Fast thinking manager’s manual (2nd edition) by Ros Jay and Richard Templar
This article was first published in May 2005 in Student Accountant.
This 550-page book starts with an acknowledgement that, as a manager, you don’t have time to read a volume of this size. It’s better to regard it as a compilation of seventeen short guides to the most important techniques that managers need to master. Aimed at those who, for whatever reason, do not leave them themselves enough time to prepare for tasks such as appraisals, selection interviews and presentations, it holds out the promise of helping you appear as if you’ve been polishing your performance for weeks. The book could also be a useful prop for anyone new to management, or who needs to brush up on skills they haven’t used for a while.
The authors are careful not to advocate the last minute cram as a habitual approach to work. For every hole they help get you out of there’s a gentle reminder that this is not the best way to manage. Each of the seventeen sections has a page entitled Fast Thinking Gambles which outlines the risks you are taking by failing to plan ahead.
The book is designed for dipping in and out of quickly, and the design and layout makes this easy to do. Each 40 to 50 page section has its own contents page, and material is broken down into short, easy-to-read chunks. Sections start with three bullet points that summarise what you will achieve. In budgeting, for example, you are advised to:
From this succinct opening, the reader is taken through a reassuring introduction which works at reducing panic and providing strategies for getting the job done. These are summarised in a series of points grouped together in a ‘Work at the speed of life’ box – which always sounds immensely practical and achievable. The points are then expanded in the rest of the section, offering a solid framework to work through.
The final two pages are a mini guide to time management. Readers who’ve made use of the book owe it to themselves to make the time to read and reflect on the three techniques advocated: learning to speed read, not letting others waste your time, and knowing yourself. This final piece of wisdom concentrates on recognising your mental patterns and what you do best at different times of the day. 10am to 1pm for example is a good time for mentally demanding work such as detailed analysis or working with figures.
Fast thinking manager’s manual (2nd edition), Ros Jay and Richard Templar, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0 273 68105 2
Review by Irene Krechowiecka, a career coach, author, and freelance journalist