You Can't Fire Everyone: And Other Lessons from an Accidental Manager

by Hank Gilman

When Hank Gilman started his career, he aspired to be a great journalist. But just a few years later, he became an editor and suddenly found himself in charge of a slew of difficult reporters—without a clue how to manage them.

Plenty of managers start out this way, never asking, expecting, or training to be responsible for others. These accidental bosses often find that learning to manage is like learning to swim by being dropped into the deep end of the pool.

Now the deputy managing editor at Fortune, Gilman learned the hard way about what makes a good boss. He shares his insights from the good, bad, ugly, entertaining, and sometimes just plain bizarre stories from more than two decades in the management trenches.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Management, Leadership, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from the first-reads giveaway.

As a teen getting ready to graduate and step into the "real world," leadership is all I ever hear about these days. It's kind of annoying. So granted, when I was sent an e-mail that I had won this book, I was more excited about winning something rather than the book itself.

It turned to be an extremely pleasant surprise. I'm a very sarcastic, smart-arse kind of person myself, and Gilman? Yeah. Very snarky. Some people may not like this simply because of the way he writes and talks--which is very much like having a straight up conversation with him and reflects upon what I assume is his personality--but those like me will enjoy this book thoroughly just for his rambling insights and extra notes smack dab in the middle of paragraphs or sentences. Yes, it's a book about management, but a lot of the examples and suggestions can be applied in any form of leadership, really. I found myself nodding at times, thinking back to the times when I was in a similar, but less formal situation/environment. He goes on with sports metaphors a little too much for my taste, but I cut it some slack because he warns the reader about it from the very start.

It's an easy, entertaining read with advice that you can actually take away and put to use--even if you're not a manager.

[Ashley · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a fellow "accidental manager" in the media business, it was good to hear from someone in the same boat. I could probably follow this advice better than other managers not in the media. There were some helpful points, and I also enjoyed the section on Gen Y employees and dealing with difficult employees.

On the other hand, there were way too many sports analogies, and seemingly unrelated personal anecdotes and pats on the back. It was a quick read, and chuckle-worthy at parts, so far from dry considering the subject... but I'm not sure there's anything stellar in there. I felt myself wanting to read some of the works of other authors Gilman mentions more than his own advice.

In all: This will be marginally helpful for accidental managers, and even moreso for those in the media business, but there are probably better reads on the subject.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get past the somewhat misleading title, I found this book to be very interesting and quite humorous. Gilman has worked as a business journalist for the majority of his career (Fortune & Newsweek) and newspapers (Wall St. Journal & NY Times). The book is basically a handbook for managers based on his experiences working with the best and possibly the worst in management - from his own supervisors to CEO's of major corporations. His tone is lighthearted and honest and for the most part his stories reinforced many of my feelings about being a manager - being honest, accessible, engaging, a good communicator, able to admit mistakes and most importantly to learn from those mistakes. I would recommend this book for anyone. There are many lessons to be learned about how to be a leader, whether you are in a management/supervisory position or not.

[Peyton · Rating 2 out of 5]

What hooked me about this one was the catchy title and trendy cover... both of which I consider the worst case of false advertising I've ever seen. Gilman is so firmly ensconced in the publishing world that his book is inaccessible to those of us in other industries. This jargon-filled, under-edited book could use a little more red pen and a little less bluster.

[Ahmad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really useful book for young, unexperienced managers. What I liked most about it is that it is practical & to-the-point.
Also, Gilman's style of writing is funny and addictive in a wonderful way.

[Kelley Muir]

As an accidental manager I think I could find this book quiet entertaining and informative

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars: I think this is a great read for everyone is managerial positions - not just because of the stories but the thought processes behind how to handle bad situations. A lot of people who manage people forget the humanity of the whole thing and treat their employees like they are dispensible instead of trying to help the human who is struggling.

Not a textbook but a very important street smarts book for people who are just coming into managerial positions. A super good read for those who are expanding their horizons and want some good stories to help solidify their knowledge on the subject.

I really appreciate an older generation's positive view on how to keep Gen-Y and let's be honest, millennials, to stay in a position: If they aren't happy, they will find something that will make them happy - even if it is another field. We have seen older generations go entire careers they hate and we have zero interest in that. We want to make it in a career and if we can't make it with you, we will find a place we can make it big in. Whatever big means to you.

