Managing People

by Simon Birkenhead

Most managers fail. Some 70% of employees say they are dissatisfied with their line manager. A shocking 50% are labelled as incompetent, a disappointment or a wrong hire by their co-workers. But, what do we expect when over half new managers are given no training when they are promoted? Becoming a manager isn't a progression; it's an entirely new job. Penguin Expert Managing People is a manual for managers who want to succeed in their new job, motivate and direct their teams and establish a working culture where everyone wants to do their best work. The book condenses Simon Birkenhead's decades of experience working as a team leader. He reveals; what makes a good manager, highlights common pitfalls to avoid, presents his tried and tested 'four-lever framework.' With strategies to activate motivation in your team, set goals and expectations, provide feedback and coaching to building a high-performance culture, and plenty of examples from across industries, this is everything first-time managers need to succeed and be the boss that everyone wants to work for.

Genres: Nonfiction, Management, Leadership, Business

192 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2021

Reviews

[Ben Clarke]

This is a real gem of a book for both the new/ aspiring manager and more seasoned people managers. Simon’s experience makes this relevant for startups and corporate environments, and offers key principles and formulae to successfully manage a team. The book is a practical guide on managing people, focusing on developing a highly successful team, rather than the usual leadership books that tend to focus on brand and vision. Simon’s 5 pillars of a good people manager are easy to remember and contain a lot of practical examples and questions that can be used immediately with a team. He also includes many of the traps I am sad to say I recognised in myself and how best to avoid them. Having managed teams in a large corporate for the last 7 years across different countries and cultures, I found the tools and advice he lays out are relevant in any setting. The prose is to the point and makes for easy reading. A must read for managers!

[Arman Hilmioğlu]

What an amazing book. Gone through quite a few management books, but honestly, this one tops almost all of them. Filled with practical advice, I can't recommend this book enough to any new manager, or an experienced one to do a bit of refresh.

Dear Simon Birkenhead, if you're reading this; you've done it man. You have created one of the ultimate management books.

[Brad Guthrie]

This is one of the most practical management books I have ever read.

I have already pulled out a few gems and using them with my team and already getting some improvements with the team and overall culture. A lot of these improvements are due to changes I have made with my own actions and ways of communicating.

I recommend it to anyone who is interested in getting some practical advice to improve themselves on individual and team management without having to read through screeds of theory.

Brad

[Samuel]

This book has probably everything you need to kickstart your career in managing people. Birkenhead provides a practical framework that you will be easily able to pick up and go. He boils down managing people to 5 key elements.

1. Motivation
2. Expectations
3. Development
4. Culture
5. Communication

He then explores each dimension thoroughly. If you've ever wanted to know how you could motivate your employees, create a new culture, or to give development feedback, you will find the answers here.

Out of the two books on management I've read, this has been the most practical and straightforward.

[Lu]

Claro, conciso, humano y cortito: perfecto.

No dice nada especialmente nuevo, pero a la vez ayuda a estructurar y da consejos muy factibles y sencillos a la hora de llevar un equipo, sea cual sea su tamaño y dinámicas.

[Edgar]

I have recently started to build my team, which means I now have to manage people. I found this book was a very useful resource.

[MohamedMoniem]

Great insights

Simon did a great work putting together a practical strategy to start managing people. It is clear and concise, which makes it applicable.

[Rita]

Nada mau para quem está a começar a sua vida de Manager. Apropriado para iniciantes em liderança, com dicas fáceis e reflexões relevantes.

Tem alguns lugares comuns aqui e acolá, mas nada que não seja tolerável.

No entanto, o capítulo da Comunicação foi grande turnoff.

[Nigel Thornton]

Solid advice.

[Elske de Haas]

A no nonsense book, to the point, devoid of fluff. Highly recommend.