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The Decisive Manager
By Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem
People issues. They seemingly arise out of nowhere and just don’t go away. It’s critical that managers handle them right.
As a manager, you need to know so many things, but you don’t even know what to ask!
The Decisive Manager can help. With examples of typical situations that managers encounter and advice on how to handle them, it's an easy-to-use guide for people managers with information on hiring to firing and everything in between.
Concerned about Navigating the Changing Workplace, or Avoiding Legal Pitfalls? There are questions and answers about these issues too.
Managing people correctly is critical to every manager’s success. The Decisive Manager will help with those unexpected challenges that arise too often. It’s an essential read for all who lead.
What People Issues are Managers Facing? A Preview
Finding and Hiring the Best Talent. With more people working from home or remotely, we conduct more video interviews. They seem less personal than face-to-face interviews. Any tips for making these interviews more effective?
Creating a Positive Employee Experience. The use of mobile technology is being encouraged. How can our organization best use it, especially in our people management efforts?
Paying and Rewarding Employees. Several employees are requesting more flexible working arrangements including working from home somewhat exclusively. They are willing to forego a salary increase in exchange for this arrangement. What are the pros and cons of allowing this practice?
Helping Employees Grow and Develop. I encourage my team members to attend workshops and take training courses. How can I be sure what they are attending is relevant to their jobs and if they are applying what they learn?
Understanding Policies and Practices. Human Resources stresses the importance of documenting employee problems. Isn’t this approach forcing managers to build a case for terminating an employee? What if the employee’s performance or attitude improves? Am I missing something?
Ensuring Graceful Endings. My organization conducts exit interviews when employees leave, and I’ve often wondered what purpose they serve. Does it make sense to conduct exit interviews and if so, how and when is the right time to conduct them?
What’s the Buzz about The Decisive Manager
“For both novice and experienced mangers alike, The Decisive Manager: Get Results, Build Morale, and Be the Boss Your People Deserve is an essential and indispensable instructional guide and 'how-to' resource that will prove to be enduringly valued. It is especially and unreservedly recommended for professional, community, corporate, and academic library Business Management collections and MBA supplemental curriculum Human Resources & Personnel Management studies lists.” — Midwest Book Reviews
“Have you ever had a boss who couldn’t make a decision because they had no clue what they were doing? If so, you probably had little respect for them. The Decisive Manager gives you useful information on how to deal with ambiguous and challenging situations so you’ll never be THAT boss! Practical. Relevant. Easy to grasp. I wish I had THIS book when I became a manager.” – Mack Munro, Founder & CEO - Boss Builders
“Barbara Mitchell and Cornelia Gamlem know that the key to a successful organization is leadership and people. Their new book, The Decisive Manager, provides a blueprint for leaders to create an environment where employees feel valued, appreciated, and heard. When it comes to being an effective leader and understanding the importance of decision making, you can’t overlook this thought-provoking book!” – David Asheim, CEO & Founder - Engage by Cell
“The Decisive Manager moves beyond the rules of HR into the art of management. Good people stay not just because you pay them well, but because they have challenging and exciting jobs. They stay because they see a future that lets them grow. Mitchell and Gamlem help you understand this and much more.” – Paul Shank, PhD, MBA, Retired Healthcare Executive, Author of Can Healthcare Get Better?
“Every manager encounters unexpected people issues that they feel uncomfortable discussing with another manager or HR leader. The Q&A format of this book gets right to answering those questions that many managers face. The authors have captured and addressed so many of these questions and situations in The Decisive Manager. Every organization should purchase this book for all levels of management.” – Lisa Anderson, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, CPC, Chief HR Officer at Sev1Tech, Author of Invisible Professional to Influential Leader
“Managers tend to be decisive with technical issues but often stumble with people issues: Is it okay for me to explain why someone isn't getting a job? Are sign-in bonuses worth it? The Decisive Manager is an enjoyable and comprehensive book that provides answers in scenario reality bites. The authors have researched the most useful people "questions and answers" that are evolving in today's workplace and this serves as a powerful resource for managers, professors, students, and practitioners from any industry.” – Dr. Virginia Bianco-Mathis, Professor and Consultant, Leadership and Management