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yates9's review
4.0
It’s the first of this sort of book I read and i realise there are many things i did not know. In this sense the book must be good because it hilights areas I had not even taken into consideration. On the down side the book is long, uses internal jargon, keeps referring to external resources like podcasts. I feel like I got some sense of their advice but I am not sure I know the practicality because the examples chosen are a bit on the ideal side.
The book basically applies loose CBT to management. And emphasises free exchange of information, regular feedback, focusing on what you and your directs can become rather than blame and regrets.
The book basically applies loose CBT to management. And emphasises free exchange of information, regular feedback, focusing on what you and your directs can become rather than blame and regrets.
jrobles76's review
5.0
This is really a great introduction to what it takes to be an effective manager. They use the term effective as Peter Drucker meant it and the title is obviously an homage to Drucker's seminal The Effective Executive. Like Drucker's book, this one should be required reading for those starting a path towards a business degree. The book is short and contains actionable items that one can begin implementing and a timeline for rolling out the full set of Manager Tools. For those, like myself, who are fans of the podcast it is a nice refresher. For those new to Manager Tools, it is a good introduction. They even included "There's a cast for that" which highlights areas where if you want more information, you can turn to their podcast. Thanks to this book I finally downloaded the Manager Tools app and relistened to the One on One's podcast as that is something we just started rolling out in our company.
If you are a manager and wish to be better, I can't recommend this book enough. These guys aren't gurus selling you some "ideas" they had, they did the research. I did not realize how much work they put into testing One on Ones to find the best duration and recurrence (30 mins, once a week). It is as quick read at about 190 pages (I took longer to finish because it was a review for me rather than new material, thus I read other books) and if implemented will really change how good you are at your job and make you a leader rather than a manager.
If you are a manager and wish to be better, I can't recommend this book enough. These guys aren't gurus selling you some "ideas" they had, they did the research. I did not realize how much work they put into testing One on Ones to find the best duration and recurrence (30 mins, once a week). It is as quick read at about 190 pages (I took longer to finish because it was a review for me rather than new material, thus I read other books) and if implemented will really change how good you are at your job and make you a leader rather than a manager.
krik_van_gelis's review
4.0
A basic set of managerial tools to help you utilize the skills of your team members and improve them. Clear and understandable examples. Definitely an essential read especially for the start of your managing career.
gianouts's review
3.0
Lots of good information throughout, but I found about half the book seemed overly verbose and repetitive.
Some key quotes:
"The Definition of an Effective Manager Is One Who Gets Results and Keeps Her People"
"The four critical behaviors that an effective manager engages in to produce results and retain team members are the following:
1. Get to Know Your People.
2. Communicate about Performance.
3. Ask for More.
4. Push Work Down"
"Generally, the more a team trusts its manager, the better the results will be, and the better the retention as well."
"If you're going to create trust and trusting relationships with your directs, then, you're going to have to talk to them frequently about things that are important to them."
"Getting to know your directs accounts for 40 percent of the total value created by engaging in the four critical behaviors."
"The purpose of performance communications (and therefore feedback) is to encourage effective future behavior."
Some key quotes:
"The Definition of an Effective Manager Is One Who Gets Results and Keeps Her People"
"The four critical behaviors that an effective manager engages in to produce results and retain team members are the following:
1. Get to Know Your People.
2. Communicate about Performance.
3. Ask for More.
4. Push Work Down"
"Generally, the more a team trusts its manager, the better the results will be, and the better the retention as well."
"If you're going to create trust and trusting relationships with your directs, then, you're going to have to talk to them frequently about things that are important to them."
"Getting to know your directs accounts for 40 percent of the total value created by engaging in the four critical behaviors."
"The purpose of performance communications (and therefore feedback) is to encourage effective future behavior."
abelikoff's review
1.0
I'm having too many issues with this book to consider it useful...
THE APPROACH. Business has changed a lot over last 20 years and so did the office dynamics. While in the sixties it went without saying that a manager is an absolute unquestioned authority lording over the minions, so that the only acceptable response would be "Yes, boss!" things are different now. Relationship between a manager and a subordinate has become more complex, with more power to the latter. Part of this is because newer industries (like technology) actually require the people in the trenches to be damn smart rather than being mere cogs in the corporate machine. Another reason is general emancipation of workforce and the trend toward more socially-aware, more humane world.
Sadly, it looks like the authors have missed the memo. Most of the examples, most of the scenarios discussed revolve around the good old "boss/underling" microcosm. For sure, they advise the manager to exercise restraint and ask instead of demanding things but this feels merely like a veneer over the direct order.
This leads me to the biggest issue I have with the authors' approach. When dealing with changing the future behavior via feedback, the strategy they propose is to get the report to "promise" the change in the future and then treat it as a hard commitment. Anyone who has been in the management role for some time (or raised children, which is strikingly similar in some aspects) would know that life is more complex and a verbal statement to change things (which is easy to elicit when confronting one's subordinate and is equally easy for that subordinate to make in order to get out of this situation) is not the same as a firm commitment (which requires planning and follow-up). Treating it as one will only lead to frustration on both sides and unfulfilled promises.
