Published in 2019, ‘The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You’ by Julie Zhuo, became an instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller. It’s a book I keep coming back to and one I’ve gifted to many people over the years. Whether you’re a newcomer to the job, an experienced leader, or aspiring to be promoted, this handbook is essential for becoming the type of manager you wish you had. But, it’s not just an excellent read for managers; it’s also an invaluable resource for reports, helping them understand the qualities of an effective manager.
This contemporary field guide is brimming with everyday examples, and nearly every page offers transformative insights, such as:
- Great managers are made, not born.
- How to tell a great manager from an average manager.
- When you should look past an awkward interview and hire someone anyway.
- How to build trust with your reports through not being a boss.
- Where to look when you lose faith and lack the answers.
However, for me, the book’s pivotal insight lies in Julie’s perspectives on purpose, people, and process.
Julie writes…
Your job, as a manager, is to get better outcomes from a group of people working together.
I’ve come to think of the multitude of tasks that fill up a manager’s day as sorting neatly into three buckets: purpose, people, and process.
Purpose
The purpose is the outcome your team is trying to accomplish, otherwise known as the why. Why do you wake up and choose to do this thing instead of the thousands of other things you could be doing? Why pour your time and energy into this particular goal with this particular group of people? What would be different about the world if your team were wildly successful? Everyone on the team should have a similar picture of why does our work matter? If this purpose is missing or unclear, then you may experience conflicts or mismatched expectations.
People
The next important bucket that managers think about is people, otherwise known as the who. Are the members of your team set up to succeed? Do they have the right skills? Are they motivated to do great work?
Process
Finally, the last bucket is process, which describes how your team works together. You might have a superbly talented team with a very clear understanding of what the end goal is, but if it’s not apparent how everyone is supposed to work together or what the team’s values are, then even simple tasks can get enormously complicated. Who should do what by when? What principles should govern decision-making?
Purpose, people, process. The why, the who, and the how. A great manager constantly asks herself how she can influence these levers to improve her team’s outcomes. As the team grows in size, it matters less and less how good she is personally at doing the work herself.
Your role as a manager is not to do the work yourself, even if you are the best at it, because that will only take you so far. Your role is to improve the purpose, people, and process of your team to get as high a multiplier effect on your collective outcome as you can.
‘The Making of a Manager’ is top of my book recommendation list so if you haven’t already, grab a copy and read it.
About Julie Zhuo
Julie, originally from Shanghai, relocated to Texas with her family at the age of five. She pursued her academic journey in computer science and successfully completed her studies at Stanford University. In May 2006, she secured her inaugural role as an intern at Facebook, eventually ascending to the position of manager by the age of 25. Subsequently, she assumed the role of Vice President of Product and Design. Later in her career, she co-founded Sundial. At present, Julie resides in California with her husband and their three children. Julie writes about technology, design, and leadership on her popular blog ‘The Year of the Looking Glass’ and in publications like the New York Times and Fast Company.