Behind Closed Doors : Secrets of Great Management

Product Description

Great management is difficult to see as it occurs. It's possible to see the results of great management, but it's not easy to see how managers achieve those results. Great management happens in one-on-one meetings and with other managers---all in private. It's hard to learn management by example when you can't see it.

You can learn to be a better manager---even a great manager---with this guide. You'll follow along as Sam, a manager just brought on board, learns the ropes and deals with his new team over the course of his first eight weeks on the job. From scheduling and managing resources to helping team members grow and prosper, you'll be there as Sam makes it happen. You'll find powerful tips covering:

* Delegating effectively
* Using feedback and goal-setting
* Developing influence
* Handling one-on-one meetings
* Coaching and mentoring
* Deciding what work to do---and what not to do
* ...and more.

Full of tips and practical advice on the most important aspects of management, this is one of those books that can make a lasting and immediate impact on your career.

Product Details

* Amazon Sales Rank: #73289 in Books
* Published on: 2005-09-19
* Format: Illustrated
* Original language: English
* Number of items: 1
* Binding: Paperback
* 176 pages

Editorial Reviews

About the Author
Johanna Rothman is a well-known consultant, speaker, and author on managing high-technology product development. Johanna has written over 100 articles and papers and is now a frequent contributor for Fast Company's online career center, Software Development, Computerworld.com, and StickyMinds.com. Johanna is the author of the highly acclaimed Hiring the Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds, and is the coauthor of Corrective Action for the Software Industry. Johanna is also a host and session leader at the Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) conference. Esther Derby is one of the rare breed of consultants who blends the technical and managerial issues with the people-side issues. She is well known for her work helping teams grow to new levels of productivity and is recognized as one of the world's leaders in retrospective facilitation. Esther's articles have appeared in Better Software (formerly STQE), Software Development, Cutter IT Journal, and CrossTalk. She writes regular columns for stickyminds.com and Computerworld.com, and publishes the quarterly newsletter, insights. Esther is also a host and session leader at the Amplifying Your Effectiveness (AYE) conference.
Customer Reviews

Single best "management" book out there5
Behind Closed Doors is the single best book on management out there. It covers the breadth of what you'll need to deal with in an extremely accessible style, uses sidebars and out-takes effectively to communicate strategies and rules of thumb, and is formatted so that after you've read it a quick skim of the pages can bring back all the concepts.

One of my favorite bits about this book is that it includes advice on managing other managers - one of the few books on management I have encountered that addresses that situation.

The authors are pragmatic rather than dogmatic in their suggestions and writing, and recommend consistency above all else.

One of the Best Management Books Ever Written5
This is, hands down, one of the best and most comprehensive books on the topic of management I have ever read.

For both newbies and experienced folks alike, this steps through critical skill sets that are necessary for building and leading a successful team. It's told in story format - with characters and scenarios, which offers up the perfect way to absorb the knowledge presented.

Good management introduction4
Behind Closed Doors takes a different approach for a management book - it follows the first seven weeks of a new (external) manager coming into a company and shows, step-by-step, what the new manager does and why. The book then covers 13 key techniques presented as general guidelines. While much of the approach works well, unfortunately the book is inconsistent. For example, while it is geared towards new managers, the new manager in the book is a director - a manager of managers. While that does help illustrate involvement between a manager and his/her (perfect) boss, the book really doesn't illustrate much about the manager's relationships with anyone else. The book is also a little technologically backward by not recognizing/suggesting software tools to aid in certain cases. For example, a BVC (Big Visible Chart, e.g. large whiteboard) is still recommended for portfolio project management, despite the huge drawback that it does not keep track of history.

Overall, there are many positive points to this book, including a fresh perspective, enjoyable to read prose, and especially the 13 key techniques. For new managers, I would definitely recommend this book. For experienced managers, it might serve as a decent review of the fundamentals, but it probably won't be a huge help.