Work has to reflect our values and be meaningful - we need to get and give a lot in work. The best tool? communication (lol no shit sherlock)

Important takeaways:
Cut to the chase on bad news. Be nice but don't beat around the bush.
Have discussions in person over email. Eliminates paper trail but odd hour emails can have a very bad impression. Reply all should be avoided at all costs. BCC is sneaky. Subject lines are very important.
Respond to every email. Even thank you to telemarketers. Also, timeliness. Do not send okay.
Don't be stressed about getting fired, usually getting fired is so much worse than the stress building up to it.
If you are firing people, don't play the victim. No one feels sorry for you.


Recommended follow-up reads:
Misled: How a Generation of Leaders Lost the Faith (And Just What You'll Need to Get It Back) by Nadira Angelina Hira

[Ramon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was a great management book. I have been in management for as long as he has been an the examples were spot on. I enjoyed his humor and his laid back approach. He talked about the difficulties of management such as firing but knew the whys and tried to be as passionate as possible. Although his field was newspaper management I found that it easily referred to banking or many other fields.

[Brian Stankich · Rating 4 out of 5]

He nails some managerial keys that are mostly applicable to other industries but many of them are specific to news print publishing. It reads like a cross between a memoir and a how-to. The hilarious title reflects his big idea: we have to get along in the workplace and this is what a manager has to do. I appreciated his humor throughout. It’s a refreshing book on leadership.

[Homer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny and honest assessment of what it takes to manage. Since I work in the non-profit industry not every story shared is relevant, but the over all message of doing what works best for your management style, being honest when you can, and just being nice hold true for any industry. Additionally the book is just really well written and a fun to read!

[Jeff Brateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was mostly entertaining, with a few helpful management tips thrown in between. The sarcastic wit really was a pleasure to read as opposed to other really boring books on the topic. I recommend as a casual read.

[Jeremy Holmes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, I am looking for some resources for up and coming middle managers at my work. There is some good advice in here but it’s interwoven with these sexist and otherwise problematic comments. I finally gave up half way through after one to many inappropriate comments.

[John Yafi · Rating 3 out of 5]

first chapters are okay, then I read bullshits.

[Andy Rodriguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book had a lot of common sense. I think it would be best for someone stepping into a leadership role and needs a little guidance about good practices.

[Emily Braaten · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining book on the highs and lows of being the boss, but with some flip flopping on lessons and more relevance to news/media than other fields

[hemlet kiai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was fortunate to get Gilman's book in advance as a Goodreads.com "First Reads" book.

You Can't Fire Everyone is a good page-turner, which seems a bit strange for a management book. Hank Gilman, Deputy Managing Editor at Fortune Magazine, put together a succinct, humorous look at his career as an "accidental manager." One should quite easily pick up a few tips on the do's and don't's of managing people, and hiring and firing them. Gilman has a terrific sense of humor - witty and sarcastic at times; and sports-oriented at (many) other times.

The reader should be able to pluck a few gems from the book without trying too hard. I especially enjoyed his "Director's Cut." This was the final chapter that Gilman said he could not find place anywhere else in the book. The outtakes may have been the best part.

Overall, some of Gilman's advice seemed to be more applicable to the cut-throat world of journalism than to the broader world of "business." There is not much in the way of new or memorable material in this book. But, the length, fluidity, and humor of the book make it a worthwhile read.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this through First Reads. This was a fun and easy read. I like Gilman's style. Although I know nothing about the world of journalism (or being a manager, for that matter), I felt that many of Gilman's lessons could be applied to a broad range of situations.

Now for a couple of minor peeves... In at least one instance, Gilman was inconsistent with his use of first vs last name. In books where you can develop familiarity with the people or characters, this type of thing doesn't matter as much. But when the author is simply presenting different episodes, it can get a bit confusing.

I kind of had a problem with the chapter entitled There's No Such Thing as a Small Role. I liked what he was saying with the title and I appreciated his honesty but I felt he was a bit condescending to Chain Store Age, where "there aren't a lot of talented people to learn from". Of course, he immediately follows that with, "But there are some". (p. 176)

[Diane ~Firefly~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is easy to read as everything is broken up into bite size pieces and the writing has a bit of humor to it. I didn't learn anything jaw-dropping as it is mostly common sense (which is often missing in management) and it definitely has a bent towards the magazine/news business. But, the anecdotes are interesting to read and most of the advice is good.

This was an ARC, so some of the dropped threads that popped up here and there may be fixed in the final printing, but it was jarring when something would be mentioned at the beginning of an anecdote and then never mentioned again.

