Managing for Success: Practical Advice for Managers

by Steven R. Smith

Many managers and supervisors are promoted into these positions because of their excellent technical or professional skills. But managing a department and employees requires a very different set of skills. No wonder 40% of managers fail: they were never properly trained to manage. Managing for Success; Practical Advice for Managers is for open-minded people who want to learn what they really should be doing as a department manager. It includes the best ideas the author has discovered and applied throughout his career. Advice on what to do, how to do it, and why covers many of a manager's most important duties, including how to truly motivate your staff. This guide will help managers and supervisors understand what their job really is. It explains how to manage the department, individual employees, the boss and the work environment. It will teach you how to hire, motivate, enrich jobs, set goals, delegate, coach, make decisions, conduct performance reviews, hold staff meetings, build trust, and much more. By understanding and applying the practical advice in this guide, you too can become a successful and appreciated manager.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business, Management

150 pages, Paperback

First published February 3, 2014

About the author

Steven R. Smith, R.PH, M.S., was raised in Nelson, a small Wisconsin town near the Mississippi River. He attended high school in Alma, Wisconsin, graduated in 1961 in a class of only 37, and went on to earn a B.S. in pharmacy and an M.S. in pharmacy administration, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Smith started his career in 1968 as a marketing research analyst at the Upjohn Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and then held positions as market analyst, product manager and new products manager at Ross Laboratories and Abbott Laboratories.

Smith held his first managerial position in 1978, when he was hired to establish a marketing research department at American Critical Care, a small cardiovascular drug company in the Chicago area. Subsequently, Smith held licensing positions at American Critical Care, G.D. Searle, and Fujisawa Healthcare. He also taught marketing and management classes.

More recently Smith served as vice president of business development at Miles Laboratories in Elkart, Indiana, and Dow Pharmaceutical Sciences in Petaluma, California. He is now retired and lives in Petaluma with Judy, his wife of 45 years.

Reviews

[Dominic McLoughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a human resources manager I was very pleased to find that this book talks about the most important practical aspects of manging people! Steven suggests that managers trust employees and give them responsibility, while keeping them accountable - a vital part of good management!

As many will have experienced, managers are often appointed because of their technical or subject expertise with little or no advice about how to pick, motivate and manage the best staff. This is the book for those people.

Although the book briefly touches on the well known 'classic management theory', the true strength is in the practical application - as the title Managing for Success: Practical Advice for Managers suggests.

[Dave Lohman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is just what it promises to be…practical advice. I’ve read my fair share of management and leadership books…the good, the bad, and the ugly. This is a good book. It’s a quick and straight-forward read with practical advice and the basic foundations of good management. Where a lot of people go wrong is forgetting the basics. This is always true whether we look at sports or management. The critical key of success is doing the basics very well. Steven does a great job of putting these (back) into focus.

There is some quick discussion of management styles, boiled down to two types. No fancy tests…just basics and common sense. This is followed by good advice on how to do the basics of management well. The key is doing these well. For some, these might be new ideas…but to most on this list they are great reminders.

Now finished with the book, I know that I’ll be recommending this book to managers in my organization. Plus, I appreciate being reminded of some things that I know to do, but have become “too busy” to remember to do. I was forgetting my job as a manager when I let them slide. Many thanks to Steven who helped put together an insightful quick read of practical advice.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Managing for Success is a solid business book targeted at departmental managers. The book is concise and very well written in a professional tone. The author's formidable experience is obvious throughout. The book's organization is topical and presented in a sort of "first things first" approach. The author does not talk down to new managers nor kowtow to conventional wisdom. Multiple ideas drawn from the business literature are incorporated into a workable framework of management excellence. There's something here for everybody and I plan to utilize major portions of the book in my own management activities--especially the pointed comments and great ideas in the annual review section.

Minor quibbles: there are recurrent minor typographical errors--maybe one every five to six pages. The book does not include a bibliography or references section (though adequate citations are included in the text).

Note: I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads' giveaways.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

first i would like to thank the goodreads first reads and the author for letting me read this free book and to review it.i found that the author pointed out some information that i have used myself and other information that i didnt even know about.i was very excited to read this book and will continue to refer back to it as needed.lots of good points and my favorite chapter would have to be chapter 1key concepts for success...this is a book for any new manager who wants to succeed.
thanks again for this opportunity...

