The Effective Manager (Hardcover)

Introduction Who This Book Is for, What It’s about, and Why ix

About Manager Tools xii

A Note about Data xiii

A Note about Gender xiv

1 What Is an Effective Manager? 1

Your First Responsibility as a Manager Is to Achieve Results 2

Your Second Responsibility as a Manager Is to Retain Your People 4

The Definition of an Effective Manager Is One Who Gets Results and Keeps Her People 4

2 The Four Critical Behaviors 7

The First Critical Behavior: Get to Know Your People 8

The Second Critical Behavior: Communicate about Performance 17

The Third Critical Behavior: Ask for More 20

The Fourth Critical Behavior: Push Work Down 22

3 Teachable and Sustainable Tools 25

4 Know Your People—One On Ones 37

Scheduled 37

Weekly 42

30-Minute Meeting 46

With Each of Your Directs 48

The Manager Takes Notes 50

Where to Conduct One On Ones 54

5 Common Questions and Resistance to One On Ones 57

The Most Common Forms of One-On-One Pushback 57

Talking Too Much and Talking Too Little 68

Pushback on Note Taking 77

Can I Do One On Ones over the Phone? 79

Can I Be Friends with My Directs? 84

Can I Do One On Ones as a Project Manager? 92

6 How to Start Doing One On Ones 99

Choose Times from Your Calendar 99

Send Out a One-On-One E-mail Invitation 100

Allow for Possible Changes in the Near Future 101

Review Intent, Ground Rules, and O3 Agenda in Your Staff Meeting 101

Answer Questions 101

Conduct One On Ones Only for 12 Weeks 101

Don’t Rush to Get to Feedback! 102

Don’t Rush to Get to Negative Feedback 102

7 Talk about Performance—Feedback 103

Encourage Effective Future Behavior 108

When Should I Give Feedback? 121

8 Common Questions and Resistance to Feedback 127

How Does It Sound? 127

The Capstone: Systemic Feedback 133

9 How to Start Delivering Feedback 141

Announce Your Intention in Your Weekly Staff Meeting 141

Schedule 30 Minutes for Your Briefing 142

Use Our Materials 142

Cover the Purpose of Feedback 142

Walk Them through Each Step of the Feedback Model 142

Give Only Positive Feedback for Eight Weeks 143

Add in Negative Feedback after Eight Weeks 144

Stay as Positive as You Can 144

10 Ask For More—Coaching 147

Step 1: Collaborate to Set a Goal 149

Step 2: Collaborate to Brainstorm Resources 152

Step 3: Collaborate to Create a Plan 154

Step 4: The Direct Acts and Reports on the Plan 159

11 How to Start Coaching 163

12 Push Work Down—Delegation 165

Why Delegation Is the Solution—The Delegation Cascade 167

How to Delegate—The Manager Tools Delegation Model 173

13 Common Questions and Resistance to Delegation 179

What Should You Delegate? 179

What If a Direct Repeatedly Says No to Delegation Requests? 180

14 How to Start Delegating 183

Afterword 185

Index 189