A review by martysdalton
The Effective Manager by Mark Horstman

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.