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Reviews
The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier
bellalaf's review against another edition
5.0
Useful! Very much catered to tech management from a software engineer path
ectoplasms's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
Really quite helpful book. Solid advice and lively narrator.
maremarebell's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book as part of a book club with my coworkers and it led to some really engaging discussions. I appreciate how it gives a view of management from individual contributor all the way up to the “big leagues”, giving insight into every level/role. This book is dense with helpful and interesting info and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to learn about management.
Camille is also a good follow on Twitter!
Camille is also a good follow on Twitter!
askedrelic's review against another edition
5.0
Really solid book on the progression of engineering to team management, to higher level management. If you are interested in becoming a manager or learning more about what is required in the position, it's a good guide. It doesn't go too deep in day to day tasks, but deep enough, through example stories and good questions you should know the answers too.
emintham's review
informative
3.5
Reasonably helpful with actionable tactical information for someone thinking about pursuing the path of an engineering manager. This book also provided a bit of insight into the priorities and considerations of managers so that ICs can learn to work better with their managers. As well, one can learn to spot good and bad managers or managerial tendencies and navigate their career better.
x0pherl's review against another edition
3.0
This book is a very short overview of the management career track -- it's probably of most use to an engineer debating making the switch between the technical and management track.
Generally, I agree with what Fournier is saying in the book, and I can see myself recommending it to folks. Fournier's Human centered approach includes great advice like this:
If the book has a weakness, it's that in achieving the "very short overview" the book feels rushed and the structure is a bit sloppy (for example, the chapter on building culture defines culture as "the generally unspoken shared rules of a community." but then goes on to detail policy documentation and career ladders.
Generally, I agree with what Fournier is saying in the book, and I can see myself recommending it to folks. Fournier's Human centered approach includes great advice like this:
Do remember to be kind. It’s natural and perfectly human to want to be liked by other people. Many of us believe that the way to be liked is to be seen as nice — that niceness is itself the goal. Your goal as a manager, however, should not be to be nice, it should be to be kind. “Nice” is the language of polite society, where you’re trying to get along with strangers or acquaintances. Nice is saying “please” and “thank you” and holding doors for people struggling with bags or strollers. Nice is saying “I’m fine” when asked how you are, instead of “I’m in a really crappy mood and I wish you would leave me alone.” Nice is a good thing in casual conversation. But as a manager, you will have relationships that go deeper, and it’s more important to be kind. It’s kind to tell someone who isn’t ready for promotion that she isn’t ready, and back that up with the work she needs to do to get there. It’s unkind to lead that person on, saying “Maybe you could get promoted,” and then watch her fail. It’s kind to tell someone that his behavior in meetings is disrupting the group. It’s awkward, and uncomfortable, but it’s also part of your job as his manager to have these difficult conversations.
If the book has a weakness, it's that in achieving the "very short overview" the book feels rushed and the structure is a bit sloppy (for example, the chapter on building culture defines culture as "the generally unspoken shared rules of a community." but then goes on to detail policy documentation and career ladders.