An entertaining, fast-paced, and enjoyable read, "Manager Mechanics" serves as both mentor and guide for newly minted managers. Blooms uses his more than twenty-five years experience to give first-timers the practical knowledge and political insights needed to perform successfully in their new management role.

Just been made a manager? Great Now what? Have kids? If so, you have all the management experience you need. Congratulations, now you get to manage your friends. Now that I'm a manager, what's my next step? Discover how work is not a democracy; it's a dictatorship Learn about the 7 kinds of troubled employees; Sleazy, Grumpy, Lazy, Brainy, Tardy, Dummy and Troubled. How does the hiring process really work? Uncover the truth about the Good, the Bad and the Other. Bloom explains how new and seasoned managers alike will gain techniques and proven approaches for leading their teams, hiring top talent, navigating company politics, avoiding career-limiting mistakes and producing high-quality, well-planned results.

"Manager Mechanics" is your first step toward cultivating a strong career in management. Improve your communication skills, employee morale, and work environment with this indispensable guide

"I'm always on the lookout for great new training materials, and this book is right on target. It gives great advice, is well-written and has just enough humor in it to make it fun. Eric Bloom really understands new manager needs."

-Susan J. Goldberg
President and CEO of Northeast Training Group, Inc.

"This book is a must read for anyone in a managerial role. It's easy to read, contains practical examples, and as a result, is easy to remember."

-Jeffrey Burd, Esq.
Director of Placement, Kelly Law Registry

"Street-wise advice on handling the important everyday issues nobody tells you about."

-Frank Capecci
Executive Leadership Consultant

This book contains 34 of my almost 200 columns, specifically selected, based on the importance for senior IT executives to know these questions are being asked. These questions are then discussed from two perspectives, the importance to you, the CIO, and why it's important to your employees. As a former senior IT executive, I gained the knowledge and experience to write for GateHouse Media and IT World, based on a my personal experience moving through the IT ranks, mentoring and growing my staff, and thinking about the great advice I was given by my managers and mentors. What I realized while writing these columns and answering reader questions, was how much I forgot about what it's like for techies early in their careers, trying to move ahead professionally. As you will see in the Table of Contents, these columns are categorized into the eight questions/chapters listed below. Where should I go from here? How can I grow professionally? How do I keep current and stay marketable? How can I update my technical skills? How can I effectively deal with change? How do I keep my job? How do I become a manager? How do I get into IT? Understanding your employees' perspective on these questions can help you, as their leader, maximize productivity, enhance innovation, reduce turnover, and as the book title alludes, create a productive and happy staff.

As a former senior IT executive, I gained the knowledge and experience to write for ITworld based on my personal experience moving through the IT ranks, mentoring and growing my staff, and thinking about the great advice I was given by my managers and mentors. Over the past year, I posted 52 blogs/columns on a wide variety of IT career related topics inspired by questions from readers, discussions with participants in my company's training classes, industry trends, and my personal experiences, both good and bad, as an IT professional. As you will see in the Table of Contents, these columns are categorized into the nine chapters listed below. Enhancing Your Technical Skill Set Enhancing Your Nontechnical Skill Set Job Search Tips In the Workplace Maximizing Your Pay Managing Your Career Career Advancement Tips and Advice Building Your Professional/Technical Brand Joining IT from Other Professions My hope is that this book will provide you with insights, tips, tricks, and advice that will help you successfully manage your career and help you reach your short term and long term career goals.

As a weekly nationally syndicated columnist with GateHouse Media, over the course of the year I publish 52 columns on a wide variety of management topics. These topics were inspired by questions from readers, important business trends, and core management values and activities. Then, at year end, I organized them in a way to help you answer the following types of questions. Ok, you were promoted to manager. Now what? What is your management style and is it effective? How can you successfully lead your team? How do you deal with difficult employees? How do you effectively communicate with others? What is the hardest part about hiring new people? As a manager, what processes do you need to know, and why? How do you deal with issues such as privacy, gossip and office jokes? Happy reading and best wishes, Eric

An entertaining, fast-paced, and enjoyable read, "Manager Mechanics" serves as both mentor and guide for newly minted managers. Blooms uses his more than twenty-five years experience to give first-timers the practical knowledge and political insights needed to perform successfully in their new management role.

Just been made a manager? Great Now what? Have kids? If so, you have all the management experience you need. Congratulations, now you get to manage your friends. Now that I'm a manager, what's my next step? Discover how work is not a democracy; it's a dictatorship Learn about the 7 kinds of troubled employees; Sleazy, Grumpy, Lazy, Brainy, Tardy, Dummy and Troubled. How does the hiring process really work? Uncover the truth about the Good, the Bad and the Other. Bloom explains how new and seasoned managers alike will gain techniques and proven approaches for leading their teams, hiring top talent, navigating company politics, avoiding career-limiting mistakes and producing high-quality, well-planned results.

"Manager Mechanics" is your first step toward cultivating a strong career in management. Improve your communication skills, employee morale, and work environment with this indispensable guide

"I'm always on the lookout for great new training materials, and this book is right on target. It gives great advice, is well-written and has just enough humor in it to make it fun. Eric Bloom really understands new manager needs."

-Susan J. Goldberg
President and CEO of Northeast Training Group, Inc.

"This book is a must read for anyone in a managerial role. It's easy to read, contains practical examples, and as a result, is easy to remember."

-Jeffrey Burd, Esq.
Director of Placement, Kelly Law Registry

"Street-wise advice on handling the important everyday issues nobody tells you about."

-Frank Capecci
Executive Leadership Consultant