The Managers Dilemma by Jesse Sostrin – Book Review

The Manager’s Dilemma by Jesse Sostrin
Balancing the inverse equation of increasing demands + shrinking resources

The first thing that struck me about The Manager’s Dilemma is the jargon loaded cover. But do not let that put you off. Once you open the book we enter into a practical and well laid out journey through identifying the problem, recognising potential solutions and making changes that work.
The book is written in three sections:

• Embrace the dilemma
• Balance the equation
• Flip the scales

What is the Manager’s Dilemma?

In all organisations managers and leaders face the difficult choice between increased demands and reducing resources. The need to do more with less. Often traditional management training overlooks this challenge.

Sostrin clearly lays out the component parts of the manager’s dilemma, along with a framework to make informed and value add decisions.

Manager’s Dilemma book structure

In the 195 pages, there are 28 figures and illustrations and nine tables of useful data or questionnaires.
The appendix includes a number of blank templates. Most of which are half a page, so quite small. It is a shame that these were not full page for easy copying.

In the first section Embrace the dilemma Sostrin takes us through the evolution of a dilemma through to knowing and understanding the dilemma.
The second section – Balance the equation. Helps us to follow the contradiction, identifying our line of site (goal), distinguish our contribution (recognise what we can or cannot bring to the table) and finally plug the leaks. Here the leaks are ongoing behaviours or attitudes that reduce our performance.
In the final section the author takes us to create our conditions, find our pocket of influence and how to make our goals our priorities. We all have goals, and we all have conflicting priorities. Here Sostrin guides us through a mutual agenda approach. Looking at collaborative approaches which are more around win/win than many traditional management prioritising approaches.

Overall a book that takes a non traditional approach to understanding the problems facing managers and provides a set of tools and thinking that will enable the reader to think differently about situations and decisions.

The Manager’s Dilemma is a book I recommend all new managers explore.

About the Author

Jesse Sostrin, PhD, is an internationally recognized thought leader working at the intersection of individual and organizational success. His innovative ideas on leadership and the changing world of work have been featured in a variety of media outlets, including MSNBC, Fox Business, and NPR, and his work has appeared in publications such as Fast Company, Entrepreneur, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Globe and Mail (Canada), and The Sun (UK).

His last two books, The Manager’s Dilemma and Beyond the Job Description, helped to establish his place in the next generation of thinkers challenging the conventional wisdom about working, managing, and leading well.

Learn more at www.jessesostrin.com.

The Managers Dilemma written by Jesse Sostrin is a book aimed at enabling managers and leaders to do more with less stress and less resources.