First Time Manager is an instructional self help guide by author Scott Boyd, designed to aid workers who have always been employees as they transition into management positions for the first time. The volume contains an overview of many different areas of work related to management, with a view to framing them as a new experience for the reader. These include the initial mindset and thinking stages which a manager goes through straight after the promotion stage; the basic skills required to manage other people in any workplace setting; the interpersonal skills and communication skills which are recommended to be most effective; and a host of other important everyday scenarios which may come up on the job.

I think author Scott Boyd has done an excellent job of supposing what eventualities might befall someone new to management as a kind of early warning system in his book. There are, of course, scenarios that are easily imagined, such as how to discipline staff and deal with the conflicts that arise between managers and employees, as well as amongst employees themselves. However, there are also areas that are surprisingly essential but often overlooked, such as the issue of how to build and maintain credibility as a manager when it is your first time taking on the role. Though the guide is relatively short it is concise and detailed, giving useful experience in clear prose which is easy to understand. Overall, I think First Time Manager is a well-organized, comprehensive volume that’s perfectly suited to its purpose.

The role of a manager is undoubtedly crucial to any organization, yet too many managers fail to meet their organization’s needs. Is there a right or wrong way of managing people? What are the skills that are important in management? What makes many fail where some succeed? First Time Manager by Scott Boyd is an in-depth guide that puts together every skill from a broad spectrum of organizational facets that could be incredibly useful to all managers, especially to those who are new at their job. Boyd appreciates the scope of issues that a first-time manager faces and presents well-thought-out solutions. He also gives guidelines on how any manager can adjust their actions and communication to fully maximize the opportunities that his position provides to better the organization that they work for.

The advice provided by Scott Boyd in First Time Manager is given in a direct and straightforward way. The language is accessible to any reader who wishes to learn more about management skills and their impact. Boyd also keeps his writing simple and to the point, and the information contained is not too detail-heavy. The book is brief, which makes it an easy read. Despite the brevity, the content is impactful and gave me a lot to think about. In some cases, Boyd offers advice on how individual employees and the organization’s top level management can offer support to new managers, which widens the scope of the book. I definitely recommend Scott Boyd’s First Time Manager to every first-time manager, or anyone aspiring to be one.