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Introduction
This inspirational and easy -to-read guide will make every manager stop and think again about how they approach their jobs. It provides practical advice on how to be prioritized and focused on the key tasks, how to manage in the organization; how to delegate effectively, and how to manage the balance between your work , family and personal needs.
Managing yourself
Book begins with a basic question: How can you possibly hope to manage your unit , team , organisation or company if you can not manage yourself?
Six P-s are poor preparation produces piddling poor performance. Most managers appreciate a certain need for preparation but do not give it nearly as much attention as it deserves. Preparation is vital because it will give you considerable selfconfidence right from the start.
To get the best out of yourself you need to feel accountable for your actions and for those of your team. Basically, that means not leaning on others for help and not looking for excuses when things go wrong. Only by adopting a mindset of full responsibility will you be able to make the most of your talents.
When author observe managers and directors who continually achieve success there is often a cerain characteristic – a mixture of firmness, strength af character , courage, integrity , and being true to oneself – that he calls „bottle“. Throughout your career you will have many opportunities to show your „bottle“. By making the right choices – ones that show your courage and integrity – you will grow and mature as a manager and as a person .
Building on the „bottle“ factor, it is worth noting the importance in general of having a positive attitude about your abilities. The skill and commitment may be there in abundance, but a negative or cautious approach can undermine your potential every time.
Though very few would actually welcome adversity, advice is to see it for what it is and make the most of it: learn how to face it, learn how to cope with it, keep your feet on the ground , and when it has passed look back to see what you could have learned from it.
In recent years , it seems that perception – how one is perceived by others – has become critically important to success for managers. You need to understand how others see you. As a start, you might ask during assessment or appraisal meetings to have the papers put aside for a moment and get an honest, off-the- record assessment of how you are perceived generally.
Managing your time
It is critical, therefore , that you devise a strategy for dealing with time. The first step is to commit to a specific plan for how you allot your time. This can cover a host of areas – short term or long term, personal or business. Although the above may seem obvious, it is still worth starting – without a conscious plan people tend to be reactive. Above all, being in a control of your time will lead to increased self- confidence and peace of mind – and, best of all, with a bit of self-discipline and thought it can be achieved by anyone . How you use your diary is clearly a key element in effective time management . If properly used, your diary can keep you organised and focused on the key events well in advance.
A key component of time management – and one often ignored – is the whole area of punctuality. How can you ensure you are never late ? For example, you could automatically add extra time to all journeys. If you are early for a meeting you can always use the time to catch up on business reading, preparation for other meetings, pending file and so on.
Here are the four elements of the Four Point Time Driver approach:

Six topp priorities are identified and completed daily.

Three- hour sessions for quality thinking are scheduled for every two weeks.

Your diary is checked every other day for activities six to eight weeks ahead .

Make active use of a „bring forward files“ system.
Here are some additional suggestions for simple changes you can make to free up some time:

• Before all meetings, whether one-to-one or in a group, decide on a start time and finish time and keep to both.
  
• Stand up while making a phone call – for some reason this helps to keep them short and to the point.
  
• When the paperwork is unusually heavy , take time to sort it out into four piles in order of importance.
  
• Use the quiet time around Christmas to carry out major administrative work.
  
• Go through one file a week and throw out any papers not needed.
  
• Pretend each Friday that you are about to go on holiday for three weeks…
  
• Remember that you have two ears and one mouth and they should be used accordingly.
  
• Organise your weekend diary as effectively as your business one.
  
• Do not forget to take a break to recharge your batteries a couple of times a day – you will return much refreshed and more efficient.
  

Getting things done
Most managers will have responsibility for two different kinds of activities: those that are ongoing, day-to-day ones and those that are special one-off projects . For the former , there is a very simple technique to ensure that the important daily activities are dealt with, as well as ensuring that those abive and below you in the organisation are aware of, and in agreement with, the need for those activities – it is called the Two Pager. It is designed to provide a snapshot of the department . The first section begins with a description of the main responsibilities, structure, personnel and relationships of the department, as well as how it fits into the organisation as a whole. The next section would describe the key objectives of the department, most of which should be quantifiable and thus able to be measured. The final section would consist of ten or so key ongoing tasks which need to be carried out to ensure that the prime objectives are achieved.
While the Two Pager is ideal for ongoing responsibilities, a different approach is needed for major, one-off projects. In this case , you will need something that can cover all the key issues and aspects yet at the same time remain simple and straightforward. It is called Triangle Approach.
Step 1: Where To?
The first step is to discuss , consider, brainstorm, etc. about what you are trying to accomplish. You need to consider very carefully the direction of the project , taking note of the barriers that may get in your way, until you are sure you have got it right. You then need to decide on the objectives or goals and place them in order of importance.
Step 2: How To?
You will need to adopt a very firm approach here: what specific plans or tasks will be needed to achieve each objective or goal ? You need to be sure to avoid grey areas or foggy thinking – high quality, concise thinking is essential . Again, you should omit any tasks that are not linked to specific goals or objectives.
Step 3: Who Does What?
Now comes the crunch : what kind of people, and in what kind of structure or organisation, will be needed to ensure the success of the plan?