What will I learn about: why top individual contributors often struggle as managers and learn how to properly delegate major tasks to build team trust and prevent high staff turnover?

Understand why top individual contributors often struggle as managers and learn how to properly delegate major tasks to build team trust and prevent high staff turnover.

What will I learn about: why new managers should avoid making immediate changes, and learn how to build a positive image by using authority sparingly and presenting orders as requests?

Discover why new managers should avoid making immediate changes, and learn how to build a positive image by using authority sparingly and presenting orders as requests.

What will I learn about: the strategy of limiting your direct reports and scheduling weekly one-on-one meetings to prevent burnout and empower your team to resolve issues independently?

Master the strategy of limiting your direct reports and scheduling weekly one-on-one meetings to prevent burnout and empower your team to resolve issues independently.

What will I learn about: cultivate deep trust by involving employees in decision-making, delivering criticism privately, and providing specific, public praise that connects to the bigger picture?

Learn how to cultivate deep trust by involving employees in decision-making, delivering criticism privately, and providing specific, public praise that connects to the bigger picture.

What will I learn about: how to utilize active listening to avoid the 'know-it-all' label, helping you gather crucial insights and demonstrate genuine respect for your subordinates?

Find out how to utilize active listening to avoid the 'know-it-all' label, helping you gather crucial insights and demonstrate genuine respect for your subordinates.

The First-Time Manager

The go-to guide with trusted best practices for new managers

Loren B. Belker, Jim McCormick and Gary S. Topchik

★ 4.5 / 5(289 ratings)

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Categories:

Management & Leadership Career & Success

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered why the very skills that earned you a promotion might actually become your biggest obstacles as a leader?
💡What’s the secret to mastering the art of delegation so you can stop micromanaging and start leading?
💡Are you curious about how to navigate the awkward transition from being a coworker to being the boss without losing your team's respect?

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Key Takeaways from The First-Time Manager

✓Understand why top individual contributors often struggle as managers and learn how to properly delegate major tasks to build team trust and prevent high staff turnover.
✓Discover why new managers should avoid making immediate changes, and learn how to build a positive image by using authority sparingly and presenting orders as requests.
✓Master the strategy of limiting your direct reports and scheduling weekly one-on-one meetings to prevent burnout and empower your team to resolve issues independently.
✓Learn how to cultivate deep trust by involving employees in decision-making, delivering criticism privately, and providing specific, public praise that connects to the bigger picture.
✓Find out how to utilize active listening to avoid the 'know-it-all' label, helping you gather crucial insights and demonstrate genuine respect for your subordinates.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from The First-Time Manager

Mind Map

The First-Time Manager

Building Trust & Confidence+

Adapting Management Style+

Delegating Effectively+

Running Efficient Meetings+

Hiring for Attitude+

Managing Underperformance+

Motivating Employees+

Developing Personal Leadership+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 9

What is recommended for a new manager to do during their first week on the job to build trust?

A. Make sweeping departmental changes to establish authority.
B. Avoid making any major changes and let employees get used to their presence.
C. Assert their agenda in a rushed, all-hands meeting.
D. Constantly praise employees to win their immediate approval.

Question 2 of 9

According to the text, how should a manager properly deliver praise to an employee?

A. Publicly and as frequently as possible to boost team morale.
B. Only in private, being specific about the behavior and its benefit to the company.
C. Constantly, even for minor tasks, to ensure they feel appreciated.
D. During team meetings so that other employees feel a sense of healthy competition.

Question 3 of 9

The 'awareness approach' to management requires balancing which two elements based on an employee's specific situation?

A. Control and encouragement
B. Autocracy and diplomacy
C. Delegation and micromanagement
D. Authority and friendship

Question 4 of 9

Which of the following tasks should a manager NEVER delegate to an employee?

A. Routine administrative tasks and project scheduling.
B. Tasks that require a high level of creativity or problem-solving.
C. Performance appraisals and salary reviews.
D. Assignments that the manager personally dislikes doing.

Question 5 of 9

Why should a manager hold off on sharing their own ideas until everyone else has spoken during a meeting?

A. To ensure the meeting ends exactly on time.
B. To avoid having employees simply agree with the boss or withhold opposing information.
C. Because the manager's role is strictly to take notes and facilitate the agenda.
D. To let employees argue and resolve conflicts among themselves first.

Question 6 of 9

When interviewing a potential new hire, what does the text identify as the most important ingredient to look for?

A. Educational background
B. Years of experience in a similar role
C. Specific technical qualifications
D. A good attitude

Question 7 of 9

What is a critical step a manager must take when an employee is underperforming and facing potential dismissal?

A. Immediately terminate them to save the company money on outplacement assistance.
B. Use fear tactics to motivate them to work harder and avoid punishment.
C. Set specific improvement goals, write them down, and have the employee sign the document.
D. Reassign all of their tasks to more competent team members without telling them.

Question 8 of 9

What is the management technique called that joins a team member’s personal aspirations with the company’s goals?

A. Dovetailing
B. Facilitating
C. Autocratic alignment
D. Emotional pairing

Question 9 of 9

How does emotional intelligence (EQ) compare to IQ in terms of managerial effectiveness?

A. High IQ is the primary indicator of a manager's success, while EQ is secondary.
B. EQ and IQ are equally important for managing day-to-day tasks.
C. Managers with a high EQ are more likely to succeed, whereas IQ has no proven link to managerial effectiveness.
D. Neither EQ nor IQ is relevant; only technical skills determine managerial success.

The First-Time Manager — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2As a new manager, build confidence and earn trust.
3Tailor your management style to every person and situation.
4Effective managers use delegation to develop their employees.
5Hold efficient meetings by setting an agenda and sharing the floor.
6A positive attitude is the key ingredient in hiring.
7Aim to help your employees succeed before dismissing them.
8Match your employees' interests to your company's needs to boost motivation.
9Develop emotional intelligence and a positive self-image.

The First-Time Manager Summary & Overview

The First-Time Manager (1981) is the go-to guide for new managers in any field. Spanning topics from delegation and motivation to hiring and firing, these blinks will equip you with the skills to navigate the realities of managing people so that you can avoid common pitfalls and maximize your success in your new leadership role.

Who Should Listen to The First-Time Manager?

New or aspiring managers
Young professionals
Management consultants

About the Author: Loren B. Belker, Jim McCormick and Gary S. Topchik

Jim McCormick is an organizational consultant and executive coach as well as the founder and president of the Research Institute for Risk Intelligence. He is formerly the COO of the fifth largest architectural firm in the United States.

Loren B. Belker was an executive in a major insurance company with nearly three decades of experience.

Gary S. Topchick was the managing partner of SilverStar Enterprises Inc., a consulting firm with a specialization in management development, team building, and executive coaching. He was the author of The Accidental Manager and Equity Checking.

The First-Time Manager

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to The First-Time Manager — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from The First-Time Manager

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

The First-Time Manager — Full Chapter Overview

The First-Time Manager Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to The First-Time Manager?

About the Author: Loren B. Belker, Jim McCormick and Gary S. Topchik

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