J. Robert Parkinson - Becoming a Successful Manager: Powerful Tools for Making a Smooth Transition to Managing a Team

Powerful Tools for Making a Smooth Transition to Managing a Team

J. Robert Parkinson, Ph.D., and Gary Grossman

To Susan, my wife, to my twin sons, Jacob and Maxwell, and to my mother, Joan Grossman

G. G.

To Eileen, my wife and partner for four decades. It just doesnt seem possible that so much time has passed.

J. R. P.

Copyright 2010 by J. Robert Parkinson and Venn Strategy Group Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

ISBN: 978-0-07-174556-7

MHID: 0-07-174556-4

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THERE ARE A NUMBER OF people to thank for contributing to the production of this text. First, we must thank all of the managers with whom we have been associated throughout our professional careers. They provided much of the research material that made this endeavor possible. Next, we owe a great deal to our literary agent, Jacquiline Flynn, whose thoughtful and insightful guidance led us through the publishing process. In addition, we appreciate the creative contributions of Lynn Miller and Jeff Shankerman. Finally, we owe a heartfelt thanks to our editor, Judith McCarthy, for inviting us to work with her; copyeditor Katherine Hinkebein; and the rest of the publishing staff at McGraw-Hill.

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

I WANT TO THANK MY friend and colleague, Jack H. Grossman, for all he contributed to this book. He is no longer with us, but his spirit lives on, and his convictions continue to be relevant.

During many years of stimulating conversation and sharing business war stories about people we knew and with whom we had worked, he helped shape many of my ideas.

Those ideasand many of his own wordsare integral parts of this book.

So, thanks, Jack. Im sure youll approve of what we have written.

J. R. P.

I AM GRATEFUL TO J. Robert Parkinson for suggesting we lovingly dedicate this book to my father, Jack H. Grossman, who coauthored the original edition. In serving as coauthor of this revised volume, I was reminded time and again of how the principles in this book were woven into the fabric of his being. Its contents reflect the type of life my father lived and the style of helpful influence he imparted to those fortunate enough to have had him as a teacher, advisor, parent, or some combination of the three.

Dad, you can rest peacefully knowing you have and will continue to make this world a better place ... forever.

Love always and forever to my father, teacher, mentor, and lifelong best friend.

Gary Grossman

THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK is to help you, as a new manager, quickly assimilate some of the basic knowledge you must have and actions you must put into practice in order to succeed. For you to gain maximum benefit from the material, we recommend that you keep a managers journal. In it, note the thoughts, ideas, and insights you generate while reading. A managers journal is also an excellent place to record your completed exercises, which are presented throughout these chapters, as well as other useful reminders and information that will help you become the outstanding manager you have the potential to be.

Congratulations on being promoted to manager! By accepting this promotion, you assumed three essential and overlapping responsibilities: to become a professional manager, to get people of diverse global and technological backgrounds and skills to fulfill their individual and departmental objectives, and to create a spirit of professionalism and teamwork within your department, wherever they may be located.

Well begin by taking a birds-eye view of what your job actually isthat is, your implied promises and obligations to your staff.