Barbara Mitchell - The Manager’s Answer Book: Powerful Tools to Maximize Your Impact and Influence, Build Trust and Teams, and Respond to Challenges

This edition first published in 2018 by Career Press, an imprint of
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
With offices at: 65 Parker Street, Suite 7
Newburyport, MA 01950
www.redwheelweiser.com
www.careerpress.com

Copyright 2018 by Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage
and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Red
Wheel/Weiser, LLC. Reviewers may quote brief passages.

ISBN: 978-163265-141-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
available upon request.

Cover design by Rob Johnson/Toprotype
Interior by PerfecType, Nashville, Tennesee
Typeset in Stempel Garamond LT Std

Printed in Canada
MAR

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

www.redwheelweiser.com/newsletter

To all the great managers we've worked with
throughout our careers!

WRITING A BOOK is a journey and throughout our careers, we have encountered situations and had experiences that we have been able to incorporate into this book. There have also been many managers with whom we were able to share advice and who, in turn, shared their knowledge with us. Thanks to all of you who inspired many of the questions and answers in this book.

There are certain people to whom we are especially grateful for their help in writing The Manager's Answer Book. First, thanks to Ralph Kidder for sharing your experiences as a CFO and your insights on managing many of the staff functions in organizations. Rich Cohrs, you generously provided us with your observations from years of working with and leading Corporate Communications. Erik Gamlem, we greatly appreciate your thoughts and experiences regarding what employees wish a new manager would do. Marna Hayden, you always have great insights, and we appreciated your thoughts about diversity and corporate manners. Beth Gilley, we are grateful for the excellent information about Employee Assistance Programs you've provided us over the years. Jennifer Whitcomb, you remain our go-to person for questions about coaching employees. And Steve Dorfman, thanks for sharing your experiences and insights over the years about the customer experience.

Our writing life has also been a journey, and there are many people who have supported us along the way. At the top of the list is Marilyn Allen, our literary agent, for responding to our endless questions and ideas. You're a wonderful coach and advocate who gives us great advice and encouragement to want to keep writing. The staff at Career Press continues to present us with ideas and believe in us. We appreciate all your support, especially from the editors with whom we have worked and for putting us in the hands of good public relations professionals who get us great exposure.

We cannot forget the booksellers who see the value of our books and display them on their shelves of both brick-and-mortar and virtual stores. One of those booksellers deserves special recognition. Thanks to Cal Hunt, manager of the business book section of Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York, New York, for displaying The Big Book of HR as a top pick in business books!

Finally, we want to acknowledge you, our readers. Leaders can't lead without followers. Authors can't write without readers. Thank you.

CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE A manager! You may be a new manager and you're encountering issues for the first time. You may be an experienced manager, but this situation has never come up before. You may be new to the company, organization, or industry, and things are done differently.

Of course you have expertise in the field you're managing, but what about everything else? There's so much more to know. Whether you're a new or seasoned manager, your responsibilities can be overwhelming at times. There are days and new situations that leave you feeling vulnerable. You don't know where to start or even what to ask! Do you fly by the seat of your pants, take an educated guess, or just throw up your hands and give up? No manager should feel that isolated or vulnerable.

That's where The Manager's Answer Book can help. In question-and-answer format, this easy-to-use guide provides information on many aspects of managing. You will find guidance on the following:

• You're a New Manager, Now What? Getting started as a manager, either a first-time manager or a manager in a new organization, can be daunting. This section covers issues such as following in the footsteps of a great or not-so-great predecessor, moving from peer to manager, developing relationships, metrics and budgets, managing projects and resources, and much more.
• Developing Your Management Skills. Beyond the knowledge and expertise in your field, being a manager requires skill. You may already possess good communication skills, including storytelling, or be a master at time management. However, to be effective as a manager, you need to delegate, motivate, coach and counsel, mediate, negotiate, and facilitate, all topics included in the sectionand then some.
• Building and Managing Your Team. People management is an important part of your job. From hiring to firing and everything in betweensuch as onboarding employees, setting goals and expectations, providing feedback, rewards, recognition, and retentionthis section covers these and other issues you need to know about being an effective leader of people.
• Creating Your Personal Brand. Image and credibility are important for you and your team, and this extends beyond your physical looks and appearance. This section covers many best management practices: building trust, setting examples through words and actions, ethics and integrity, vulnerability, and emotional intelligence. It includes tips on these and other topics to help you understand why your brand is important.
• Managing Up, Down, and Around. Managing doesn't stop with your own team. You have to understand how the rest of the organization functions to be effective and this section provides many of those insights as well as guidance on managing people and situations outside your scope of authority.
• Avoiding Potential Land Mines. It could be easy to get caught in situations that could backfire or explodeconflict and change and risk, oh my! Then there's managing remote workers, telecommuters, and generations, as well as understanding external requirements, to name a few more.
• Recognizing Legal Pitfalls. Just when you thought everything was covered, there's the myriad of laws and regulations. You can find insights on situations that you could likely face.

The information provided in The Manager's Answer Book is at times general in nature. Policies, processes, and protocols will vary from organization to organization and from industry to industry. Academia and non-profits may have different procedures and protocols than organizations in industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, or government contracting. The size of the organization also affects how things get done and the resources available. We will often suggest that you consult with your legal or human resources support, recognizing that support may be an internal department or an external resource. It's important that you take the time to learn how things are accomplished in your organization.