I was surprised someone who is so against motivational speakers teaching anyone anything, would believe a book of personal observations would change the reader's behavior

** I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads program

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Want to read 200+ pages of rambling stories, sports and journalism anecdotes, and name dropping? Have I found the book for you!

I'm a really fast reader, and it took me two months to get through this slim volume, because I just couldn't get into it. I brought it with me to the DMV today and forced myself to finish it.

Here are the few things I want to remember from this book:

-Sometimes people aren't going to like you when you're a manager, and that's OK.
-"In boss land, how you behave and how things look is more important than almost everything else."
-Imagine what your words and decisions would look like if they were made public, e.g. on the gossip page (The Page Six Rule.)
-"Management is a lot about conflicts. If you don't have the stomach for that, go back to the assembly line."

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book as a first read but it was really for my husband. So, this review is based on what he told me he thought about it. He said that the book was entertaining to read but that he didn't find the information very applicable to his job. He felt that many of the examples in the book were specific to the field of journalism and that the situations that happen in his business are very different than the book's examples. He felt that the author spent too much time describing the situtations and people he worked with and not enough on practical applications for managers. He said that he wouldn't tell people not to read the book but that he didn't feel that it was the best management book he's read.

[BM · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of personal stories about managing and being managed. Lots. Which can be entertaining but I found repetitive.
Management advice was pretty standard. A few were even amusing:
> Everyone who works for you has flaws. Find out what they do well and let them do that.
> You have to tell people how they're doing. Your employees don't have psychic powers.
> Worst thing you can do as a manager is to be afraid of being fired. Impairs your decision-making.
> Be kind to all employees, even if they don't deserve it. Because how you treat one employee sends a message to the rest.
> If you bcc: regularly in your e-mails, you are just sneaky and can't be trusted.

[Carrieuoregon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really the idea behind this book was brilliant: a management manual from someone who can actually write. Most things of this type are so deadly, but Mr. Gilman is a former reporter, an editor and quite an engaging writer. Many of the stories made me smile or laugh. Although I don't have a boss right now, we have all had bosses, good and not so good. This book helps you recognize those qualities and practices that impacted your own employment. Not a subject I'd normally be interested in, but I read it quickly and with enjoyment.

[Devorah Royal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall tone and in retrospect even the title, has a very defeatist attitude. It actually made me feel bad for him at a certain point. This is a manager trying to give over his knowledge so that others may benefit, and I'm pretty sure he is unaware of his own issues. So to be fair, he is honest and does his best, but the problem is; he is giving you advice on how to survive in this environment versus how to thrive. Not for people looking to become thought leaders, influencers, and who strive to work from a place of inspiration.

[Dominique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book. Maybe a little too much on the sports for me at times, but it's funny. Being a non-manager myself, its nice to see where managers go wrong and get an inside view of their world.

And the guy writes like I talk -- a little bit rambling, with lots of asides (sometimes snarky).. but really it's as if he is sitting there talking to you about his experiences. Lots of fun to read

[An Shun · Rating 4 out of 5]

A down-to-earth read about dilemmas that all managers will face in the course of their management career. The book offers general guidelines especially on the Do-Nots of management based on the past experiences of the author which is really good for novice managers. The great part about reading this book is the author's sincere sharing of his experiences and not some "framework" or "case-study" from some study.

[Larry B Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this look at a subject that is misapplied every day in leadership role. It's serious look at management and leadership style is presented in a practical and easy to follow way based on real life experiences. As a manager who years ago was thrown into the job with no real training found the book to be both fresh and full of deep and practical ideas to help make me a better leader.

[Devin Mcghee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very honest. And he doesn't claim to know everything (although he has some great insights), so it feels more like discussing issues with a fellow manager, that being told what you should and shouldn't do by a management guru. I recommend this for anyone who supervises. I may not always agree with him, but it is always entertaining.

[Belem · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I wanted to read something that would help me manage people better and this book caught my eye. Well don't waste your money, it was mostly about his experience as a journalist, which doesn't sound like something I would do. It did start to get more helpful towards the end of the book with a few stories here and there. Don't buy it just borrow it from the library.

[Marcelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ironically, I don't think this book, written by a journalist, is well-written! He tries to be a little too funny. But, I am still glad I read the book. It is nice to hear the perspective of both a long-time manager and someone in an entirely different industry. Validates some of my own experience and offers insight on how to handle tough situations. Worth the quick read that it is.