Management Skills

Management Skills

by David Rohlander
Released December 2014
Publisher(s): Alpha
ISBN: 9781615646258

Read it now on the O’Reilly learning platform with a 10-day free trial.

O’Reilly members get unlimited access to books, live events, courses curated by job role, and more from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers.

Start your free trial

Book description

Being a manager is tough, and being a first-time manager is even tougher. Idiot's Guides: Management Skills is a hands-on guide to helping managers of all experience levels survive and thrive in the often murky and difficult world of management. Readers of all skill levels will benefit from this book. First-time managers will learn how to make the transition from peer to leader, how to formulate their own management style, the basics of managing people, how to recruit and hire key talent, and how to communicate constructively. Experienced managers will benefit from proven advice and techniques to help fine-tune their skills and deal with many of the most common problems that every manager is confronted with - from hiring and firing, to dealing with problem employees, to motivating and inspiring employees to be self-driven and successful. Along the way all readers will learn essential skills that will help them be more successful as a manager and employee.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Introduction
  5. Part 1 From Employee to Manager
    1. 1 You’re a Manager Now
      1. A Beauty and a Burden
      2. People, Productivity, and Profits
        1. People
        2. Productivity
        3. Profits
      3. Success from the Start
        1. Listening and Observing
        2. Asking Questions
      4. From Worker to Manager Mind-Set
        1. The Right Attitude
        2. Others’ Motivation
      5. Beware the Pitfalls
        1. Managing Your Ego
        2. Managing Your Emotions
        3. Practicing Self-Discipline
        4. Creating Balance
        5. Expressing Kindness
        6. Crushing Competitiveness
      6. 2 What Makes a Successful Manager?
        1. What Success Means
          1. Be—Do—Have
          2. Franklin’s Virtues
        2. Habits, Good and Bad
        3. Qualities of a Good Manager
          1. Good Managers Are Self-Improvers
          2. Good Managers Are Relatable
          3. Good Managers Are Organized and in Control
          4. Good Managers Are Proactive
          5. Good Managers Are Focused
          6. Good Managers Are Planners
          7. Good Managers Are Communicators
          8. Good Managers Are Delegaters
          9. Good Managers Are Controllers
          10. Good Managers Are Executers
      7. 3 Finding Your Management Style
        1. It Takes All Types
          1. The Value-Driven Manager
          2. The Political Manager
          3. The Results-Driven Manager
          4. What Type Are You?
        2. You’re Not Alone
        3. Manager as Specialist
        4. Manager as Supervisor
        5. Manager as Supporter
      8. 4 The Introverted Manager
        1. Some Discomfort Can Be a Good Thing
        2. Overcoming Fears and Doubts
        3. Successful Introvert and Extrovert Managers
          1. Directive and Dominant
          2. Influencing and Interested in People
          3. Steady and Stable
          4. Competent and Cautious
          5. Which Style Is Best?
        4. Reading People
          1. The D’s
          2. The I’s
          3. The S’s
          4. The C’s
        5. Hazards to Avoid
        6. Speak Softly, and People Will Listen
      9. 5 Getting to Know Your Employees
        1. Watching Their Behavior
        2. Setting Standards and Expectations
        3. Establishing Open and Honest Communication
        4. Building Trust
        5. Giving Respect
        6. Inspiring Loyalty
        7. Creating Commitment
  6. Part 2: Engaging and Retaining Your People
    1. 6 Bringing Out the Best in Your Team
      1. Understanding Motivation
      2. Giving Guidance and Direction
      3. Defining and Setting Goals
        1. Write Down Your Goals
        2. State Your Goals in Positive Terms
        3. Share Your Goals
        4. SSMARTT Goals
      4. Creating a Positive Environment
