The Good Enough Manager

Nearly ten years after he wrote this humanistic exploration of The Good Enough Manager, or GEM, Aaron Nurick returns with an updated edition. What makes a GEM at the dawn of a new decade? The book’s central questions remain: How do the best managers behave? What sets them apart from their peers? What impact do they have on their subordinates and co-workers? The GEM concept stems from the psychological theory of the good enough parent who provides an environment where an infant learns to develop an autonomous and genuine self. Just as there is no such thing as a perfect parent, managing people in organizations is an inherently human and fallible endeavor, mainly because managing occurs by and through human relationships. Through the words of over 1,000 study respondents, GEMs are shown to be mentors and teachers, relationship builders, and models of integrity for their workers. Each of these themes is explored, making connections to the "right brain" thinking of artists and other creative professionals, managing with emotional intelligence, and historical ideas about management and leadership as adaptive human processes. The central humanistic theme of the book, along with its practical implications, resonates more than ever in the current divisive and turbulent environment. The second edition incorporates up-to-date trends and themes, including the impact of increased globalization; increased tribalism, cultural and political polarization, and populism; the great expansion and proliferation of technology; and the emergence of the "gig economy." Upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as practicing managers, will be inspired to rethink their own approaches to management in business, government, and other organizations.

The central questions of this book are: How do the best managers behave? What sets them apart from their peers? What impact do they have on their subordinates and co-workers? The theme and organizing idea of the book is the good enough manager ® or GEM. The concept is based on the psychological theory of the good enough mother who provides an environment where an infant learns to develop an autonomous and genuine self. She does this by responding with empathy and adapting her behavior, completely meeting the child’s needs in the beginning and then gradually letting go, allowing more autonomy and room for the child to add something uniquely his own to the relationship. This book is based on a primary principle: Just as there is no such thing as a perfect parent, managing people in organizations is an inherently human and fallible endeavor, mainly because managing occurs by and through human relationships. Through the words of over 1000 study respondents, GEMs are shown to be mentors and teachers, relationship builders, and models of integrity for their workers. Each of these themes is explored, making connections to the "right brain" thinking of artists and other creative professionals, managing with emotional intelligence, and historical ideas about management and leadership as adaptive human processes.

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

This practical guide to overcoming the dangers of being a perfectionist--from debilitating feelings of self-doubt to difficulties with other people--shows readers how their perfectionist tendencies can actually help them succeed.

No idea what you're doing? No problem. Good managers are made, not born. Top tech executive Julie Zhuo remembers the moment when she was asked to lead a team. She felt like she’d won the golden ticket, until reality came crashing in. She was just 25 and had barely any experience being managed, let alone managing others. Her co-workers became her employees overnight, and she faced a series of anxiety-inducing firsts, including agonising over whether to hire an interviewee; seeking the respect of reports who were cleverer than her; and having to fire someone she liked. Like most first-time managers, she wasn’t given any formal training, and had no resources to turn to for help. It took her years to find her way, but now she’s offering you the short-cut to success. This is the book she wishes she had on day one. Here, she offers practical, accessible advice like: · Don’t hide thorny problems from your own manager; you’re better off seeking help quickly and honestly · Before you fire someone for failure to collaborate, figure out if the problem is temperamental or just a lack of training or coaching · Don’t offer critical feedback in a ‘compliment sandwich’ – there’s a better way! Whether you're new to the job, a veteran leader, or looking to be promoted, this is the handbook you need to be the kind of manager you've always wanted.

If people could change their competencies and characteristics at will, personal development would be a relatively simple matter. However, there are many reasons why people consciously or unconsciously tend to resist change. The purpose of this book is to make you aware of techniques for overcoming resistance to change and meaningfully influence the change process in others. Knowledge of these techniques will allow you to formulate and execute truly effective personnel planning and development. An individuals behavior is a function of their innate capacity, their level of awareness, their motivation, and their competence to execute their work responsibilities. Behavior is profoundly influenced by each of these factors. Positively impacting an individual is essentially a matter of altering one or more of these factors that are an impediment to behavior change.

The upheavals of the NHS reforms have caused a great deal of stress and uncertainty in primary care, and professional development and support for general practitioners needs to take account of this. This book offers a group supervision model which can be used to develop the core competencies needed for GPs to make the new primary care organisations work. The book analyses how primary care professionals have dealt with the various reforms of the past decade, and picks apart the paralysing culture of politeness, conflict avoidance and rivalry for power, to reveal how at the core of reform is the struggle for each GP to construct a new professional identity which integrates medicine, management and politics. It proposes ways GPs can benefit from these experiences to become equipped with the necessary competencies to be active members or dynamic leaders in the new primary care organisations. The doctor-patient relationship is no longer one-to-one, but located within a group matrix, in the same way that a GP is now required to work within a group framework. This book enables GPs to develop the essential group skills they now need, and on which the success of the healthcare reforms ultimately depends.

Master the Six Dimensions of the Project Management Universe! Learn how to turn constraints into resources to achieve project objectives! Through case studies and practical exercises, The Six Dimensions of Project Management demonstrates the six possible combinations (or dimensions) of the “hierarchy of constraints"" (time, cost, and performance existing in a hierarchy of driver, middle and weak constraint) and the specific set of challenges and opportunities associated with each. Project managers will learn how to recognize a project's dimension and, by understanding its set of problems and resources, get the job done on time, on budget, and to spec! You will uncover hidden flexibility, unlock valuable new resources, discover threats before they turn into problems, and win the admiration of customers and projects sponsors alike. You'll learn: •How to use the “inner purpose” of a project to empower project mangers and team players •Why certain kinds of failure point the way to higher levels of success •What creates opposition to your project—and how to leverage it for your benefit •Where to look to find creative opportunities on every project