The making of a manager by Julie Zhuo

Making of a manager

Andra Cimpan
Bootcamp
Published in
14 min readJan 29, 2024

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Today, I want to walk you through what I could call a “classic” book in our industry: “The Making of a Manager” by Julie Zhou.

In this book, Julie shares her personal experiences, learnings, and insights into her transition from an individual contributor to a managerial role. The book was crafted as she was developing in this role, capturing the essence of her journey while the events were still fresh in her memory.

What sets this book apart is its friendly and conversational tone. It feels as if you’re sitting down with a friend, listening to her recount the highs and lows, victories, and lessons learned. Julie integrates real-life examples into the narrative, ensuring they are accessible and easy to comprehend.

A particularly relatable aspect, at least for me, is Julie’s background as a designer. The situations and challenges she describes mirror those encountered in the professional lives of other designers — whether they are dealing with their own manager or stepping into a managerial role. One quote from the book that resonated with me and will likely resonate with fellow designers is:

“Good design at its core is about understanding people and their needs in order to create the best possible tool for them. I’m drawn to design for a lot of the same reasons that I’m drawn to management — it feels like a deeply human endeavor to empower others.”— Julie Zhou

Before we explore this book in more detail, I personally recommend reading it early in your career. It provides valuable insights into understanding and navigating your relationship with your manager or how it should ideally be. In my own experience, each time I read or reread this book, I find myself revisiting past events and reflecting on them with a new perspective gained from the book. Engaging in this exercise, I believe, is beneficial for effectively handling future work-related events.

Great managers are made, not born

The main idea of this book is that ‘Great managers are made, not born’, a notion I can agree with to a certain extent. I believe, as with anything in life, the required skills can be learned, but it’s crucial to begin with certain inherent characteristics. In my personal opinion, one must be a people person — approachable, genuinely caring about others, and possessing a high level of empathy. While techniques and processes can be learned, one’s character and soft skills are challenging to cultivate.

In her book, Julie introduces three questions to help you evaluate your potential as a great manager:

  • Are you more motivated to achieve a particular outcome or to play a specific role? Keep in mind that you will be judged based on your team’s outcomes, so your responsibility is to ensure their success.
  • Do you enjoy talking to people? Listening and communicating effectively are significant aspects of your role.
  • Can you provide stability in emotionally challenging situations? Are you capable of having difficult conversations? How do you remain steady and provide support?

Management revolves around people, each with their unique personalities, backgrounds, experiences, motivations, fears, and more.

What is management

The one-liner definition of a manager’s job, as presented in the book, is that ‘Your job as a manager is to get better outcomes from a group of people working together.’ To achieve this, the author highlights three key areas that should concern and occupy a manager’s time:

  • Purpose — This focuses on the ‘why’ or the outcome your team aims to achieve. The primary responsibility of a manager is to ensure that the team understands what success looks like and is invested in achieving it.

“The first big part of your job as a manager is to ensure that your team knows what success looks like and cares about achieving it.”— Julie Zhou

  • People — This revolves around the ‘who.’ Are team members set up for success? Do they possess the right skills and motivation? Effective management involves developing trusting relationships, understanding strengths and weaknesses, making informed decisions about tasks, including hiring and firing when necessary, and coaching individuals to perform at their best.
  • Process — This describes ‘how’ your team works together. Process, as clarified by the author, isn’t solely about paperwork and frameworks; it’s about enabling teams to make decisions and collaborate effectively.

“In a team setting, it’s impossible for a group of people to coordinate what needs to get done without spending time on it. The larger the team, the more time is needed.” — Julie Zhou

Starting with the idea that ‘The crux of management is the belief that a team of people can achieve more than a single person doing it alone,’ it’s essential to emphasize that a manager’s role isn’t to perform the work individually, even if they excel at it. The goal is to enhance the purpose, people, and process of your team to achieve the highest possible multiplier effect on your collective outcome.

A noteworthy paragraph from the book states:

‘Traditionally, most advice about management assumes a longer time frame where if you spend a little today, you’ll reap bountiful rewards in time. But that is only true if your organization isn’t on fire. At that point, you need to do whatever to extinguish the fire.’ — Julie Zhou

From my personal experience, I would like to stress the importance of transparent communication with your team. Even during challenging periods, it’s crucial to explain your focus on certain aspects rather than others. While your team might initially feel frustrated or perceive a lack of vision, it could be a ‘survival period’ where you need to communicate priorities that make an immediate impact.

What motivated people to do great work?

Andy Grove flips the question around in his book High Output Management and asks: What gets in the way of good work?

The first challenge is that individuals may lack the knowledge of how to produce quality work. This often stems from a deficiency in the required skills. Possible solutions include:

  • Assisting your team members in building these necessary skills.
  • Consider hiring someone else with the required expertise.

The second challenge is when individuals know how to perform well but lack motivation. This can be due to various reasons:

  • Unclear understanding of what constitutes exceptional work.
  • The role not aligning with their aspirations (even if they possess the skills, they may prefer a different path).
  • The perception that there are no rewards for improvement and/or no penalties for stagnation.

How can you pinpoint which issue is at play? The answer lies in open and honest conversations.

Begin by ensuring that expectations align — you and your team members share the same definition of good work. Then, discern whether the challenge lies in motivation or skill.

However, this can only be achieved through candid conversations, conversations made possible if you’ve established your relationship on a foundation of trust and mutual respect. It should be a relationship where your team members feel comfortable presenting problems early on, are confident that you care about their success, and are ready to provide support.

Anton Chekhov wisely said, “You must trust people, or life becomes impossible.” As a manager, the responsibility to build a trusting relationship rests on your shoulders.