      5. Building a Successful Team
        1. Diversity
        2. Cooperation
        3. Effectiveness
    2. 7 Effective Performance Management
      1. The Satisfaction Value Chain
        1. Take Care of Your People
        2. Maintain Your Value Chain
      2. One-to-One Meetings
      3. Crafting Effective Performance Appraisals
        1. The Benefits of Appraisals
        2. What to Measure
        3. The Importance of Feedback
      4. Rewarding for High Achievement
    3. 8 Developing Your Talent
      1. Categorizing Performance
        1. Improve Efficiency and Effectiveness
        2. Watch Individuals
      2. Building Your People
      3. Choosing a Positive Attitude
      4. Encouraging Continual Learning
        1. Keep Them Learning
        2. Keep Encouraging
      5. Be Their Coach
      6. Meaningful Mentoring
    4. 9 Managing Differences
      1. Individualized Management
      2. Making Friends of Strangers
      3. Understanding Generational Differences
      4. Nurturing Relationships
        1. Reach Out
        2. Listen, Listen, Listen
        3. Make Better Meetings
      5. Establishing Your Credibility
      6. Embracing Diversity
  7. Part 3: Finding the People You Need
    1. 10 Recruiting Basics
      1. Defining Your Ideal Candidate
      2. Crafting a Job Description
      3. Evaluating Backgrounds and Skills
      4. Factoring in Culture and Character
      5. Attracting the Best Candidates
      6. Let the Hunt Begin
      7. Working with Internal Recruiters
      8. Hiring Employment Agencies
    2. 11 Hiring the Best and Brightest
      1. Meeting Candidates
        1. Using Assessments
        2. Employing Exercises
        3. Holding Interviews
        4. Asking Questions
      2. Making a Decision
      3. Making an Offer
    3. 12 Setting Up an Orientation Plan
      1. The First Impression
        1. Meeting the Mentor
        2. Making Introductions
        3. More First-Day To-Dos
      2. Your Orientation Plan
        1. Company Policies
        2. Training
        3. Monitoring
      3. Effective Training
      4. Mistakes to Avoid
        1. Unclear Expectations
        2. Old Habits
        3. Low Emotional Intelligence
        4. Inadequate Feedback
        5. Lack of Caring
  8. Part 4: Your Management Toolkit
    1. 13 Communication Is Key
      1. What Matters Most
        1. Listening
        2. Clarity
        3. Self-Disclosure
      2. Communicating via Written Word
        1. Keys to Writing Well
        2. Email Essentials
      3. Public Speaking
        1. Fear Is Normal
        2. Perfect Your Presentation
        3. Making Your Delivery Dynamic
    2. 14 Making the Most of Meetings
      1. Why Are You Meeting?
      2. Elements of Successful Meetings
        1. Planning
        2. Agenda
      3. During the Meeting
        1. Be Positive and Enthusiastic
        2. Involve Everyone
        3. Add Variety
        4. Circle Back
        5. Follow Up
      4. Fundamental Meeting Guidelines
    3. 15 Deciding, Delegating, and Deciding to Delegate
      1. Do, Defer, Delegate, or Destroy?
        1. Should You Do or Defer?
        2. Should You Delegate?
        3. Should You Destroy?
      2. Making Decisions
        1. Maintaining Control
        2. Analyzing the Situation
        3. Taking Appropriate Action
      3. The Best Way to Delegate
        1. How to Do It
        2. Levels of Delegation
        3. The Results of Delegation
      4. Authority and Responsibility
        1. Beware the Risks
        2. Giving and Receiving Feedback
        3. Rewards and Responsibility
    4. 16 Operations Management
      1. People Plus
        1. The Importance of Leverage
        2. The Importance of the Knowledge Worker
      2. Systems and Processes
        1. Established Systems and Processes
        2. Your Systems and Processes
        3. How Do You Measure Results?
        4. Inspect What You Expect
      3. Project Planning
      4. Financial Essentials
        1. The Value of Your Company and Your People
        2. The Cost of Money
        3. Accounting for Depreciation
        4. The Problem with Cash Flow
        5. Accounting Fundamentals
    5. 17 The Technology Advantage
