The First-Time Manager

The trusted management classic and go-to guide for anyone facing new responsibilities as a first-time manager, revised and updated to address modern management challenges.

The jump from star employee to new manager is bigger than most people realize—with opportunities to fail at every step. Stumbling your way through isn’t an option.

Learn to conquer every challenge like a pro with the clear, candid advice in The First-Time Manager. For nearly four decades, this trusted guide has brought newcomers up to speed on the nitty-gritty realities of managing people.

Leading meetings, hiring employees, motivating others, actively listening, staying calm under pressure, overcoming resistance—dozens of skills are hammered home with honest explanations of what to expect and how to excel. Examples and action steps round out the lessons.

Plus, this seventh edition delivers new information that helps you manage across generations, use online performance appraisal tools, persuade with stories, oversee remote employees, build a team dynamic, match a boss’s style, and more.

With little experience or training, a coveted promotion can become a trial by fire. No one needs that. Turn to the book that thousands have relied on to hit the ground running.