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Hi MT group, 

I supervise a small team of service technicians and have two who are looking towards their next step in the technciain ladder and possibly into management at a later date. I want to expose my star guys to good content that broaden their horizons. 

I am currently listening to: Upstream - The quest to sovle problems before they happen at the suggestion of someone in this forum. So far I am enjoying the book, as it encourages the reader to look beyond the problem. If this oppinion continues I will most likely recommend my all-star technicians read this to start on a succession plan. 

Other books/authors I'd likely recommend depending on the direct:

Developing the Leader Within You -  Maxwell

The Effective Manager & Hiring Manager - Horstman

Thinking, Fast and Slow - Kahneman

The Personal MBA - Kaufman - Recommended by jrb3

Turn the Ship Around! - Marquet

Start With Why - Simon Sinek

 

What are some other good books you would recommend to your directs?

Thanks!

jrb3's picture
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Personal MBA - Kaufman -- excellent summary of various universal business concepts.  Online variant at https://personalmba.com/ (so you can preview the full content) and can be ordered in book form from same.

AMA-Tech's picture

Thanks jrb3 for the recommendation. I'll add it to the list! What are your thoughts on how to recommend books to directs as a part a growth plan towards future promotion?

jrb3's picture
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Hmm.  If you can point to a specific apparent "hole" in their readiness, then to a book (or equivalent) which helps with that, that'd be my top choice.  For instance, poor presentation technique --> actively participate in a local Toastmasters club;  increased need to tactfully address differences in a contentious group/culture --> Patterson's "Crucial Conversations";  wider understanding of industry --> subscribe to online and print trade magazines;  and so on.

jrb3's picture
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... so it's clear it's in line with their other ongoing improvements ....

shellandflame's picture

These are the books I recommend for all early career/ management seeking employees.:

 

- The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
- Getting to Yes by Robert Fisher and William L. Ury
- The Effective Executive by Peter Drucker
- Getting Things Done by David Allen
- The Negotiating Game by Chester Karras
- The Machine that Changed the World by James P. Womack
- The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
- Freakanomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt
- 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green
- Negotiation Genius by Deepak Malhotra and Max Bazerman

Chris62's picture
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David Epstein - Range

Gwendolyn Galsworth - Work that makes sense

Another recommendation for The Goal, by Eli Goldratt

j3snyder's picture
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Since you are supporting a team of technicians, you might want to look into customer service training. Some sugestions:

Be Our Guest - Theodore Kinni
Excellence Wins - Horst Schulze
The Service Culture Handbook - Jeff Toister

Non customer service books that may be helpful:
Primed to Perform - Neel Doshi
Getting Things Done and Making All Work (2 books) - David Allen

 

jrb3's picture
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Per podcasts past, those wanting to get into your role need to be able to do 100% of their job and 50% of yours.  https://www.manager-tools.com/2010/03/manager-tools-promotion-standard-1...

That suggests they might want to listen to some of the podcasts themselves, maybe attend some of the trainings offered here.

Also check the other podcasts in Map of the Universe | Managing Your Team (Non-Trinity) | Organizational Topics | Succession Planning | -- apply those, eg "Quick and Dirty Choosing a Number Two".