The First-Time Manager's Guide to Performance Appraisals Review

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(More customer reviews)Using Diane Arthur's methods, you'll be able to turn an experience that both managers and employees often dread into a positive and constructive exchange. Her writing style is clear, concise and focused; she gets her points across with bulleted lists, sample forms and a list of 70 tips scattered throughout the book and then summarized in an appendix. getAbstract proposes Arthur's healthy focus on coaching, counseling and future development to new human resource managers and supervisors who must conduct regular performance appraisals.

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Conducting performance appraisals can be a daunting prospect, especially for new managers. With the same brand of accessible and sage advice readers have come to rely on from "The First-Time Manager", this helpful guide provides straightforward, useful information that will enable anyone to take on this important task with confidence and skill.Filled with ready-to-use tools including sample dialogues, phrases, and documents, as well as plenty of useful tips, "The First-Time Manager's Guide to Performance Appraisals" shows readers how to: review an employee's past performance; prepare for the face-to-face meeting; assess how successful the employee has been at meeting goals; set new objectives; help develop career plans; evaluate performers at every level; understand the importance of coaching and counseling throughout the year; write up the appraisal and use ratings; and, follow up effectively. This book is an essential resource for managers who want to get the most from the performance appraisal process ...and from their people.

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The First-Time Manager's Guide to Team Building Review

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(More customer reviews)The first time I do things I often feel like a kid trying to work a puzzle wearing mittens. There is so much to do in just getting the basics right that the more refined notions really get in the way more than they help. Yet, so often, the skilled person feels the need to communicate more than the beginner can handle because the information matters. And it does matter, just not the first time you are doing something.
This hand little book helps someone who is new at managing AND new to leading a team the basic information they need to be successful. Gary Topchick helps the reader understand the four basic types of teams there are (really three) and what is different about managing a team than being a member. This is important because teams are participatory and leadership tends to follow the expertise needed at the moment, however there is one person who has to keep things together and moving along.
Topchick also advocate semi-annual team building off-site meetings. These are not for catching up on the project, but are to be devoted to activities to build team rapport and trust. He provides some suggested activities suited to that purpose, as well.
A good, basic book that is well suited to the first time manager trying to get a handle on team management.
Reviewed by Craig Matteson, Ann Arbor, MI


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This new offering from management expert Gary S. Topchik, coauthor of "The First-Time Manager, 5th Ed.", covers the basics of team building, giving novice managers all the activities and information they need to achieve team-building success. From making the transition from team member to team leader, to holding team members accountable, to managing challenging situations and resolving conflict, "The First-Time Manager's Guide to Team Building" shows readers how their own management style can influence how successful their teams become.

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How To Say It for First-Time Managers: Winning Words and Strategies for Earning Your Team's Confidence Review

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(More customer reviews)Managers must be able to communicate with their employees. However, new supervisors generally do not get promoted on the basis of their communication skills. The executives who promote them assume, often mistakenly, that terrific salespeople or bookkeepers magically will become strong communicators. If newly appointed managers can't communicate their ideas, directions and instructions, the areas they supervise will fall apart. Jack Griffin's valuable book on communication for novice managers dictates what they need to say and how and when they need to say it. He suggests the best words to use and those to avoid, and even the body language inexperienced managers should adopt. getAbstract finds this book insightful, informative and comprehensive, filled with useful tips and techniques that will benefit anyone who wants to communicate.

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Managing (Right) for the First Time Review

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(More customer reviews)This short video, by the author, describes where the information in the book comes from, and then he summarizes each chapter. Managing (Right) for the First Time

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Managing (Right) for the First Time is intended as a field guide for first time managers, or for managers who want to begin doing a better job. The author worked closely with 600+ companies and interviewed more than 10,000 employees, then summarized the findings in an interesting and eminently readable form. Read this book and you're likely to understand management and leadership like you never have before, but also learn very practical steps toward becoming a better manager and leader. The book begins with preface and introduction, and then contains 21 digestible chapter, starting with a unique view of the basics and then building to an interesting conclusion. Chapter 1 talks about who managers are and how you become one in real life, since the circumstances for your promotion have a significant bearing on how your management experience unfolds. Chapter 2 examines the various reasons for promotion, explaining the implications of each. Chapter 3 explains the few but critical elements that allow an inspired start as a leader, including (Chapter 4) how to manage your boss effectively so that the two of you can actually get things done. Chapter 5 recounts the early discoveries you'll make, hopefully eliminating many of the surprises that might stunt your growth as a manager. Then Chapter 6 explains that there are not just two kinds of managers (good managers and bad managers), but in fact three kinds: evil managers, those who are managing, and those who are not managing. This chapter alone provides some seminal thinking that is certain to change your management life. Chapter 7 details the process for finding the right employee candidates. Chapter 8 provides a thorough look at how to screen applicants reliably. And chapter 9 provides a checklist style program for integrating employees through their initial orientation and first few weeks on the job. To that end, Chapter 10 lays out some important principles to keep in mind when structuring employee roles. Chapter 11 is perhaps the fulcrum of the book in that it compiles the most important individual elements of managing employees well, followed by a revolutionary approach to performance reviews (Chapter 12) that you might actually enjoy doing! Chapter 13 urges you to move beyond reluctant leadership, followed by a logical next step in Chapter 14: being a leader that your employees want to follow. It's all neatly tied together in Chapter 15, which examines the creating and sustaining of an appropriate culture at your firm or department. Chapter 16 explains the different styles of managing, allowing for the different personality types. Chapter 17 notes the important transitions you'll make over time, particularly if you want to remain effective. And Chapter 18 contains a short but important message for control freak managers. Chapter 19 argues for a more open approach to management, and chapter 20 shares a unique perspective on work/life balance so that your role is sustainable over time. Chapter 21 concludes with some specific suggestions designed to help the managers who follow you. Finally, there's a concluding section with real advice from real managers who were asked to speak to you, the reader, sharing what they wish they had known when they set out on their own journey.

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