This is a monster book.You can see the chronicles of someone that has worked in the trade of management for some time. Part of the book’s appeal was that it felt like a memoir with tons of key takeaways for someone that is working as a manager. Being a manager is a huge part of my life, hearing first hand accounts was invaluable. I manage people that manage paying clients and athletes everyday, reading this book was extremely relevant to my life. 

The central aspect of this book was that managers run the ship. Grove created a formula for management: 

1. Are you adding real value or merely passing information?
2. Are you plugged into what is happening around you? 
3. Are you trying new ideas, new techniques, and new technologies, and I mean personally trying them, not just reading about them. 

I read these keys to success and I developed a burning sensation centered around if I am doing enough of these keys? Asking hard questions is paramount to success as a manager. It is challenging to understand what value you are actually bringing on a daily basis. It is more challenging to work through mediums that directly interface with the athletes or execute the plan of attack of a program you created. 

The detachment from direct interface with athletes was supported from a blueprint for a managers day. For me I take calls, I organize meetings, I create initiatives and directives for staff, I create systems and education, more importantly I rarely actually interact with our athletes. The more I progress, the less I actually coach or work with clients. This creates a certain feeling of inadequacy with your day that is hard to process. My success as a business owner is based on the success of our employees. It takes time to adjust to this. 

Grove discussed his day of management: 

1. Get a sales forecast 
2. Understand your key indicators, for Intel it was raw material 
3. What is the condition of your equipment
4. Get a fix on manpower 
5. Develop a quality control indicator 

I have a couple of OKRs for my staff:

• Objectives – Get more members
• Key Result – Get members to return after their first visit during a trial
• Key Result – Increase points of contact with trials 
• Key Result – Review a plan for their trial week based on their goals

Objective – Maintain current members

• Key Result – Make sure members are showing 3 times per week
• Key Result – Keep members safe (Movement Screens, Weekly Testing CMJ, Nordic, Grip)
• Key Result – Test KPIs annually (Body Comp 4x, Relative Strength 2x)

How Groves day applies to mine I would say 

1. Check Key Results
2. Review current program and logistical needs
3. Get an update on any broken down equipment
4. Review coaches schedule and who is working when/where
5. Staff education on execution and technique 

This exercise was helpful in understanding what is enough. Daily contribution is hard to appreciate when you do not have tangible things you are doing. I yearn for the days of checklists and tasks with definitive end points. I found solace in knowing that my day is productive and contributing to the overall success of the company. But on the other hand that is only as good as what we can effectively measure. 

The determination of a good manager is based on the output or throughput of their team and overall organization. The best way to increase productivity is to understand when to either motivate or educate your employees. You can look at each employee as a evolving continuum of motivated to unmotivated to do their job. As well as unaware or very aware of how to do their job. Your job as a manager is to realize where people are deficient and form a plan to address these deficiencies. 

Grove: 

A manager has two ways to raise the level of individual performance of his subordinates: by increasing motivation, the desire of each person to do his job well, and by increasing individual capability, which is where training comes in. 

The best way a manager can serve their organization is to understand the needs of their employees. The better the manager can understand what each individual needs, the more the organization can produce. Bidirectional feedback is tantamount to organizational success. A culture where employees can speak freely about what they need along with supervisors feeling comfortable giving necessary feedback is what creates better productivity. Me being able to listen to our coaches discuss what we are doing well and what we can improve on is the foundation of knowing when to motivate or educate. 

This is a must read for coaches. There is some business stuff in there, but for the most part it hits several high level, universal topics that are relevant to anything. Everyone’s vector, if you are good, is towards management. Preparation for management is based on understanding what your job actually is.