Cambridge Business Association
Suddenly in Charge
Book

Suddenly in Charge

Managing Up, Managing Down, Succeeding All Around

Roberta Chinsky Matuson
Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2017
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Editorial Rating

8

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Recommendation

Leadership expert and four-time author Roberta Chinsky Matuson knows that to succeed you must manage your relationship with your boss and with those who report to you. Her book features a unique format: Start at the front of the book with the “Managing Up” cover, read the text that follows and learn how to manage your boss. Flip the book over, open the “Managing Down” cover and learn how to manage your team. Thus, the author provides two separate books with two separate covers within the same binding. getAbstract believes that Matuson’s book will dramatically help you become a better manager and advance your career.

Summary

“Managing Down”

Managers are professionals, yet unlike doctors or even plumbers, there’s little training for the job. One day you’re a respected employee, the next day you’re managing people – without ever having managed or learning what to do. How do you begin? For a manager, relationships are everything. To build strong connections, use these seven techniques:

  1. “Trust me” – Without trust, you are a dead duck. You will have no influence over those who answer to you (your “direct reports”).
  2. “First impressions count” – Be open, welcoming and collaborative. Involve your group in team building.
  3. “Jump into the trenches” – Expect your early days to be like warfare with plenty of action and surprises. Leap into the fray, and learn who you have at your side.
  4. “Be respectful” – If you want respect, show your staffers you hold them in high regard.
  5. “Flex your style of management” – You must adjust to those who report to you, not the other way around. Do not focus on “me” but on “we.”
  6. “Listen more, talk less” – Let everyone see that ...

About the Author

Leadership expert Roberta Chinsky Matuson, often referred to as “The Talent Maximizer”. She is the president of Matuson Consulting.

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