The First-Time Manager Reviews
July 11, 2010 by SmallBiz-Resources.com
The First-Time Manager
A true management classic with 200,000 copies sold, this new, expanded edition is still the ultimate guide for every new manager. Since its original publication, The First-Time Manager has helped many thousands of rookie managers handle their new responsibilities…and now it can help you! Clear and concise, the book covers all the fundamentals you need for success, with indispensable advice on topics including hiring and firing, leadership, motivation, and managing time and stress. In addition, the completely updated fifth edition shows you how to build trust and confidence, be an active listener, manage a diverse group of individuals, conduct performance appraisals, and address many other challenges that come with the manager’s job. Written in an inviting and accessible style, this classic skill-building book is an essential tool for becoming an effective, confident new manager.In the working world, top performers are regularly rewarded with promotions to management–whether t
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(out of 31 reviews)
List Price: $ 17.95
Price: $ 8.50
What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
A self-help book for people about to move into their first management role. The author Bob Selden, has been a manager and coach of managers for over 30 years, so the book is very practical and easy to follow. It allows the new manager to access the topics at their own pace and according to their own particular learning style. Actual cases show how various concepts, models, techniques and strategies have been successfully implemented. Each chapter has both a “How to implement straight away” checklist and “Action plans for the longer term” so the new manager can take action immediately and also plan for the future. “What To Do When You Become The Boss” covers the full range of skills required of the new manager (in fact any manager) – leading, managing, motivating, team building, decision making, delegating, recruiting (and firing), managing performance, meetings, influencing others and managing boss and self.
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(out of 41 reviews)
List Price: $ 24.95
Price: $ 15.56
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Review by for The First-Time Manager
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This book covers the A-Z of managment for the first time manager, as well as the more experienced. The author consentrates on getting your mind into the correct thaught pattern to get the absolute most out of your staff in virtually any industry. Easy to read and can also be used as a quick reference guide. I’d also recommend it to empolyees who would like a promotion but don’t know what they need to do to be managment material.
Review by Rolf Dobelli for The First-Time Manager
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Many rookie managers feel like imposters until they grow into their jobs, but if you are scaling that learning curve, help has arrived. Authors Loren B. Belker and Gary S. Topchik provide managerial coaching for new occupants of corner offices (or, at least, of cubes with windows). The text provides novice managers with concrete examples, solid discussions, helpful suggestions and insights on a wide menu of corporate challenges. Although the book is redundant in spots, and needs more extensive chapter summaries, it is a terrific tutorial for managers. We recommend this book to everyone in managerial slots, especially those who just arrived.
Review by K. Lordan-Morris for The First-Time Manager
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This is a “common sense” approach to management. There is nothing wrong with that approach but if you need more information such as how to motivate employees or deal with difficult people, you will not find the information here. I am in search of a book with more details.
Review by Reader for The First-Time Manager
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This is a fantastic read for the first time manager. No matter what industry you are in, this is the book on how to manage people. You will learn management types and avoid mistakes first time managers make. This is comprehensive book that will show you how to interview job applicants, discipline staff based on their existing work ethics (lifelong slacker, vs. occasional slip up) and how to keep imporving oneself as a manager too because like everythign in life, that is work in progress…
I have read the fifth edition of this book and it is a true gem.
Review by Rich M. for The First-Time Manager
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This is an excellent, easy-to-read guide to success in management. Belker provides tips to managing diverse types of people (lazy, motivated, nit-pickers, etc), hiring, firing, performance reviews, time management, public speaking, and many other issues related to successful performance as a manager. I recommend this book for any new manager or anyone interested in pursuing a career in management.
Review by Bryan Carey for What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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Management books are commonplace and most everyone who works in the managerial realm has read at least one book on the subject. Unfortunately for the inspiration- seeking manager, books that deal with management are often dull and sleep- inducing. But to every rule there is an exception and “What to Do When You Become the Boss” is certainly one of them. This management book is different in many ways from the typical management book, both in organization and in content. Starting with an introduction that includes a self- assessment of management style, What to Do When You Become the Boss is a proactive book from beginning to end. This book’s goal isn’t to explain theories of management. It focuses instead on taking action; implementing change, improving organization, and formulating a strategy that will help a manager achieve his/her greatest potential.
As mentioned before, the introduction of this book includes a self- assessment test that is intended to help the manager find which of four categories- Activist, Reflector, Theorist, or Pragmatist- his/her style of learning/managing matches most closely. Once the personal style is known, the reader is prepared to read and learn. To help make the book more useful to readers and to help managers concentrate on the material with the greatest relevance, there are directions (starting in Part 2) that recommend turning directly to a particular chapter, based on which of the four styles the reader fits. By following these directions, a manager can bypass the less relevant information and proceed to the material that pertains specifically to them.
Even though I fit the definition of a pragmatist, I decided to read the entire book to see what it had to offer and discover how it could help me as a manager. A management book, if it is written correctly, can prove to be a valuable learning tool and it can help tremendously in the daily act of managing people, money, projects, etc. And this book is certainly one of the more helpful I have read on the subject of management. Not only does this book offer some new and different advice on management, it is also very well organized, with case examples; tables; charts; and summaries of the key points in each chapter. The organization makes it easy to thumb through the pages of the book and find the needed advice and the charts and tables help to organize the data further, making the book easy to understand and easy to follow.
