The First-Time Manager

By Loren B. Belker, Jim McCormick and Gary S. Topchik

What’s a rookie manager to do? Faced with new responsibilities, and in need of quick, dependable guidance, novice managers can’t afford to learn by trial and error. The First-Time Manager is the answer, dispensing the bottom-line wisdom they need to succeed. A true management classic, the book covers essential topics such as hiring and firing, leadership, motivation, managing time, dealing with superiors, and much more. Written in an inviting and accessible style, the revised sixth edition includes new material on increasing employee engagement, encouraging innovation and initiative, helping team members optimize their talents, improving outcomes, and distinguishing oneself as a leader. Packed with immediately usable insight on everything from building a team environment to conducting performance appraisals, The First-Time Manager remains the ultimate guide for anyone starting his or her career in management.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AMACOM
• Release date: Jan 30, 2012
• ISBN: 9780814417843

Reviews for The First-Time Manager

[scottjpearson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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.

[vvilliam_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Lots of helpful advice and a good primer on managing. At the end, though, it felt like information overload and I had to go back and review it. Recommended.