Unless you are a Jim Collins or a Ken Blanchard, writing books produces little in the way of income. The process is always time-consuming and often painful; reviewers can use the opportunity to show how much better a book it would have been if they had produced it. So why do we do it? The answer in most cases is a feeling that you have something to say, and want to get there before anyone else does, and the desire to build a reputation or profile.

One advantage is that you can be offered a signing session when you speak at a conference. This can be a mixed blessing. The American Society for Training and Development runs a huge conference with as many as a dozen speaker sessions taking place at the same time. After they have spoken, all the authors are placed at tables next to each other in the in-conference bookshop. Their name and copies of their volumes are prominently displayed, and prospective purchasers form a line.

One year I was placed next to a rather personable young woman who had earlier presented a popular session on “rock and roll your way to training success” (she had us all singing “doo wah diddy, diddy dum”). My latest work was several years old at the time; in any case, non-US management books struggle in the States. The rock and roll author had a long line stretching outside the bookshop. I attracted two purchasers. One was a Japanese gentleman with limited English, who was probably in the wrong queue. The second was a man from the Kentucky Postal Service who bought a copy, which I signed, and told me: “Mr Sloman, your work is a true inspiration to many of us in Kentucky.”

I can only hope that he was genuine and of sound mind. Overall, not an experience I would care to repeat.

Another attraction of authorship is that you can present your book to others, especially when you travel. It’s a very useful calling card.

However, at this year’s CIPD conference I was presented with a book from one of the visiting speakers, Steve Harrison, the chairman of the consultancy group, Lee Hecht Harrison. Steve has written a short but first-rate volume, The Managers’ Book of Decencies; he develops and illustrates the argument that small decencies build the corporate culture. His examples include ‘remember to say thank you – or better yet, write thankyou notes’, ‘for meetings you convene, be the first to sit down and the last to get up’, and ‘convey bad news in person’.

My guess is that all of us could name one or two people in our organisation who should be made to sit down and read this volume cover to cover before they are allowed to go home.

I’ve had good cause to reflect on the substance of Steve Harrison’s argument. After seven thoroughly enjoyable and worthwhile years, I shall be leaving the CIPD’s employment early next year. Recently, I have gained more and more pleasure teaching human resource development. I have now been awarded a University of Canterbury Visiting Erskine Fellowship and will be developing a new course in New Zealand between February and May 2009. When I return, I will be extending my teaching at our UK universities.

I am, of course, unwilling to comment on the rumours that the New Zealand Rugby Union has been exerting behind-the-scenes pressure on the university to facilitate my appointment so that they may take advantage of my expert insights into the game to assist their recovery.

You certainly notice the ‘decencies’ when you announce that you are leaving an organisation. To put it another way, you get the measure of a person when you resign. At this stage there is little or no personal benefit to your boss or your colleagues in being generous. Indeed, in the past I’ve seen and known of bosses to treat such an announcement as a personal affront; they show no consideration to the departing person and what this opportunity could mean to them.

While I’ve had some interesting reactions since I’ve announced my plans to leave, I’m pleased to report that my current boss, Linda Holbeche, has been thoroughly understanding, generous and supportive. Of course, this makes me all the more eager to ease the transition and support the CIPD’s purposes in my new role. Steve Harrison is correct: decencies really do matter, and build the culture.

Reference

1. Harrison, S., The Manager’s Book of Decencies: how small gestures build great companies, McGraw Hill-2007

Martyn Sloman is CIPD adviser in learning, training and development. From 1997-2000 he worked as director of management education and training for Ernst & Young. He is a visiting professor at Glasgow Caledonian and Kingston Universities. He can be contacted at m.sloman@cipd.co.uk

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