[Shay Leszinske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative! I would recomend to every manager. I have put to practice the ideas and tools in my own business with positive results. I have recieved this book through goodreads

[Nathan Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the amount of pages in Managing for Success: Practical Advice for Managers by Steven Smith give you the idea that it is "light" on practical ideas. On the contrary, the author seems to understand an important concept that is facing all managers - especially new ones. That concept is this: "You will have more work to do than time, so let's just cut the fluff and get to the good stuff!" Smith doesn't keep the reader waiting to get to concepts and advice that can save a first time manager's career and sanity. How much money is that worth? I guarantee you, it is worth at least as much as this "mentor on a shelf" is priced at - probably much more.

Managing for Success distills the topics of hiring, staff motivation, enriching jobs, setting goals, delegation, coaching, decision making, conducting performance reviews, holding staff meetings, building trust, and others in a way that makes it feel like you have a friend with their arm around your shoulder trying to give you the advice that they had to learn the hard way. You can try and learn these principles yourself, and if you are lucky enough to survive in your new position long enough, you might pick up half of them.

There is even a section on "Managing Your Boss", which over the years I have found to be a skill that is mandatory for survival and sanity.

Having taught Business courses in high school for 7 years, this is the kind of book that I wish I had to point students to. I could have chucked half of the textbooks I used and just followed the topics and expanded upon them enough to insure that they grasped the concepts and practice them in different scenarios.

Managing for Success is a book that should be read by every business student in college. There are just some "real world" practices that your $200 textbook just won't cover. For example:

"You must remove those who are a poor match for the positions they hold. This can be difficult, but without great people you cannot have a great department. If someone does not fit in and does not respond to coaching and training, the person needs to be replaced."

"It is not wrong to lay off people who threaten the productivity and motivation of your department. If anything, it is unfair to leave these people in the dark about their weaknesses and allow them to stay in jobs where they are failing. Do not delay the firing, but be humane. Give them time off to look for another job, but set deadlines. Consider that you may be doing them a favor. People who do a poor job are probably a bad fit and will be much happier after they find a job better suited to their needs and capabilities."

This advice may sound harsh, but I have lived this. Spending most of your time trying to get someone "up to speed" who probably shouldn't be there in the first place could well be the worst way for a new manager to spend their time. You don't want to be too quick to let someone go (after all - they are a real person with feelings and families), but dragging out a poor performers "career" in a job that they are ill suited for isn't exactly looking out for their best interests either.

So why does this book come with my highest recommendation? It is better to have a game plan and hope you don't run into the situation rather than run into the situation and have no game plan.

Invest in yourself, invest a little in this book - or you may not have to worry about being a manager long enough to worry about all of the things you wish you would have known going into the position!

(The author purchased an advertising package with Movies & Manuscripts. This package gave the author "Head of the Line" privileges, but in no way influenced the review that was given. This is my honest, independent review of this work.)

[Johanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this self-help guide for managers, author Steven R. Smith, R.PH, M.S., equips the reader with practical advice for successful managing in any industry.

Statistics show that 40% of new managers fail, while many of the remaining 60% are performing below expectations, mainly due to lack of training and proper understanding of managerial obligations.

Based on 42 years of experience, Smith explores the proven ideas and techniques that he has used to achieve successful management. Each chapter looks at the different responsibilities and aspects of management, from the hiring and training process, to goal-setting and planning, to creating a more positive workplace environment. He also discusses time management including common time wasters, managing the work environment, motivational factors for employees, and exactly what a manager should and should not delegate.

Through the intentional avoidance of excessive information and anecdotes that are so common in modern self-help books, Smith has managed to create a slim book that is light, handy, and best of all practical. The information he provides is well laid out and simple to understand, making for a quick yet extremely informative read. Broken down neatly into each aspect of managing, Smith ends each chapter with bulleted “takeaway” summaries to help simplify the process. He also includes tips to help with difficult decision making, as well as covering the dreaded performance review.

Managing for Success is filled with useful information without any unnecessary bulk, as Smith has managed to boil down the most important techniques and ideas into one great book. If you are new to managing, or simply want to improve upon your current managing skills, I highly recommend you read this book!

I have received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Check out this review on my blog: EpicBookQuest.com

[Anke · Rating 4 out of 5]

What got me convinced to read this book, was the word PRACTICAL advice. I don’t want another theoretic book wich leaves me knowhere. Steven makes references to theories, but explains them concise and goes on to the usefull stuff.

But don’t be mistaken about the amount of pages – it might look small but it’s cramped with information. Don’t think you can skipp a sentence.
I has a very usefull structure. Questions on '....'? just go the the appropriate chapter.

If you have read a lot of management textbooks, it might look like a resumé, but the quality is in the usefull connections he makes.

I consider it either a good update on your management reading or a good first introduction.


Also thank you Steven for making it available as a free download on Goodreads!