The purpose of "The Micromanager's Survival Guide: Strategies for Letting Go and Trusting Your Team" is to help managers, directors, supervisors, project managers, and new managers avoid the pitfalls of micromanagement. The book aims to provide practical strategies and actionable advice to help managers let go of control, trust their team, and achieve better results. The book is designed to be a guide for new managers who may be struggling with micromanagement. It offers a step-by-step approach to help managers identify the root causes of their micromanagement tendencies and provides practical strategies for letting go of control. The book includes case studies, real-world examples, and exercises to help managers apply the concepts they learn to their own situations.
By the author of the bestselling Bad Attitude Survival Guide (more than 40,000 copies sold), named one of the top business books of 1998 by Executive Book Summaries Everyone thinks they know what micromanagement is, but this book presents a specific, detailed definition illustrated with concrete examples Offers successful strategies for overcoming your own micromanaging behavior and for responding when you are being micromanaged Micromanagement is one of the most widely condemned managerial sins, and one of the most common employee complaints. It results in significant direct, indirect, and hidden costs to organizations, contributing to low morale, high turnover, inefficiency, instability, and lack of continuity. And being perceived as a micromanager can have a significant negative impact on your career. But what, precisely, is micromanagement? More importantly, what can be done about it? In My Way or the Highway, Harry Chambers proves that micromanagement can be objectively identified and successfully resisted, both by those who (often unknowingly) inflict it and by those who are its victims. In an informal, entertaining style Chambers describes five specific defining traits of micromanagers: placing their own self interest above everything else; controlling and manipulating time; attempting to determine exactly how everything must be done; requiring elaborate approval processes; and establishing dysfunctional monitoring and reporting requirements. He even provides a Micromanagement Potential Indicator test so you can see whether (and to what extent) you might be a micromanager. He then devotes a chapter to each trait, providing real-world examples of the trait in action and an analysis of the damage it does. But this is not just a book of diagnosis-Chambers provides treatment as well. He devotes several chapters how to respond if you are the micromanagee (a victim of micromanagement), how to eliminate your own micromanaging behaviors, and what to do if you have to manage a micromanager. Avoiding micromanagement should be a major goal of every manager, would-be manager, team member, or collaborative peer. My Way or the Highway offers detailed, actionable, field-tested strategies that will eliminate the damage that overcontrolling behavior causes and increase creativity, risk-taking, productivity, and initiative in any organization.
The sad fact is that the majority of people in the workforce have a less than perfect relationship with their supervisor and many of them consider themselves to be working for "a bad boss". But what can they do about it, short of leaving their job? "A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses" gives readers all the guidance they so desperately need not just to survive, but thrive while reporting to someone incompetent, mean, unethical, or even worse.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Talent Code unlocks the secrets of highly successful groups and provides tomorrow’s leaders with the tools to build a cohesive, motivated culture. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BLOOMBERG AND LIBRARY JOURNAL Where does great culture come from? How do you build and sustain it in your group, or strengthen a culture that needs fixing? In The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle goes inside some of the world’s most successful organizations—including the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six, IDEO, and the San Antonio Spurs—and reveals what makes them tick. He demystifies the culture-building process by identifying three key skills that generate cohesion and cooperation, and explains how diverse groups learn to function with a single mind. Drawing on examples that range from Internet retailer Zappos to the comedy troupe Upright Citizens Brigade to a daring gang of jewel thieves, Coyle offers specific strategies that trigger learning, spark collaboration, build trust, and drive positive change. Coyle unearths helpful stories of failure that illustrate what not to do, troubleshoots common pitfalls, and shares advice about reforming a toxic culture. Combining leading-edge science, on-the-ground insights from world-class leaders, and practical ideas for action, The Culture Code offers a roadmap for creating an environment where innovation flourishes, problems get solved, and expectations are exceeded. Culture is not something you are—it’s something you do. The Culture Code puts the power in your hands. No matter the size of your group or your goal, this book can teach you the principles of cultural chemistry that transform individuals into teams that can accomplish amazing things together. Praise for The Culture Code “I’ve been waiting years for someone to write this book—I’ve built it up in my mind into something extraordinary. But it is even better than I imagined. Daniel Coyle has produced a truly brilliant, mesmerizing read that demystifies the magic of great groups. It blows all other books on culture right out of the water.”—Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Option B, Originals, and Give and Take “If you want to understand how successful groups work—the signals they transmit, the language they speak, the cues that foster creativity—you won’t find a more essential guide than The Culture Code.”—Charles Duhigg, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better
Every day, millions of employees watch their leaders sabotage themselves. They watch, they learn, and then they do it, too. Next thing you know, everyone’s lost motivation, and nobody takes ownership. That’s how organizations fail. This book will help you break the vicious cycle of self-handicapping leadership in your organization, stop the excuses, and unleash all the performance your team is capable of delivering. Phil and Jordan reveal how and why people handicap themselves even when they know better. Next, they offer real solutions from their own pioneering research and consulting. You’ll find practical ways to strengthen accountability and self-awareness, recognize the “big picture,” improve decision-making, deepen trust and engagement, develop talent, escape micromanagement, and focus relentlessly on outcomes. Your colleagues can be far more effective, and so can you. In fact, it starts with you–right here, right now, with this book. Many leaders inadvertently create cultures of failure. They model and promote “selfhandicapping” actions, where people withdraw effort or create new problems, in order to maintain their own self-images of competence. Self-Handicapping Leadership shines the spotlight on this widespread and destructive phenomenon and presents real action plans for overcoming it.
