Good books/tips on management

**v8gaz** · 14 February 2012, 08:50

Originally posted by northernrampage View Post

Any tips?

Don't hire Permies?

**SteelyDan** · 14 February 2012, 16:26

Originally posted by northernrampage View Post

I hired a perm member of staff and it's not going well. So you recruited this incompetent?

Has anyone got any good books/websites they'd recommend on general management techniques? I'm fine if someone is good at their job when there is no real need to manage them but find it harder when they don't deliver.

This is a joke, right?

Clearly you are not cut out for staff recruitment, or management. How the eff do these people get on in life??

**JoJoGabor** · 14 February 2012, 17:43

Tell them that, face to face in a private room. If you have a problem, and this is your problem, explain it to them.Good managers are open and honest.

(Stop sniggering at the back!)

**BrianP** · 14 February 2012, 18:14

Originally posted by northernrampage View Post

I'm on a fixed term contract at the moment and line managing a few people. Couple of them are contractors and great at their job, no problems there. I hired a perm member of staff and it's not going well. Main issue is they lack initiative. If me (or others) ask them to do something they'll try once, hit a problem, then give up. I have to go back to them the majority of the time and say "why don't you ask this person, why don't you try this". I want to sit them down and go through this issue along with other things....I'm getting comments from other people in the department on this person's "attitude" but want to be clear on what the problems are without being confrontational.

Has anyone got any good books/websites they'd recommend on general management techniques? I'm fine if someone is good at their job but find it harder when they don't deliver. I want to be fair but also coax them to do their work better. If I go back to contracting there is still a chance I'll line manage, figure I may as well learn to do it better.

Any tips?

Tip: change career path or go contracting properly. Managing people is probably the most difficult of career paths you could take, unless you've got the nack...most of us haven't.

**malvolio** · 14 February 2012, 18:18

Originally posted by JoJoGabor View Post

Tell them that, face to face in a private room. If you have a problem, and this is your problem, explain it to them.Good managers are open and honest.

(Stop sniggering at the back!)

Absolutely. If you can't tell people they are not doing things right, and give them a timed target to aim for to improve, then you aren't doing your job. Agreed that it is a hard thing to do, but it is an absolute given that you have to be able to deal with these situations.

However, that said, one word of caution. I've done the interim manager thing a few times, leading teams of up to 70 people. As a contractor (even one on a FTC) I am more than happy to provide guidance, set objectives and define deliverables, and even review where people are. What I will never do, and always ensure my client knows it, is anything that affects a permie's career. If they need smacking, that's for HR or the next permie up the tree from you. You are not paid nor insured to be responsible for the client's staff, only what they deliver.

**Turbine** · 14 February 2012, 18:23

If you can't change your people, change your people.

**northernrampage** · 14 February 2012, 18:50

Originally posted by SteelyDan View Post

This is a joke, right?

Clearly you are not cut out for staff recruitment, or management. How the eff do these people get on in life??

Erm, no, it's not a joke.

I've recruited a lot of people. Generally most of them perform well.

I wanted advice as I haven't done a lot of direct line management. It's a learning curve so I wanted tips from others who have. If you've nothing contstructive to add.. toddle off back to General?

**northernrampage** · 14 February 2012, 18:51

Originally posted by BrianP View Post

Tip: change career path or go contracting properly. Managing people is probably the most difficult of career paths you could take, unless you've got the nack...most of us haven't.

Yup, could be the issue. I'll have a think about it.

Thanks all for advice, I'll take them aside to discuss and take it from there.

**SteelyDan** · 14 February 2012, 18:53

Originally posted by northernrampage View Post

I'll take them outside and take it from there.

FTFY

Good books/tips on management