THE UPSELL. I get it - the authors run a management consulting business and they want to grow it. But it doesn't mean that almost every paragraph should pitch their podcast. Furthermore, taking an obvious fact or technique and slapping "Manager Tools" onto its name doesn't make it new or original! And this applies to a lot of things in the book - it seems hardly a single itemized list avoided that treatment.
Overall, I cannot say this book is useless and I'm sure anyone in a managerial role would be able to learn a trick or two from it. At the same time, I would never recommend this book to a new inexperienced manager - the approach and techniques proscribed in it will not work in the modern workplace and will set that person (and their team) up for failure.
THE VERDICT: Don't bother. Given that there are much better books on the art (and craft) of management (if you don't know where to start, start with [b:High Output Management|324750|High Output Management|Andrew S. Grove|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347800461s/324750.jpg|315440] by late Andy Grove), I don't see any incremental merit in reading this book.
THE APPROACH. Business has changed a lot over last 20 years and so did the office dynamics. While in the sixties it went without saying that a manager is an absolute unquestioned authority lording over the minions, so that the only acceptable response would be "Yes, boss!" things are different now. Relationship between a manager and a subordinate has become more complex, with more power to the latter. Part of this is because newer industries (like technology) actually require the people in the trenches to be damn smart rather than being mere cogs in the corporate machine. Another reason is general emancipation of workforce and the trend toward more socially-aware, more humane world.
Sadly, it looks like the authors have missed the memo. Most of the examples, most of the scenarios discussed revolve around the good old "boss/underling" microcosm. For sure, they advise the manager to exercise restraint and ask instead of demanding things but this feels merely like a veneer over the direct order.
This leads me to the biggest issue I have with the authors' approach. When dealing with changing the future behavior via feedback, the strategy they propose is to get the report to "promise" the change in the future and then treat it as a hard commitment. Anyone who has been in the management role for some time (or raised children, which is strikingly similar in some aspects) would know that life is more complex and a verbal statement to change things (which is easy to elicit when confronting one's subordinate and is equally easy for that subordinate to make in order to get out of this situation) is not the same as a firm commitment (which requires planning and follow-up). Treating it as one will only lead to frustration on both sides and unfulfilled promises.
THE UPSELL. I get it - the authors run a management consulting business and they want to grow it. But it doesn't mean that almost every paragraph should pitch their podcast. Furthermore, taking an obvious fact or technique and slapping "Manager Tools" onto its name doesn't make it new or original! And this applies to a lot of things in the book - it seems hardly a single itemized list avoided that treatment.
Overall, I cannot say this book is useless and I'm sure anyone in a managerial role would be able to learn a trick or two from it. At the same time, I would never recommend this book to a new inexperienced manager - the approach and techniques proscribed in it will not work in the modern workplace and will set that person (and their team) up for failure.
THE VERDICT: Don't bother. Given that there are much better books on the art (and craft) of management (if you don't know where to start, start with [b:High Output Management|324750|High Output Management|Andrew S. Grove|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1347800461s/324750.jpg|315440] by late Andy Grove), I don't see any incremental merit in reading this book.
martysdalton's review
4.0
It's been years since I have managed anyone, so when my supervisor gave me this book and asked me to read it after my first direct report was hired, I was grateful for his investment in me. The Effective Manager (and Manager Tools) seems to me to be a great system of applying teachable rules to management.
The book is designed to steer learning about management. Instead of "born managers" who would say: I just use my personality, it comes naturally to me; we have "trained managers" who say: I learned a toolkit. These are the exact methods, that are teachable and reproducible that help me manage better.
There are four principles:
1) Build Relationships
2) Communicate About Performance
3) Ask for More
4) Push Work Down
I can see having finished the book how many of the tools needed to accomplish the four principles my boss uses and how they've been effective with me. (He honestly does a kick-ass job sticking to the book's guidelines.)
It's a short book for how much is in here, and it could easily serve as a reference if I get stuck. I'm looking forward to starting O3s with my new team-member soon.
The book is designed to steer learning about management. Instead of "born managers" who would say: I just use my personality, it comes naturally to me; we have "trained managers" who say: I learned a toolkit. These are the exact methods, that are teachable and reproducible that help me manage better.
There are four principles:
1) Build Relationships
2) Communicate About Performance
3) Ask for More
4) Push Work Down
I can see having finished the book how many of the tools needed to accomplish the four principles my boss uses and how they've been effective with me. (He honestly does a kick-ass job sticking to the book's guidelines.)
It's a short book for how much is in here, and it could easily serve as a reference if I get stuck. I'm looking forward to starting O3s with my new team-member soon.