# Recommend a book(s) for new managers/supervisors **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 8, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394 "2006-12-08T20:32:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Carol\_the\_Impaler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_the_Impaler)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/1 "2006-12-08T20:32:34Z")
My sis has just gotten a new job as a supervisor/manager. This will be her first time managing people officially. Now, any of you out there who are/have been managers/supervisors, you know the first year is always the hardest, especially if you have no experience. She’s going from being an RN to managing a team at an insurance company. So, I’m looking for a book she can read (or other sources of guidance and inspiriation) to help her with the challenges she’s going to face, how to be an effective manager, how to lead, etc. A primer for the new manager, if you will. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/2 "2006-12-08T20:51:09Z")
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/3 "2006-12-08T21:19:24Z")
[This](http://www.apa.org/journals/features/psp7761121.pdf) (pdf) is essential management reading. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/4 "2006-12-08T21:24:37Z")
_Managing to Stay out of Court_, by Jathan Janove. While it purports to be a guide to managing so as to avoid disgruntled employees, lawsuits, etc., it is in fact a great guide to being a good leader, period. Can’t recommend it highly enough. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/5 "2006-12-08T21:51:19Z")
[One minute manager](http://www.amazon.com/Minute-Manager-Ph-D-Kenneth-Blanchard/dp/0425098478/sr=1-1/qid=1165614470/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-6439071-4647008?ie=UTF8&s=books) is a classic that has become a staple for many starting managers. A short very easy read. ---
**Author:** ![boytyperanma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4491bb/32.png) [@boytyperanma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boytyperanma)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2006, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/6 "2006-12-08T22:19:29Z")
Not what your exactly what your looking for but I found for writing reviews and such a nice book to have was ‘Key phrases for performance reviews’ It covered a little abour how you should go about writing them but mostly it was a list of phrases you could use if you couldn’t think of your own. When I was working for Home Depot and the HR’s decided to tell you ‘you have a week to write reviews for these 30 people’ I found it quite helpfull. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/7 "2006-12-09T00:35:49Z")
The classic from the 70’s - new and used at [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) from $1.89 \*Up the Organization: How to Stop the Organization From Stifling People and Strangling Profits \*by Robert Townsend I loved some of his simple suggestions, like “Keep fat file folders. Don’t try to sort and organize things down to a big tree of small folders.” And when delgating, sometimes it’s best to just say “Take care of this and don’t tell me how you did it.” ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/8 "2006-12-09T01:38:29Z")
[Resume Writing Made Easy](http://www.amazon.com/Resume-Writing-Made-Easy-Preparation/dp/0131742477/sr=1-9/qid=1165628213/ref=sr_1_9/103-1601967-9739062?ie=UTF8&s=books) ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/9 "2006-12-09T06:59:25Z")
Also, read **The Dilbert Principle** by Scott Adams. Should be required reading for all members of management. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/10 "2006-12-09T07:34:52Z")
Strange recommendation, but: Night Watch, by Terry Pratchett Some amazing advice in that book about how to be a good leader without micromanaging. Sometimes, things work out the best when you don’t do anything at all. And of course, a fun read so it won’t feel like a chore. ---
**Author:** ![Bluemonchichi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6de8d8/32.png) [@Bluemonchichi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bluemonchichi)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/11 "2006-12-09T09:52:40Z")
I highly recommend The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership-Powered Company by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, and James Noel. The first two chapters discuss the transition from being an individual contributor to being a manager. It is a book that will grow with her. The other chapters discuss moving up through the management ranks and the transitions at each point. I’ve also found The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C Maxwell to be very helpful. In the Harvard Business Review from March - April 1995, there is an article by John B Kotter called _Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail_ that discusses the stages and strategies for change. I also suggest that if she can afford it, or if her company will pay for it, that she attends the Dale Carnegie “Leadership Training for Managers” course. More info can be found at [http://www.dalecarnegie.com/](http://www.dalecarnegie.com/) I took this course and found it very helpful! The course covers delegation, managing conflict, coaching, and many more useful topics for managers. I hope this helps. Best of luck to her! ~chi ---
**Author:** ![if6was9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47c2d/32.png) [@if6was9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/if6was9)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-a-book-s-for-new-managers-supervisors/383394/12 "2006-12-09T10:10:05Z")
The Bible. Specifically, Do unto others… Just because she, or you, or me, or anyone else is raised to some (alleged) position of power, doesn’t mean she has to change her view of the world, or the people around her. You treat others well, things will go well. Treat 'em like shit, things will go to shit.