Manager's Toolkit

by Luecke, Richard A.

• ISBN13: 9781591392897
• ISBN10: 1591392896
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-03-01
• Publisher: Harvard Business School Pr

Summary

Manager's Toolkit: The 13 Skills Managers Need to Succeed Zeroing in on the specific skills that make great managers stand out from the pack, this comprehensive guide is both an essential primer for new managers and a valuable resource for seasoned executives. From hiring and retaining good people to motivating and developing team members, from understanding key financial statements to delegating work effectively, and from setting goals for others to managing your own career, this actionable guide walks readers through every aspect of managing in a complex business world. Filled with practical tools and tips, this essential toolkit will help managers to stay at the top of their game. The Harvard Business Essentials series is for managers at all levels but is especially relevant for new managers. It offers on-the-spot guidance, coaching, and tools on the most relevant topics in business. Each book includes the critical information that managers need on a given topic-from budgeting to hiring to communication to strategy-and offers interactive tools and worksheets that translate advice into action. Providing ready answers to day-to-day issues, these guides make sound, trusted mentoring advice available whenever managers need it. Other Books in the HBE Series: Managing Change and Transition Hiring and Keeping the Best People Finance for Managers Business Communications Innovation Negotiation

Table of Contents

Introduction	xiii
Part One: Learning the Basics
Setting Goals That Others Will Pursue	3	(14)
Committing to an Outcome
Begin with Strategy	4	(1)
Top-Down or Bottom-Up?	5	(1)
Characteristics of Effective Goals	6	(2)
Developing Unit Goals	8	(1)
Prioritizing	9	(1)
Your Goals as Manager	10	(1)
Four Steps to Accomplishing Goals	10	(4)
Periodic Review	14	(1)
After-Action Review	14	(1)
Summing Up	15	(2)
Hiring the Best	17	(24)
The Role of Human Assets
Defining Job Requirements	18	(6)
Recruiting Promising Candidates	24	(2)
Interviewing	26	(7)
Evaluating the Candidates	33	(3)
Making the Decision and Offer	36	(2)
Don't Forget Process Improvement	38	(1)
Summing Up	39	(2)
Keeping the Best	41	(22)
Why Retention Mallers
Retention Matters	43	(4)
Why People Stay	47	(1)
Why People Leave	48	(2)
Market-Wise Retention	50	(3)
General Strategies for Retention	53	(3)
The Role of Work-Life Balance	56	(5)
Summing Up	61	(2)
Delegating with Confidence	63	(14)
Avoid Being Overworked and Overwhelmed
Benefits of Delegating	64	(2)
Warning Signs	66	(1)
Guidelines for Effective Delegating	67	(1)
Approaches to Delegation	68	(1)
Preparing to Delegate	69	(2)
Making the Assignment	71	(2)
Control, Monitoring, and Feedback	73	(1)
After-Action Review	74	(1)
Summing Up	75	(2)
Managing Your Time	77	(16)
Making the Most Out of Your Day
Understanding How You Spend Your Time	79	(1)
Let Your Goals Guide Your Way	80	(2)
Scheduling Your Time	82	(3)
Three Enemies of Time Management---and How to Defeat Them	85	(5)
Summing Up	90	(3)
Part Two: Reaching the Next Level
Managing Teams	93	(22)
Forming a Team That Makes the Difference
Teams---and When to Use Them	95	(1)
Characteristics of Effective Teams	96	(5)
Designing the Team	101	(4)
Operating as a Team	105	(2)
The Leader's Role	107	(2)
Evaluating Team Performance	109	(2)
Becoming an Effective Team Leader	111	(1)
Summing Up	112	(3)
Appraisal and Coaching	115	(18)
Improving Results with Feedback
Performance Appraisal	116	(7)
Coaching	123	(8)
Summing Up	131	(2)
Handling Problem Employees	133	(20)
Motivating or Letting Go
Principles of Motivation	134	(2)
The Feedback Approach	136	(2)
Handling ``C'' Performers	138	(1)
When All Else Fails: Handling a Dismissal	139	(12)
Summing Up	151	(2)
Dealing with Crises	153	(16)
Don't Wait Until They Hit
What Is a Crisis?	155	(1)
Avoiding the Crisis	156	(2)
Preparing to Manage the Crisis	158	(1)
Recognizing the Crisis	159	(2)
Containing the Crisis	161	(2)
Resolving the Crisis	163	(1)
Learning from the Crisis	164	(1)
Frequently Asked Questions	165	(2)
Summing Up	167	(2)
Developing Your Career	169	(20)
And Theirs
Not Just Up	171	(1)
First, Know Yourself	172	(3)
Your Core Business Interests	175	(3)
Your Work Values	178	(2)
Your Skills	180	(4)
Finding Development Opportunities at Your Company	184	(2)
Career Development for Your People	186	(1)
Summing Up	187	(2)
Becoming a Leader	189	(16)
The Final Challenge
The Challenge of Contemporary Leadership	190	(1)
Characteristics of Effective Leaders	191	(1)
The Tensions Leaders Must Balance	192	(2)
Crafting a Vision That Others Will Follow	194	(1)
Be a Change Agent	195	(4)
Leading When You're Not the Boss	199	(3)
Summing Up	202	(3)
Strategy	205	(12)
A Primer
What Is Strategy?	206	(3)
Steps for Formulating Strategy	209	(4)
Be Prepared for Change	213	(1)
Summing Up	214	(3)
Part Three: Mastering the Financial Tools
Budgeting	217	(26)
Seeing the Future
What Is Budgeting?	219	(1)
Budget Functions	219	(4)
Types of Budgets	223	(3)
The Master Budget	226	(10)
The Human Side of Budgeting	236	(5)
Summing Up	241	(2)
Understanding Financial Statements	243	(20)
Making More Authoritative Decisions
Why Financial Statements?	245	(1)
The Balance Sheet	245	(8)
The Income Statement	253	(4)
The Cash Flow Statement	257	(3)
Where to Find It	260	(1)
Summing Up	261	(2)
Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return	263	(16)
Accounting for Time
Time Value---and Why It Matters	264	(1)
Calculating Return on Investment	265	(3)
Net Present Value	268	(6)
Internal Rate of Return	274	(3)
Summing Up	277	(2)
Breakeven Analysis and Operating Leverage	279	(6)
Understanding Cash Flow
Operating Leverage	282	(1)
Summing Up	283	(2)
Appendix A: Useful Implementation Tools	285	(10)
Appendix B: Legal Landmines in Hiring	295	(4)
Notes	299	(4)
Glossary	303	(6)
For Further Reading	309	(10)
Index	319	(8)
About the Subject Adviser	327	(1)
About the Writer	328