You’re good at your job and, after years of service and dedication, you finally get that coveted promotion. Congratulations! But there’s a catch: instead of spending the majority of your time doing the job you love—a job you’re still expected to get done, by the way—you’re now also a manager. You weren’t trained for this. Nobody prepared you for having to deal with emotions and conflicts and personalities, all while trying to meet ever-greater goals and more pressing deadlines. Not exactly what you had in mind, is it?
Let’s face it. It’s stressful at the top. But don’t worry; it doesn’t have to be. Devora Zack knows exactly what you’re up against, and she has the tools to help you not only succeed but possibly even enjoy that new management position. As a prominent consultant and coach who speaks to thousands of people annually, Zack is here to yetell you that the only way to maximize your success is by being yourself.
Drawing on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Zack explains that, personality-wise and management-wise, we’re either thinkers or feelers. Basically, thinkers lead with their heads and feelers lead with their hearts. Almost nobody’s 100 percent thinker or feeler, yet most of us lean one way or the other (and Zack’s handy assessment lets you figure out what kind of leader you are). Working with—rather than fighting against—your strengths is key to understanding not only how you make decisions and manage but also how people react to your decisions and respond to you.
Zack takes you through a host of potentially difficult situations, showing how this new way of seeing yourself and others makes managing less of a stumble in the dark and more of a walk in the park. Packed with verve, spunk, wit, and enlightening examples, helpful exercises, and lifesaving tips, Managing for People Who Hate Managing is the new go-to guide for managers looking to love their jobs again.
About the Author:
Ms. Zack consults dozens of diverse organizations in private industry, federal agencies, and the public sector. Sample clients include: America Online, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, International Monetary Fund, DC United, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Internal Revenue Service, FEMA, Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Department of Education. As program director and re-designer of OPM’s prestigious Presidential Management Fellows Orientation, for three years she led an esteemed faculty in dynamic, innovative design, resulting in the highest evaluation feedback in the program’s history. Ms. Zack holds an MBA from Cornell University. Her BA, magna cum laude, is from University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication. She is honored with active memberships in Phi Beta Kappa and Mensa.
Ms. Zack has also worked professionally as an investigative reporter, emergency counsellor, actress, and disc jockey in the U.S. and Italy.