SPEND YOUR WAY TO FREEDOM LIKE A TRUE FINANCIAL SAMURAI Sam Dogen, creator of the Financial Samurai blog, knows that you need to spend money to make money. He’s taught over 90 million readers how to invest wisely in all facets of life, from education to parenting to relationships to side hustles, even choosing where to work and play. Now, in his Wall Street Journal bestseller, Buy This, Not That, the Financial Samurai takes the guesswork out of financial planning and shows you exactly what to buy, how much to spend, and how to optimize every dollar you earn so you can maximize wealth building and live life on your terms. The good news? You don’t need to be a millionaire or a genius to achieve financial freedom. It’s about making the most of your money, now and forever—and it’s never too late to get started. You’ll learn: — The Financial Samurai’s 70/30 framework for optimal financial decision-making — What is “good debt” and “bad debt,” and the right way to pay down debt or invest — Strategies and tips for building passive income streams that work for your goals and risk tolerance — How to invest in real estate, even if you can't afford to buy property — Rules for spending—from coffee and cars to mortgages and marriage — And so much more!
A practical approach to business transformation Fit for Growth* is a unique approach to business transformation that explicitly connects growth strategy with cost management and organization restructuring. Drawing on 70-plus years of strategy consulting experience and in-depth research, the experts at PwC’s Strategy& lay out a winning framework that helps CEOs and senior executives transform their organizations for sustainable, profitable growth. This approach gives structure to strategy while promoting lasting change. Examples from Strategy&’s hundreds of clients illustrate successful transformation on the ground, and illuminate how senior and middle managers are able to take ownership and even thrive during difficult periods of transition. Throughout the Fit for Growth process, the focus is on maintaining consistent high-value performance while enabling fundamental change. Strategy& has helped major clients around the globe achieve significant and sustained results with its research-backed approach to restructuring and cost reduction. This book provides practical guidance for leveraging that expertise to make the choices that allow companies to: Achieve growth while reducing costs Manage transformation and transition productively Create lasting competitive advantage Deliver reliable, high-value performance Sustainable success is founded on efficiency and high performance. Companies are always looking to do more with less, but their efforts often work against them in the long run. Total business transformation requires total buy-in, and it entails a series of decisions that must not be made lightly. The Fit for Growth approach provides a clear strategy and practical framework for growth-oriented change, with expert guidance on getting it right. *Fit for Growth is a registered service mark of PwC Strategy& Inc. in the United States
From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together
A practical and hilarious guide to getting difficult people off your back, for anyone pulling their hair out over an irritating colleague who's not technically breaking any rules From open floor plans and Zoom calls to Slack channels, the workplace has changed a lot over the years. But there’s one thing that never changes: you’ll always encounter jerks. Jerks at Work is the definitive guide to dealing with—and ultimately breaking free from—the overbearing bosses, irritating coworkers, and all-around difficult people who make work and life miserable. Social psychologist Tessa West has spent years leveraging science to help people solve interpersonal conflicts in the workplace. What she discovered is that most of our go-to tactics don’t work because they fail to address the specific motivations that drive bad behavior. In this book, she takes you on a rollicking deep dive of the seven jerks you’re most likely to encounter at the office, drawing on decades of original research to expose their inner workings and weak points—and ultimately deliver an effective game plan for stopping each type before they take you down with them. Jerks at Work is packed with everyday examples and clever strategies, such as how to: • Stop a Bulldozer from gaining influence by making sure they're not the first to speak up in meetings • Report a Kiss Up/Kick Downer to a manager who idolizes them without looking like the bad guy • Protect your high-achieving team from Free Riders without stifling collaboration • Use a Gaslighter’s tactics to beat them at their own game For anyone who’s said “I can’t stand that jerk!” more times than they’d like to admit, Jerks at Work is the ultimate playbook you wish you didn’t need but will always turn to.
Managing Humans is a selection of the best essays from Michael Lopp's popular website Rands in Repose(www.randsinrepose.com). Lopp is one of the most sought-after IT managers in Silicon Valley, and draws on his experiences at Apple, Netscape, Symantec, and Borland. This book reveals a variety of different approaches for creating innovative, happy development teams. It covers handling conflict, managing wildly differing personality types, infusing innovation into insane product schedules, and figuring out how to build lasting and useful engineering culture. The essays are biting, hilarious, and always informative.
