“Managing, I soon learned, always had to take into account the results and performance for the sake of which the business exists, the internal organization of people engaged in a common task and the outside social dimension–the dimension of social impacts and social responsibilities.”
Peter Drucker wanted to write a book that explained the requirements of management, a foundational work that managers and future managers could turn for knowledge and wisdom. The Practice of Management is that book.
The preface identifies three manager responsibilities: performance, governance, and society. Part one of the book reveals the essentials of business performance for achieving results. Next, Drucker spells out governance in the management of mangers and management structure. Then he introduces management of work and worker. Finally, what managers do in their daily tasks and functions; planning, organizing, and communicating are three examples. The last two chapters deal with strategic decision making and a manager’s education.
This is the foundation book; future books extended its topics. Business performance (business strategy) is masterfully comprehended and expounded in Managing for Results. Drucker explains what must be done to diagnose business health, evaluate opportunities, and achieve results. In The Effective Executive, Drucker shares what an executive must do to be effective. All the topics are extended and deepened in Management: Tasks, Responsibilities, Practices. And finally, Drucker explains managing change in Managing in Turbulent Times.
(The Practice of Management, Preface)