As president and CEO of Intel, Andy Grove transformed the former memory chip maker into one of the world’s leading technology companies at the end of the twentieth century.
In “High Output Management,” he describes his management philosophy and offers effective strategies and practical step-by-step guidance for the day-to-day challenges of middle and senior managers.
His central position is that a manager is responsible for, and must be judged on, the overall performance of their team. Thus, their goal must be to improve the performance of the people reporting to them.
Grove describes, among other things, specific strategies for production planning, decision-making, and communication, as well as strategies for hiring, motivating, training, evaluating, and promoting employees – and, if necessary, reversing a promotion.
The “meetings” topic, unloved by many, is also covered in depth. Grove distinguishes between different types of meetings (e.g., one-on-ones vs. team meetings, regular vs. ad hoc meetings). He not only explains that good planning and disciplined execution of meetings are essential to maximizing their benefit-cost ratio but also provides concrete guidance for doing so.
The book is written in a very understandable manner, and many real-world examples illustrate the concepts. You wouldn’t know the book was written 40 years ago – its management principles are still relevant today. In fact, Andy Groove’s book has shaped many of today’s effective management best practices, such as OKRs and regular one-on-ones.
Anyone who manages or plans to manage a business or people should read this book.
🎧 Suitable as an audiobook? Yes.
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