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4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
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Wayne
5.0 out of 5 stars An actually-useful book for first-time managers (and beyond)!
Reviewed in the United States on March 23, 2019
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This is hands-down the book I wished I'd had when I began managing 8 years ago. It definitely would have saved me from making countless & costly mistakes during my first few years of management, and I will benefit from it greatly as a manager even now!

What sets this book apart from other books about management is unlike other management books written by folks at the end of their careers, Julie still remembers her own ramp-up into management (due to her meteoric rise from intern to VP at Facebook in less than a decade). Julie's complete honesty about all her fears, insecurities, and mistakes at the time (and how she continued to experience them throughout her career) makes her the reader's relatable management confidant and her lessons far more potent.

Julie is a masterful storyteller and effective teacher, seamlessly weaving together her own management war stories to illustrate core principles, combined with practical & easy-to-remember frameworks for managers to use. Each chapter opens with an illustration cementing a key idea from the management topic to be discussed. While most of the book focuses on topics that will help first-time managers, later chapters touch upon topics that will help even seasoned managers, such as hiring and managing managers yourself and setting the culture of your organization.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about making the plunge into management, in their first few years of management, or even to experienced managers looking for a refreshing take on management. The Making of a Manager is the new gold standard for books on management.
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Wally Bock
4.0 out of 5 stars First half is great for prospective and new managers - Last half is great if you work at Facebook
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2020
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When I was partway through The making of a manager: what to do when everyone looks to you I was sure that I would be giving this an unqualified five-star review. Then, I got to the second half. 

There are two very different halves to this book. I'll cut to the chase about whether this is a great book for you. 

The first half of the book is excellent and helpful for almost anyone. The second half of the book may be for you if you work at Facebook or a company very much like it. 

Here's how Ms. Zhuo defines a manager's job. "A manager's job is to help her team get better results." That's the key insight for the book. It's clear and actionable. It's true no matter who you are or where you work as a manager. 

If you're thinking about becoming a manager this is a great book for you. 

If you're thinking about becoming a manager. buy this book. In the section that begins on 28, Ms. Zhou asks you questions about who you are and what you're like. She describes how your answers can help you decide if management is for you. Those few pages are worth the price of the book. They may keep you from making a terrible, irreversible mistake. If management is not for you, it's good to know before you become one. The key insight is that you must love the work. 

If you're a new manager, this is a great book for you. 

It usually takes a new manager a year or two to settle into the job, learn the basics, and manage effectively. If you're somewhere in that first two years, buy this book. Ms. Zhuo's descriptions of a manager's work are clear, and you'll be able to see yourself in them. Her analysis is good and includes ideas about what you can and should do. She describes her mistakes and misconceptions. 

Now for the second half of the book.

The second half of the book will be great for you if you work at Facebook. It will be good for you if you work in a creative job in a tech company, especially one experiencing hyper-growth. It will not be so good for you if you work at a trucking company or a clothing store or any smaller company. Here’s why I think the second half of the book is so different from the first half. 

Ms. Zhuo implies that she's new and remembers the beginning well. Here’s a quote from the Introduction.

"I thought, Maybe I can write this book, because it’s more relevant for a certain group of people now: new managers thrown into the deep end, overwhelmed managers wondering how to best help their reports, managers dealing with fast-growing teams, or those simply curious about management. I was one of them not so long ago."

When this book came out, she had been at Facebook for more than a decade and she was the VP of Product Design. In February 2020, she left Facebook to become a cofounder of InSpirit. But here’s the thing. The first half of the book sounds like “not so long ago.” The second half sounds like reflections of someone who’s been a manager for a while.

I suspect she may have written the first at one time and the other material much later. 

The writing styles are very different. The first half flows easily and sounds natural. The second half is how authors write when they must finish by a deadline.

I would have preferred an excellent book for new managers in any kind of company. That's the first 150 pages. I could have done without the last 150 pages, even if the publisher thought it was necessary. 

In A Nutshell

If you're thinking about becoming a manager, buy The making of a manager: what to do when everyone looks to you. Read the section on what managers do that begins about page 28. 

