It's Your Ship: Management Techniques from the Best Damn Ship in the Navy Buy it Now! author: Michael Abrashoff rating: asin: 0446529117 binding: Hardcover list price: $24.95 USD amazon price: $21.84 USD

Amazon.com
Other than the sobering fact that real lives are regularly at stake, running a navy ship is a lot like running a business: leaders of both must get the most out of their crews to operate at peak efficiency and complete the tasks at hand. As commander of the highly acclaimed USS Benfold, Captain D. Michael Abrashoff irrefutably demonstrated how progressive management can succeed at sea; in It's Your Ship, he translates his methods into an approach that can also be applied by land-bound captains of commerce and industry. Describing "the ideas and techniques that I used to win my sailors' trust and, eventually, their enthusiastic commitment to our joint goal of making our ship the best in the fleet," Abrashoff cites embarrassing failures along with subsequent triumphs to illuminate the keys to his accomplished 20-month tenure aboard the guided missile destroyer. His suggestions: lead by example; listen aggressively; communicate purpose and meaning; create a climate of trust; look for results, not salutes; take calculated risks; go beyond standard procedure; build up your people; generate unity; and improve your people's quality of life. While hardly original on the surface, Abrashoff's course should provide practical direction and inspiration for any leader hoping for similarly positive results in similarly rigid organizations. --Howard Rothman

From AudioFile
Part leadership lesson and part memoir, this compact audio is a testament to the author's understanding of leadership in any large organization. His message is about helping people engage with their mission, which in his case was operating the 8,600-ton guided missile destroyer he commanded in the late 1990s. He advocates respecting people at every level, providing personalized training, and having an orderly system for rewarding high performers with more responsibility. Abrashoff is definitely in command and proud of his story but not lacking in humility and human perspective. Leaders of fast food restaurants and warships alike will be uplifted by his relentless efforts to care for the 310 men and women under his command. T.W. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Book Description
Naval captain D. Michael Abrashoff reveals the management principles that shaped his ship, the U.S.S. Benfold, into a model of leadership as progressive as any celebrated in the business world.The most important thing a captain can do is to see the ship from the eyes of the crew. This belief has successfully guided D. Michael Abrashoff, the captain of one of the U.S. Navys most modern and lethal warships. Abrashoff has revolutionized how to handle such challenging problems as excessive costs, low morale, sexual harassment, and constant turn-over. Business managers will benefit from Abrashoffs guiding belief that focus should be on empowering your people rather than on chain of command. By shifting organizing principles from obedience to performance, managers will be rewarded with remarkable productivity. As Abrashoff explains, the more people enjoy the process, the better the results. Good leaders listen to the people under their commandand use their ideas to improve operating procedures.

Book Info
Abrashoff cites embarrassing failures along with subsequent triumphs to illuminate the keys to his accomplished 20-month tenure aboard the guided missile destroyer.