Richard Templar - The Rules of Management, Expanded Edition: A Definitive Code for Managerial Success

A Definitive Code for Managerial Success, Expanded Edition

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2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.

Publishing as FT Press
Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

Authorized adaptation from the original UK edition, entitled The Rules of Management, Second Edition, by Richard Templar, published by Pearson Education Limited, Pearson Education 2011.

This U.S. adaptation is published by Pearson Education Inc, 2011 by arrangement with Pearson Education Ltd, United Kingdom.

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Printed in the United States of America

First Printing May 2011

ISBN-10: 0-13-273310-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-13-273310-6

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Templar, Richard, 1950-2006.
The rules of management : a definitive code for managerial success / Richard
Templar. Expanded ed.
p. cm.
Rev. ed. of: The rules of management : a definitive code for managerial success. 2005.
ISBN 978-0-13-273310-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Management. 2. Executives. 3. Executive ability. I. Title.
HD31.T45 2011b
658dc22
2011011469

Strange thing, management. Its something few of us set out in life to do, yet most of us find ourselves doing at some point.

Careers adviser: What would you like to do when you leave school?

16-year-old: I want to be a manager.

Did this happen to you? No, me neither. But here you are anyway.

As a manager you are expected to be a lot of things. A tower of strength, a leader and innovator, a magician (conjuring up pay raises, resources and extra staff at the drop of a hat), a kindly uncle/aunt, a shoulder to cry on, a dynamic motivator, a stern but fair judge, a diplomat, a politician, a financial wizard (no, this is quite different from being a magician), a protector, a savior and a saint.

You are responsible for a whole gang of people that you probably didnt pick, may not like, and might have nothing in common with and who perhaps wont like you much. You have to coax out of them a decent days work. You are also responsible for their physical, emotional, and mental safety and care. You have to make sure they dont hurt themselvesor each other. You have to ensure they can carry out their jobs according to whatever rules your industry warrants. You have to know your rights, their rights, the companys rights, and the governments rights.

And on top of all this, youre expected to do your job as well.

Oh yes, and you have to remain cool and calmyou cant shout, throw things, or have favorites. This management business is a tall order....

(or possibly even fire them). At other times they will behave like petulant teenagerssleeping in late, not showing up, refusing to do any real work if they do show up, quitting earlythat sort of thing.

Yes, yes, I know you cant smack children either. I was just making a point. Please dont email me.

Like you, Ive managed teams (in my case, up to 100 people at a time). People whose names I was expected to know and all their little foiblesah, Heather cant work late on a Tuesday because her daughter has to be picked up from her play group. Trevor is color blind, so we cant use him at the trade show.

Mandy sulks if left to answer the phones at lunchtime and loses customers. Chris is great in a team but cant motivate herself to do anything solo. Ray drinks and shouldnt be allowed to drive anywhere.

As a manager, you are also expected to be a buffer zone between higher management and your staff. Nonsense may come down from on high but you have to a) sell it to your team, b) not groan loudly or laugh, and c) get your team to work with it even if it is nonsense.

You also have to justify the no pay raises this year mentality even if it has just completely demotivated your team. You will have to keep secret any knowledge you have of takeovers, mergers, acquisitions, secret deals, senior management buyouts and the like, despite the fact that rumors are flying and you are being constantly asked questions by your team.

You are responsible not only for people but also for budgets, discipline, communications, efficiency, legal matters, union matters, health and safety matters, personnel matters, pensions, sick pay, maternity leave, paternity leave, holidays, time off, time sheets, tight deadlines and leaving presents, industry standards, fire drills, first aid, fresh air, heating, plumbing, parking spaces, lighting, stationery, resources, and tea and coffee. And thats not to mention the small matter of customers.

And you will have to fight with other departments, other teams, clients, senior bosses, senior management, the board, shareholders and the accounts department. (Unless of course you are the manager of the accounts department.)

You are also expected to set standards. This means you are going to have to be an on-time, up-front, smartly dressed, hardworking, industrious, late-staying, early-rising, detached, responsible, caring, knowledgeable, above-reproach juggler. Tall order.

You also need to accept that as a manager you may be ridiculedthink The Office and possibly even judged by your staff, shareholders and the public to be ineffective and even superfluous to the carrying out of the actual job in hand.

If this all makes you feel a bit bleak about being a managerdont be. Managers are the stuff that runs the world. We get to lead, to inspire, to motivate, to guide, to shape the future. We get to make a difference to the business and to peoples lives. We get to make a real and positive contribution to the state of the world. We get not only to be part of the solution but also to provide the solution. We are the sheriff and the marshal and the ranger all rolled into one. We are the engine and the captain. Its a great role and we should relish itits just not always an easy role....

And all you wanted to do was your job.... Luckily there are a few hints and tips that will have you sailing through it looking cool, gaining points, and coming up smelling of roses. These are The Rules of Managementthe unwritten, unspoken, unacknowledged Rules. Keep them to yourself if you want to stay one step ahead of the game.

Management is an art and a science. There are textbooks of thousands of pages devoted to how to do it. There are countless training courses. (Youve probably been on a few.) However, what no textbook contains and no training course includes are the various unwritten rules that make you a good, effective and decent managerthe