If you're a new manager, especially if you're in your first two years, buy this book and read the first half. 

What about the second half? Start reading it. You've already invested in the book and gotten your money's worth from the first half. Read the second half as long as it stays interesting and helpful. 
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Lauren Luk
5.0 out of 5 stars NOT JUST FOR PEOPLE IN TECH
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2019
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This is an interesting and face paced read for anyone who interacts with teams or groups of people. As a physician, I was thrust into leadership as a senior resident managing a team of junior residents , physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Having no formal training, I developed my own leadership style through trial and error and I wish I had this book! A lot of the principles in this book apply to any team manager in any setting. It's also refreshing as a woman to see an effective leadership style that focuses on harmony and purpose in a group rather than trying to adapt traditional more aggressive forms of leadership ("you're in or you're out", "my way or the highway"). The fact that this book is written by a true lady boss with anecdotes from her own personal experience is also another reason why I picked up this book and was interested in her perspective even though I don't live in Silicon Valley and my work has nothing to do with the field that she is in. Would highly recommend to anyone looking for a fresh perspective on managing a team.
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Beth Dean
5.0 out of 5 stars I wish I had this book a year ago
Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2019
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I wish I would have had this book a year ago, before my team tripled in size. So much resonated, especially Julie’s thoughts weak hires, and how product reviews and meetings can lose their purpose when they scale. Sometimes you have to step back and say “this isn’t working the way I need it to.” It’s comforting to read someone talk about stumblingly in many of the ways I have, and taking each hiccup as an opportunity for growth.

The piece of advice I’ll most take to heart is on delegation: what’s most important to my organization, and what can only I do?

Disclaimer: I work at Facebook but not directly with Julie, and bought this book myself. I’ve been a reader of Julie’s blog since before I worked at Facebook, and I’m so glad she’s collected and shared what she learned.
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Top reviews from other countries

@Timothy_Hughes
5.0 out of 5 stars No Management Gurus Just Simple Advice
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 20, 2019
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If you are a new manager, want to be a manager, or just want to deal with people "better" this is the book for you. Julis is no "management guru" there are no rules or laws, this is just simple, straight forward advice based on her experiences at Instagram / facebook. One of the things I like is her honesty, she does not make out she is some management superhero. We all make mistakes, right? She shares with you her mistakes and what she learned. I'm already implementing a number of her recommendations and suggestions.
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Thomas Harrison-lord
4.0 out of 5 stars Advice that now seems so obvious – bravo!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2020
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Not a typical business management book, in a good way. You still learn a lot but in a refreshing tone and through an easy-to-digest structure. Julie is senior management at Facebook, and there are times when it does get a little too preachy about the business, but for the most part this is interesting due to her involvement in a rapidly growing tech company and not hindered by it.
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Marc Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Having read cover-to-cover, this is a book I'll always be coming back to.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2019
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This book is full of great advice, well written, and framed by anecdotes and stories that make it effortless to read!
Despite this it actually took me a long time to finish, because I kept pausing to think and reflect on what I'd just read, how it applied to my role, past experiences, and how to apply the learning in the future.

I now have two copies of this book; one in the office that I encourage colleagues to borrow and read, and my own so I can always refer back to it.

A must read if you are already, or will be a leader or manager of people.
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Gary
5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2019
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Highly recommend this book to the people who are new to management. The flow of the content is easy to read and follow. Unlike the other management books in the market, which depict a particular example/ scene in 3-4 pages in order to explain one big main point of the story, Julie has done a good writing to condense her points into a 3-4 line paragraph or even a half page of section. No fancy words and direct to the point. Suitable to read during a lunch break.
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Nicos Tombros
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Approachable Read to Management
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2019
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Though I haven't finished the title yet, I love how Julie refers to specific experiences, examples and questions throughout the text in order to build the foundation to become successful as a manager. At the moment, this feels geared mainly towards those who are about to enter their new position, however it may also be applicable to those who are looking to revamp/instil a new culture/attitude amongst their reports.
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