Becoming a Manager

Most people rise to the ranks of management on their success as individual contributors or supervisors. In those roles they developed important skills, did excellent work, and proved their worth as reliable members of their departments or work teams. Once these people become managers, however, they must learn a new skill: how to achieve organizational goals through people and other resources—not through individual effort alone. Becoming a Manager helps them learn the key elements of that skill and navigate the transition to management with confidence.

The role of the new manager demands a new mindset, new activities, and new relationships with people throughout the organization. Becoming a Manager guides the first-time manager through these and other challenges. Part One, Making the Transition, explores how to make the critical shift from individual contributor to manager; what it takes to build a successful partnership with your boss; and the key elements of managing time, which is every manager's scarcest commodity. Part Two, Developing Your Management Skills, examines how to use influence and persuasion to manage without formal authority; how to develop a leadership style; the elements of planning and setting goals; and the critical roles of work processes and continuous improvement. In Part Three, Managing Others, readers learn how to master the performance management process; adopt a process for making sound decisions; and handle difficult people and situations, including high-value customers or a difficult boss. Throughout the course, examples, exercises, Think About It sections, and topical sidebars provide readers opportunities for practice, feedback, and application.

About the Authors

Perry McIntosh has over twenty-five years of experience in corporate office environments. Much of that experience was gained in the publishing industry, where she began as an entry-level copyeditor and worked her way up to senior managerial and directorship positions, including leadership positions on cross-functional teams. She currently runs her own book production service. Ms. McIntosh has an AB degree from Smith College and a certificate from the Center for Creative Leadership.

Richard Luecke has been a freelance business writer since 1992. His books have been published by Oxford University Press, John Wiley & Sons, and Harvard Business School Press. He has also developed many teaching cases for MBA and executive education courses. Most of his work, however, involves collaborations with business school faculty, management consultants, and corporate executives. His recent clients include Harvard Business School Publishing, Massachusetts institute of Technology, Mercer Human Resources Consulting, Northeastern University, and Babson College. Mr. Luecke earned an MBA from the University of St. Thomas and a BA in History from Shimer College.