What to Do When You Become the Boss is a book about taking charge and working to improve your business, your co- workers, your subordinates, your supervisor, and yourself. This is probably the main quality that sets this book apart from most other management books. Instead of boring the reader to tears with behavioral concepts and management theory, this book moves directly to the action. For example, instead of explaining how Classic Management theory would suggest the proper way to search for the right employee for a position, this book explains exactly what to do, step by step, to maximize the chance of finding exactly the right person for the job. From an analysis of requirements for the position to the implementation of the new employee into the organization, this book offers precise methodologies to help a manager succeed.
Besides the common topics covered in most managerial books, What to Do When You Become the Boss includes a few chapters that set it apart from the usual book. It contains some of the usual material (like ways to motive employees, give effective feedback, etc.) but it also includes a few chapters that offer some advice on topics not discussed very frequently in management books. Examples include the chapters on choosing and managing your boss. Most people don’t think of their boss as someone they “manage” or “get to select”, but like the book points out, it is very important that a manager’s immediate supervisor is someone he/she can trust and someone he/she can go to for advice and assistance when needed. The book recommends examining your future boss starting with the initial interview and he even offers some questions to ask your future boss during the interview process.
Author Bob Selden is a native of Australia, so his writing is a little different from what is usually found in a book written by an American author. For example, it is common to find the letter “s” in place of “z” (like, “organisation” instead of “organization”) in some of the words and some of the writing may not be as grammatically user- friendly as some readers would like. Also, some of the advice may not be completely practical to everyone and may require some modification to fit individual needs and requirements. One good example is the chapter about e-mail. The book recommends not getting too wound up on constantly checking e-mail and it suggests not even looking at e-mail until the afternoon. This might very well be good advice, but it isn’t always practical to wait until the afternoon to check e-mail for the first time and some companies, in fact, insist e-mail is open and read on a constant basis.
Overall, What to Do When You Become the Boss is a highly effective book on the subject of management and it ranks among the better books I have read on this subject. It is well- written with plenty of good advice and great organization to help the young manager reach his/her greatest potential. It’s a handy book that all managers, both new and experienced, can benefit.
Review by Monty Rainey for What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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As a business coach, WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU BECOME THE BOSS by Bob Selden, is a book I will reference often. I found several really powerful ideas for more effective leadership and management.
Selden opens his work with a way for the reader to determine their best methods of study. I found myself to be equal parts Activist and Protagonist and followed the direction of study as indicated, which means I skipped over a few parts here and there. In time, I will probably read the entire text.
Throughout the text, Seldon varies his approach, recognizing the differences in management styles. This is a refreshing variation from the normal “one size fits all” we find in so many management and leadership books. I guess the thing that impressed me the most with this book is the amount of fresh ideas.
Don’t get me wrong. You will find a few things you’ve heard before in one way or another, but you’ll also find ideas that will definitely make you alter your approach. Overall, a good book for any level of management. Easy to comprehend and covers a lot of territory.
Review by Jeff Lippincott for What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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I liked this book. It is full of good content, well written, and outlined pretty well. It is definitely a book I would recommend to someone who is going to be responsible for extracting maximum value from his or her subordinates whether they are in a small company or a huge company. I typically read books that can or will make a positive impact on wanta-be entrepreneurs or small business owners, and this book is no different. A small business owner should read this book to help improve his or her skills as a manager.
This book starts off explaining the difference between being a leader and a being a manager. I’m not sure it was necessary to devote two chapters to adequately explain the difference. The book is about managing – not about leading. Then we are told about the ins and outs of managing a team or subordinates. We hear about how to motivate, critique, coach, and unload or fire people. For me, this was the best part of the book.
I think I would have liked the book better if Part V (Managing Yourself) had started the book off followed by Part II (Managing Your Team). I would have merged Part IV (Managing Your Meetings) into the Managing Your Team section because you have to have meetings if your are managing a team. And Part III would have concluded the book. In my humble opinion, Part I (Leading and Managing) could be eliminated. Or it could be included as an appendix.
I would have liked the book better if the Introduction had actually introduced me to the book instead of discussing “learning styles.” Generally, I like to read a book my way. I don’t like to be told how to read a book. And I don’t like to categorize myself, i.e., activist, reflector, theorist, or pragmatist. In fact, I am all of these depending on the mood I find myself. And I think a good manager has to be able to be all of these depending on the project he finds himself overseeing.
What I got from this book is that if you command a talent for people skills, and you have some technical skills, then you will probably do well as a manager. Some people were born with people skills, and others have to struggle to develop them. But one thing is for sure, if you don’t have people skills you are going to have a tough time as a manager. Read this book and see how a master of people skills manages successfully. 4 stars!
Review by Alan Conder for What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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Wish I had read this one a long time go. Practical and useful information for the new and not so new manager. Strongly recommended
Review by Steve Burns for What To Do When You Become The Boss: How new managers become successful managers
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If you are searching for a book to read to help you in your role as a manager, look no farther. Bob Selden has done an excellent job covering all the bases you will need. I have been in management for 15 years and wish this book would have been available for reading and studing before I started as a manager. You will learn that managing is getting things done through people. You will learn how to manage people through the hiring process, setting expectations, motivating, holding then accountable and appraising. Also the difficult task of firing when all else fails. You will also learn how to manage people through delegation and influence to get the most work done. I also enjoyed the end of the book that explained mistakes that new managers make and how to avoid them.
This book is packed with useful information that my review can not begin to cover, buy and read the book, it will be very beneficial.
The forward of the book sums up the books value:
“You usually have to make a mistake before your boss explains how you should have done it. This book tells you how not to make mistakes in all the critical areas of leading and managing”. I could not agree more.