First Time Manager


Non-Fiction - Business/Finance
136 Pages
Reviewed on 11/02/2018
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Author Biography

Basic management skills, mindset, delegation, supervision, and team-building develop a new manager's style. Whether you manage one person or 500 people, a manager engages in these functions. Society needs a new generation of managers to lead and inspire their teams. Be different and become a manager.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

First Time Manager is a nonfiction business/management book written by Scott Boyd. That first promotion to a managerial position is usually greeted with a mixture of jubilation and fear. While the recognition of one’s achievements and abilities, not to mention the increase in salary, is usually welcome, along with the perks comes a load of new responsibilities and lifestyle changes, particularly when the promotion leaves you in the same department and in charge of your former co-workers. Boyd discusses the necessary change in mindset from performing work to delegating it to others, as well as the need to disengage from office friendships. Boyd stresses the importance of knowing your standard operating procedures thoroughly; of attending management seminars and classes; and of finding a mentor in the company who will be there when questions arise. He also discusses the balancing act a manager must perform in being a representative in the company while at the same time functioning as the protective buffer for one’s staff. He includes an extensive list of references for further reading.

As I began reading Scott Boyd’s nonfiction business/management book, First Time Manager, I remembered what it was like when I was notified about my first promotion, and the difficulties I encountered attempting to manage a staff of former co-workers. As Boyd states, a good number of newly promoted managers fail, and not just because management found them wanting. Many find the experience just not worth the benefits of the promotion when they’re not prepared for the new challenges and don’t have access to a mentor. In my case, work-related skills, years of service and commitment to the firm just weren’t enough. And yes, I wish First Time Manager had been around back then. It would have made a big difference. Boyd’s well-written and informative book goes a long way to demystifying the strains and stressors affecting new managers. His insights may help a number of them to not only succeed but excel in their new roles. First Time Manager is most highly recommended.

K.C. Finn

First Time Manager is an instructional self help guide by author Scott Boyd, designed to aid workers who have always been employees as they transition into management positions for the first time. The volume contains an overview of many different areas of work related to management, with a view to framing them as a new experience for the reader. These include the initial mindset and thinking stages which a manager goes through straight after the promotion stage; the basic skills required to manage other people in any workplace setting; the interpersonal skills and communication skills which are recommended to be most effective; and a host of other important everyday scenarios which may come up on the job.

I think author Scott Boyd has done an excellent job of supposing what eventualities might befall someone new to management as a kind of early warning system in his book. There are, of course, scenarios that are easily imagined, such as how to discipline staff and deal with the conflicts that arise between managers and employees, as well as amongst employees themselves. However, there are also areas that are surprisingly essential but often overlooked, such as the issue of how to build and maintain credibility as a manager when it is your first time taking on the role. Though the guide is relatively short it is concise and detailed, giving useful experience in clear prose which is easy to understand. Overall, I think First Time Manager is a well-organized, comprehensive volume that’s perfectly suited to its purpose.

Edith Wairimu

The role of a manager is undoubtedly crucial to any organization, yet too many managers fail to meet their organization’s needs. Is there a right or wrong way of managing people? What are the skills that are important in management? What makes many fail where some succeed? First Time Manager by Scott Boyd is an in-depth guide that puts together every skill from a broad spectrum of organizational facets that could be incredibly useful to all managers, especially to those who are new at their job. Boyd appreciates the scope of issues that a first-time manager faces and presents well-thought-out solutions. He also gives guidelines on how any manager can adjust their actions and communication to fully maximize the opportunities that his position provides to better the organization that they work for.

The advice provided by Scott Boyd in First Time Manager is given in a direct and straightforward way. The language is accessible to any reader who wishes to learn more about management skills and their impact. Boyd also keeps his writing simple and to the point, and the information contained is not too detail-heavy. The book is brief, which makes it an easy read. Despite the brevity, the content is impactful and gave me a lot to think about. In some cases, Boyd offers advice on how individual employees and the organization’s top level management can offer support to new managers, which widens the scope of the book. I definitely recommend Scott Boyd’s First Time Manager to every first-time manager, or anyone aspiring to be one.