Management-Business

The First-Time Manager

by Loren B. Belker, Jim McCorkmick, and Gary S. Topchik
Copyright (c) 2012
Audiobook

I am not a first-time manager. I am not even a manager. Nonetheless, studying the field of management can give me insight into my work. It can help me work better with the managers around me, and it can help me carry my load as a manage my projects in tandem with the people around me.

This book consists of tips and insights for those transitioning into the role of a manager. It provide indispensable sage advice to avoid common pitfalls. It is field agnostic; that is, it does not focus on only the healthcare industry or only the technology industry. As such, it conveys a generalist message for a general audience.

Some of the advice, then, does not make sense for my position in healthcare or technology. Both of those fields allow team members (“reports”) to have a great deal of independence in their work. That autonomy changes some of the dynamics of management. Indeed, sometimes the highest-paid (and most-valued) employee is not the manager. This all speaks to the notion that reports may be the most important contributors and need to know how management functions. Which is why I read this book.