      1. The Best (and Worst) of Email
        1. Email Time Management
        2. Email Best Practices
      2. Web Conferencing
      3. Social Networking
        1. Understanding Your Audience
        2. Do or Delegate?
        3. Making and Keeping Connections
      4. Listen and Learn
      5. Dealing with Change
        1. Embracing Change
        2. Becoming an Agent of Change
  9. Part 5: Management Challenges
    1. 18 Managing Change
      1. Change Starts with You
        1. Leading Change
        2. Helping Others Deal with Change
      2. Properly Placing People
        1. Who Are the Right People?
        2. Understanding Your Employees
        3. Capitalizing on Talent
        4. Considering Behavior Styles
        5. Considering Types of Intelligence
      3. Location, Location, Location
      4. Organizational Restructuring
        1. Listen and Learn
        2. The Importance of Power
      5. Cycles of Change
    2. 19 Refereeing and Playing the Diplomat
      1. The What and Why of Conflict
      2. Successful Conflict Resolution
        1. Listen
        2. Share
        3. Build Bridges
        4. Explore Possibilities
        5. Negotiate a Win-Win
      3. Handling Conflict with Employees
        1. Dealing with an Out-of-Bounds Employee
        2. Dealing with Performance Problems
        3. Dealing with Troublemakers
      4. Avoiding Conflict with Your Boss
        1. Maintain Professionalism
        2. Work on Your Own Referent Power
      5. The Inevitable Office Politics
    3. 20 Handling Firings and Layoffs
      1. Attaining Success and Significance—or Falling Short
      2. “You’re Fired”
        1. Building Your Case
        2. Giving a Warning
        3. Firing an Employee
      3. Conducting a Layoff
      4. When You Have to Fire Good People
      5. Keeping the Keepers Happy
      6. Learning from This Experience
        1. Identifying Mistakes Made
        2. Interviewing Better
    4. 21 Managing Remotely
      1. Up in the Cloud
        1. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cloud
        2. Is the Cloud for You?
      2. Managing Out-of-House Employees
      3. Playing Beautiful Music Together
      4. The Continuing Importance of Measurement
  10. Part 6: The Well-Rounded Manager
    1. 22 Employees Are People, Too
      1. Your Responsibility
        1. Their Reasons; Your Reasons
        2. Staying Focused
      2. Happy, Healthy Workers
        1. Finding Balance
        2. How Can You Help?
      3. Friends and Family
        1. Manager and Friend
        2. Coworker and Relative
        3. Dealing with Performance Problems
      4. Wellness
        1. Nutrition
        2. Exercise
        3. Sleep
        4. Mental Alertness
        5. Emotional Well-Being
    2. 23 Managing as If Your Life Depended on It
      1. Let’s Get Real
      2. Defining Your Values
      3. Prioritizing Your Life
      4. Applying Your Lists to Your Life
      5. Making the Most of Your Personal Time
        1. Scheduling Time with Family
        2. Participating in Clubs
        3. Gathering with Like-Minded Peers
        4. Getting Away from It All
      6. Being Interested and Interesting
        1. Showing Interest
        2. Making a Connection
    3. 24 Managing the Larger World
      1. To Have or To Be?
        1. Donating Your Money
        2. Giving Your Time
        3. Sharing Your Ideas
        4. Lending Your Talent
      2. The Importance of Corporate and Social Responsibility
      3. Sharing Your Knowledge
      4. Serving Your Industry
    4. 25 Taking Your Management Career to the Next Level
      1. Making It a Career
        1. Creating a Winning Track Record
        2. Thinking About the Big Picture
      2. Getting a Bountiful Management Harvest
      3. Tracking Your Achievements
      4. Staying Flexible
      5. The Importance of Being Prepared
      6. Becoming a Leader
      7. Your Future as a Manager
  11. Appendixes
    1. A Glossary
    2. B Resources
    3. C How to Read People
    4. D Making the Most of Conventions
  12. Index

Product information

  • Title: Management Skills
  • Author(s): David Rohlander
  • Release date: December 2014
  • Publisher(s): Alpha
  • ISBN: 9781615646258