they have told us and what we have seen with our own eyes. This book represents a comprehensive encyclopedia of concise yet substantive information and advice on a variety of management issues.

Management Strategies: Timely—and Timeless—Advice for Solving Typical Management Problems presents information that will help you deal with peers, supervisors, subordinates, program participants, the general public, the press, and others with whom you may have contact. Knowing that you need answers fast, we have reduced this book’s previous 65 subjects into 41 chapters, arranged in alphabetical order.

When an issue needs your attention, simply turn directly to whichever chapter addresses the problem with which you are currently wrestling. There you will find a guiding principle, followed by sage advice, along with Ten Takeaway suggestions that together provide you with specific actions to take and the context within which to take them. (Because information changes so quickly—and now is so accessible online—we have removed the” list of sources” for each chapter. You can Google it!)

If you have time after you read a topic, we further suggest that you do three things. First, recall the last three situations in your own experience where you have observed similar situations. Compare and contrast the past with the present.

Second, roughly evaluate yourself as to whether you acted as more of a manager or more of a leader with respect to the issue in question. You may be surprised to find that sometimes you manage, sometimes you lead, and sometimes you do a little of both.

Third, think about how you and your organization might improve performance the next time that problem surfaces. 

Management Strategies: Timely—and Timeless—Advice for Solving Typical Management Problems can be used as a point of departure, discussion, and debate comparing and contrasting our experiences with your own on each of the subjects and also as a guide for management personnel who want to refresh their knowledge of management issues, those who want suggestions to improve their basic management skills, or those who wish to improve their basic management functions.

In addition, the book will serve as a valuable resource for students enrolled in a variety of management/leadership courses, especially leisure studies programs (parks, recreation, hospitality, and tourism)—our future managers. 

Most important, have fun reading this book. Gaining new insights into yourself, your associates, and your organization can be exhilarating, surprising, uplifting, and even embarrassing. At times, most managers take themselves too seriously.