Essay: advice for new managers, part 1
Someone on the ask Berkun forum requested an essay for new managers. It’s a huge topic – there are entire books on this! – but I took a good swing and here’s what I came up with.
Advice for new managers, part 1
Part 2 will be more on tactics and specific things to do in the first few weeks.
FYI: The link is to essay 49 and not 50 which I’m sure is what you intended.
Bah – Fixed now.
(Hanging head in shame).
Scott,
Thanks for this. I do feel though that the tone of the piece is enough to scare some people away from ever considering managment as a career move.
Regards,
Doug
skype: dduuggllaa
Yes – It’s funny how scary the tone in this essay came out. Wasn’t intentional. I suppose somewhere in my head I was thinking the best path to being a good manager is awareness of whats at stake – all of the bad managers I’ve ever had were completely oblivious to how much damage they were doing.
So I hope I don’t scare the good ones away – but instead confront them now, at the start, with why taking management seriously.
Scott,
I was fortunate enough to have Fred Brooks as my boss during grad school where I was his RA at UNC Chapel Hill. It’s been all down hill ever since!
If anyone wants to get a glimpse of what management excellence looks and sounds like check out this Google video clip:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4941445925858214332&q=IBM&pr=goog-sl
There are six icons on the right hand side of the video. click on the lower left icon to skp to Fred’s section.
Here the humility. Here the generosity. Listen to him take blame, in public for mistakes that took place decades ago! Now understand, Fred Brooks is flat out one of the smartest human beings you will ever encounter. He is also one of the kindest and most generous.
Watch, absorb, and learn.
Regards,
Doug Turner
skype: dduuggllaa