Managing Your Manager: How to Get Ahead with Any Type of Boss

by Gonzague Dufour

Learn Everything You Can From Every Type of Boss Managers come in all varieties, and unfortunately you don't get to choose your preference. Too often, we find ourselves working for people who are tough to work for, difficult to "decode," or brilliant but inaccessible. Managing Your Manager is the answer to dealing with a problematic supervisor.

Placing manager "types" into real-world categories--from the Bully, Scientist, and Star to the Geek, Parent, and Con Artist--it provides everything you need to make your work life more satisfying and productive. Managing Your Manager gives you the tools

Categorize your boss based on telling traits Create a solid working relationship Avoid common pitfalls associated with certain types Become a strong leader based on lessons learned from various bosses Managers of all types can provide invaluable learning experiences that can enhance your career. Managing Your Manager empowers you with the knowledge, skills, and savvy for dealing with any type of boss and excelling in your job.

Genres: Business, Management, Nonfiction, Self Help, Leadership

First published December 12, 2010

Reviews

[The Conch · Rating 4 out of 5]

One usually spends more or less 25 - 30 years in job. One-third of one's life will be spent with a human or inhuman species called boss. Gaining knowledge about personality of boss will be beneficial. It may help one to change job immediately or to continue eternally.

This book gives good description about varieties of boss and to-do-list to tackle them. Though it is not a guarantee for success but it may smooth one's way to ride corporate ladder.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book focuses mainly on 6 main types of managers and give a quick description and lists Do's and Don'ts for each type. There were a few good items but mostly the book fail short in teaching how to "manage" your manager.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good overall book on how to deal or « manage » your manager. From the 6 main managers types I have worked with 3, so the tips are certainly helpful. Your specific manager might not be covered in the book, there are sub-types but the main there are main traits that will apply and where the book can help you. I found the author pretty optimistic but again every manager in the end is different :). It is a good read overall and let’s see if I get new managers how I will handle them or how I can grow myself to a 7th leader!

[Michael Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was some useful information in this book, but some of the anecdotes felt like scenes from Mad Men or outdated and out of place in most modern corporate environments. That could be due to the book being outdated, or my lack of corporate experience, or maybe industry specific differences it’s hard to say for sure.

Having said that, I still think there is value in considering the perspective of your management teams and how they operate, and adapting as you can to be most productive. I’m not sure how far this should be extended though (as some of the more extreme examples look like enabling behavior that shouldn’t be tolerated).

In any case if you feel need some guidance on improving the working relationship either your managers, reports (or peers) you might find some value from this. With the range of books falling into the career management category there could be better options out there.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I was reading this I would recognize some of my managers fell into the traits described in this book. Unfortunately for me, my direct manager does not seem to be any of these and remains a conundrum. Over all a good read.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Offers various profiles of manager and tactics to manage up for each type. Solid piece; would like more job tools out of it so that you don't have to circle back and re-read full sections.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting perspective on the different types of leaders that can be found in the workplace. Provides some great tips for dealing with different types of bosses.

[jen8998 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple strategies for dealing with various managerial types. Useful but wish was more in depth.

[Valerie Sherman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Food for thought, both in managing up and in molding yourself as a leader.