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1 of the best books for new development managers
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Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management
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Great management is difficult to see as it occurs. It's possible to see the results of great management, but it's not easy to see how managers achieve those results. Great management happens in one-on-one meetings and with other managers---all in private. It's hard to learn management by example when you can't see it. You can learn to be a better manager---even a great manager---with this guide. You'll follow along as Sam, a manager just brought on board, learns the ropes and deals with his new team over the course of his first eight weeks on the job. From scheduling and managing resources to helping team members grow and prosper, you'll be there as Sam makes it happen. You'll find powerful tips Full of tips and practical advice on the most important aspects of management, this is one of those books that can make a lasting and immediate impact on your career.
172 pages, Paperback
First published September 19,2005
This edition
- Format
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172 pages, Paperback
- Published
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October 25, 2005 by Pragmatic Bookshelf
- ISBN
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9780976694021
- ASIN
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0976694026
- Language
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English
About the author
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I provide frank advice for your tough problems in my non-fiction. I write about tough, smart women in my fiction. My heroines have more guts than I do...
Here's the more formal bio:
I consult, speak, and write on managing high-technology product development. I've helped managers, teams, and organizations to become more effective by applying my pragmatic approaches to their issues of hiring, project management, risk management, and people management. I write a monthly email newsletter, the Pragmatic Manager. Please review back issues and sign yourself up.
I'm known for my wacko sense of humor and frank approach. My clients appreciate both!
I blog at Managing Product Development, Hiring Technical People, and Create an Adaptable Life. Please do join me there.
Here's the more formal bio:
I consult, speak, and write on managing high-technology product development. I've helped managers, teams, and organizations to become more effective by applying my pragmatic approaches to their issues of hiring, project management, risk management, and people management. I write a monthly email newsletter, the Pragmatic Manager. Please review back issues and sign yourself up.
I'm known for my wacko sense of humor and frank approach. My clients appreciate both!
I blog at Managing Product Development, Hiring Technical People, and Create an Adaptable Life. Please do join me there.
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Rating(4 / 5.0, 74 votes)
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It's sad that this book isn't talked about as a top flight technical management book. It should be. I think the reason it isn't is that it came out just before social media and it never got the exposure it should have.
There are some issues with the book. It uses the style of a month in the life of Sam, the fictional manager in the book. This can come across as dry, but it's effective in getting the information across. Sam is the equivalent of a director level manager, so the book doesn't address what it means to be a day to day technical manager.
However, what it does do is shows the various parts of management and breaks down the skills it takes to do them well. One on ones, coaching, feedback, running meetings, facilitating, project management, planning, etc. It's a great survey of all of these and explaining why the are important.
The best part of the book is that it ends with a series of short chapters that contain overviews of how to use the techniques discussed in the book as well as checklists that can be used to put them into practice. This is a great reference for getting started and for going back to refine after you've used them for a while. Looking over these made me realize areas I could improve and also areas where I'd had managers not running things well but at the time couldn't articulate why.
I'd recommend pairing this book with Camille Fournier's The Manager's Path as a power set of books for any new manager just starting in tech and for seasoned managers who want to pick up some new techniques to use.
There are some issues with the book. It uses the style of a month in the life of Sam, the fictional manager in the book. This can come across as dry, but it's effective in getting the information across. Sam is the equivalent of a director level manager, so the book doesn't address what it means to be a day to day technical manager.
However, what it does do is shows the various parts of management and breaks down the skills it takes to do them well. One on ones, coaching, feedback, running meetings, facilitating, project management, planning, etc. It's a great survey of all of these and explaining why the are important.
The best part of the book is that it ends with a series of short chapters that contain overviews of how to use the techniques discussed in the book as well as checklists that can be used to put them into practice. This is a great reference for getting started and for going back to refine after you've used them for a while. Looking over these made me realize areas I could improve and also areas where I'd had managers not running things well but at the time couldn't articulate why.
I'd recommend pairing this book with Camille Fournier's The Manager's Path as a power set of books for any new manager just starting in tech and for seasoned managers who want to pick up some new techniques to use.
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Good collection of management tips and wisdom. Everything told trough a concrete story that includes realistic examples and conversations in between short summaries of recommendations. Liked the content Liked the format Liked the style
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At the first look and few first pages I didn't expect much as I had feeling it is describing stuff I already know, however after some while I found the book interesting and it actually has definitely some good points.
I very like the summary at the end. Once the book is finished it is nice to go through just few pages and remind everything important for yourself.
I very like the summary at the end. Once the book is finished it is nice to go through just few pages and remind everything important for yourself.
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The book was easy to read. It combines a discussion of useful elements of a manager's toolbox with a case study of a hypothetical 'good manager' Sam, demonstrating those tools in practice.
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Read through this again as I switched positions at work to lead a new team. This book is as close as you can get to having a software management mentor tucked into your bag for consultation on the bus commute to and from work.
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I find it very practical and step by step guideline for managing people. It describes quite meny important soft-skills needed to grow healthy team/group in the organization. Easy and fast to read. With plenty of checklists is quite useful for longer period of time on daily basis.
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Good survey of technical management practices.
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