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Dr. Peeling's Principles of Management: Practical Advice for the Front-Line Manager

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I have done my share of manager bashing, both those I have worked under and in IT in general. However, in their defense, a manager of software development has one of the most difficult jobs there is. To be successful, not only do they have to understand the mundane details of filling in the forms, kissing the appropriate body parts of superiors and all the other details of greasing the process, but they also must know a great deal about software development. Developers are also a difficult group to handle, while some of it is on the par of an urban legend, the stories of their quirks and eccentricities are only slightly exaggerated. Finally, the range of skills between developers is probably greater than that in any other area. Some anecdotal evidence is that the best are thirty times better than the worst, but the most believable is that the ratio is ten times better. Given all this baggage, no wonder managers are strained and they are blamed for project failures.
While Peeling has a doctorate in computing and is a manager of software developers, most of the advice can also be applied to other managerial scenarios. Independent of the context, it all comes down to the people being managed and what they can do. Even though one can buy new tools and go through many gyrations to reduce cost, the best way to increase the numbers on the bottom line is to get more out of the current human assets. That does not always mean working them more hours, but getting more out of the hours they work. Peeling describes many ways to do this, demonstrating a practical sense that all good managers possess in abundance. The best managers know when to mold `em and know when to scold `em and Peeling is clearly an expert in making that type of choice.
Managers that understand the psychology of developers and the technical details of what they do are very rare, and Nic Peeling is a member of that group. In this book, he passes on some of that wisdom, and all managers can benefit from reading it.

The aspect of this text that originally drew my attention was that it is published by Dorset House, which has still yet to disappoint after reading several of their books, including "Waltzing with Bears: Managing Risk on Software Projects", by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister, as well as "The Secrets of Consulting: A Guide to Giving and Getting Advice Successfully" and "More Secrets of Consulting: The Consultant's Tool Kit", both by Gerald M. Weinberg (see my reviews for all of these books). However, I admittedly was not sure what to expect from this text, even though it is subtitled "Practical Advice for the Front-Line Manager", because of the name "Dr. Peeling" within the title, a name of which I was not familiar.

Like me, the author works in a technical field, and although Peeling presents his management principles from the perspective of managing technical people, these principles can be applied to non-technical fields as well. Potential readers might want to keep in mind that this book is intended to be practical. The author explains in his introduction that after being thrust into management, he came up empty handed while searching for books that explain the basic theory and practice of management. "What I did not find were books that encapsulated best practice for someone facing management responsibilities for the first time. By the time I found such a book, I was well into my management career and had learned enough to know that I did not agree with much of what it contained."

The content of this book follows the journey of the author through management, and seeks to present what the author wishes he had known when he first found himself in a management role. Topics include managing people as individuals, managing problem staff and staff problems, managing people in teams - leadership principles, managing the practice of team leadership, project management, managing different types of staff, managing team culture, managing a failing team, organizing your team (and yourself), managing your universe, managing people outside your organization, revisiting common management themes, and managing in the real world.

While Peeling views himself to be a competent manager, he also views himself at best as only an average project manager, so the potential reader needs to keep in mind that although the advice that the author provides can be applied to a broader scope of individuals than originally envisioned, because there are substantial differences between management and project management not tied to a specific project, his chapter on project management is only a brief introduction. Plenty of books that focus on project management are readily available in the marketplace, so if the potential reader is looking for project management focus, it is advised to go elsewhere.

However, as a consultant who serves in leadership and project management roles while architecting and developing systems and software, I can attest to the fact that there is enough relevant material here to recommend to others seeking an alternative perspective to what might be found in other texts. And in addition, because the content of this book is shared by a manager, Peeling also provides a number of take-aways that the consultant might find useful to keep in mind when working with managers on client engagements. And somewhat reminiscent of Gerald M. Weinberg, Peeling periodically presents tangible rules throughout, such as "The Golden Rule of Management, which states that "You will be judged by your actions, not by your words, and your actions shall set the example of your team to follow."

Chapters that I especially appreciate include Chapter 9, "Organizing Your Team (and Yourself)" and Chapter 10, "Managing Your Universe". In the former, the author recommends, for example, to "reduce your level of perfectionism on appropriate tasks", and that "two roles you might want to delegate are those of operations manager and routine personnel manager." In the latter, the author offers, in his own words, "the hard-won experience of my own mistakes." He writes, for example, to "remember that managerial incompetence is much more prevalent than conspiracy", and offers several recommendations with regard to managing office politics. And his brief instruction to "accommodate benign neglect" is one of the best take-aways for me personally.

This is a great book for new front-line managers (or managers of new front-line managers). It looks at the job from a number of angles. Readers a given a foundation of what leadership is followed by examination of the roles and duties of the front-line manager. The author uses character and principles as the foundation for his philosophy on management.

In this book, one can find practical advice for things ranging from managing staff and project manangement to customer interaction. Having spent two years as a front-line manager before being promoted, I can say that what Dr. Peeling has written rings true based on my experience. I also really liked that he gives not only the what, but the why as well. It is an excellent experience based guide that people can return to as the need arises.

It does 'exactly what it says on the tin' - giving practical and down to earth advice for managers, whilst insightfully highlighting the main issues.

Essential reading for new and experienced managers. My only question is why has no-one written something like this before?

Dr. Peeling's Principles of Management: Practical Advice For The Front-Line Manager by Nic Peeling is a practical survival guide for the tenacious transition of learning how to become a manager. Ranging from practical advice on determining salaries; to handling key team members, under-performing team members, and low-value, high-maintenance team members; to various project management styles and roles; and more, Dr. Peeling's Principles of Management is a sound and "reader friendly" primer which is particularly recommended for the novice manager.