I Don't Read Books

On Mon, Nov 19, 2018 at 2:20 PM ██████ ███████ <██████████████████> wrote:

Hi Jack

A random question: is there a book on management which you feel influenced you the most? Can recommend something?

Thanks in advance

█████████

On Mon, Nov 19, 2018 at 4:02 PM Jack Humphrey <██████████> wrote:

Not really. I've been more influenced by people than books. Role models, mentors, etc.

I often find that most books on leadership and management can be distilled down into a few pieces of advice. I've found it pretty effective to see if I understand the advice intuitively, and if I do, I try it to follow it. If that works well, I put it in my manager toolkit. A few examples from through the years:

Show people you care about them as individuals
Value all ideas
Don't micromanage
Give people the tools, support, and autonomy to solve their own problems
Reframe problems as opportunities
Focus on removing roadblocks
Ask questions -- prefer a question to a statement
Encourage forward thinking and goal setting (even if only just goals for the next week)
Build on strength; shore up weakness
Flex your management style to fit the needs of the individual
Give critical feedback with compassion
Ask people to help you see your own blindspots

I left a bunch off, that's just a top-of-mind sampling. And I'm still learning. I have my own blindspots, still.

I don't think that any book fully encompasses my toolkit, but I do think that Google's Project Oxygen comes pretty close: What Makes a Great Manager. I guess you can buy the full-length case study, but I haven't actually read it.

Jack

On Mon, Nov 19, 2018 at 5:34 PM Jack Humphrey <██████████> wrote:

Also, people I respect strongly recommend Camille Fournier's book "The Manager's Path."