I don’t know about you, but most probably, like me, early in your career, you hesitated to bring up issues with your manager. As Julie notes, “It’s human nature to want your manager to think well of you. Coming across as a complainer, a failure, or a problem employee seems like one of those obvious don’ts.”

Yet, as a manager, it’s crucial to uncover problems in their early stages when they’re easily solvable. You can prevent surprises by nurturing a relationship founded on trust, where your team feels free to be completely honest because you’ve demonstrated your genuine concern for their well-being.

Managing is caring ❤️

I’d like to share a quote from the book with you:

‘If you don’t truly respect or care about your report, there is no faking it. None of us are such brilliant actors that we can control the thousands of tiny signals we are subconsciously sending through our body language. If you don’t believe in your heart of hearts that someone can succeed, it will be impossible for you to convey your strong belief in them’ — Julie Zhou

Another paragraph I appreciate is this:

‘Another nuance of respect is that it must be unconditional because it’s about the person as a whole rather than what she does for you.[…]If your report feels that your support and respect are based on performance, it will be hard for them to be honest with you when things are tough. On the other hand, if they feel that you care about them no matter what, and nothing can change that — not even failure — then you will get honesty in return.’— Julie Zhou

‘We are more than the output of our work on a particular team at a particular moment in time, and true respect reflects that.’— Julie Zhou

Trust is hard to gain and easy to lose because building it takes time, consistent positive interactions, and transparency. Once established, trust comes with expectations, and any perceived breach or disappointment can quickly erode it. Human nature also plays a role, as people are naturally cautious, slow to trust, and quick to withdraw trust if they feel it has been violated

One thing not mentioned in this book but observed in my experience as an individual contributor is that it doesn’t only matter how you behave directly to your report but also how you interact with the rest of the team members. The behavior you show towards your report’s colleagues is what they will expect from you as well. If you treat them badly, if you kick them when they are down, or if you create a negative atmosphere, it not only affects your relationship with your direct report but sets a tone for the entire team dynamic. Your actions reverberate through the team, impacting morale, collaboration, and the overall work environment.

The art of feedback

Feedback is a vital catalyst for personal growth, benefiting both you and your team. Mastering the art of effective feedback comes with constant practice. As the quote suggests,

‘The mark of a great coach is that others improve under your guidance.’ — Julie Zhou

‘We humans are wired to see the bad more clearly than the good.’ In my experience, this inclination is more prevalent in certain cultures than in others. Especially in an international environment, it’s crucial to understand not only what is expected from you but also how to tailor your feedback delivery.

‘Recognition for hard work, valuable skills, helpful advice, or good values can be profoundly motivating when it is specific and constructive.’ — Julie Zhou

A few key considerations from my personal experience:

  • Feedback should pinpoint areas where hard work has been invested; superficial praise for achievements beyond one’s level diminishes the impact of meaningful recognition.
  • Praise holds weight up to a point; beyond that, it requires additional forms of recognition to sustain its impact.

‘There is one quality that sets truly great managers apart from the rest: they discover what is unique about each person and then capitalize on it.’ — Julie Zhou

Additional insights from my personal experience:

  • Understanding your team members is pivotal to recognizing their strengths and gauging their willingness to develop them, respecting individual aspirations.
  • Seizing opportunities for growth and development as they arise is essential.

How can you grow and improve in your role?

If there’s a secret sauce to self-improvement, it’s consistently seeking feedback from others. The primary challenge? Overcoming yourself — can you consistently remember to ask for feedback? Can you maintain the humility and self-awareness needed to openly receive it and make genuine changes?

Set aside time for reflection and goal-setting 💭

‘A study from Harvard Business School indicates that we learn more when we couple our experiences with periodic reflections. Although people prefer learning by doing, “participants who choose to reflect outperformed those who chose additional experience.” ’

Reflection is a crucial practice for analyzing your thoughts and actions, solidifying your learnings. Identify a method that resonates with your style; whether it’s setting aside time weekly, biweekly, or monthly in your calendar, use these moments to contemplate your accomplishments, recognize positive and negative aspects, and plan your next steps. Establish personal goals and conduct more comprehensive reviews every quarter, every six months, or yearly to gain a broader perspective for tackling ambitious projects and acquiring new skills.

How to set your goals for the new year

Personally, whenever necessary, I reflect on events, especially negative ones. I ponder different ways I could have behaved, responded, or reacted and consider how it might have influenced the outcome. Sometimes, I discuss this with someone else to gain a different perspective on the situation and potential solutions.

As part of my ongoing personal growth journey, I regularly engage in reflections, particularly on events with negative implications. These moments prompt me to consider alternative approaches I could have taken, responses I could have given, or reactions I might have had, and the potential ripple effects on outcomes. At times, I broaden my perspective by discussing these reflections with others, seeking diverse viewpoints and potential solutions.

I particularly resonate with this quote: “The more your experience — good or bad — gets shaped into lessons and stories that help you and others, the faster your growth trajectory.” The key here is shaping your experience into lessons, learning from each event, and applying that knowledge to future situations.

What Makes a Good Meeting Great

As a manager, meetings become a significant part of your responsibilities. Ensuring their success involves simplicity and clarity, leaving participants with a sense that:

  • ✅ Time was well-spent
  • ✅ New and exciting insights were gained
  • ✅ Clear next steps have been outlined
  • ✅ A welcoming atmosphere prevailed
  • ✅ Active engagement was fostered

The definition of success varies across different types of meetings.

Decision Meetings: Success here entails reaching a decision while ensuring all participants trust the process.

“While opinions on the best path may differ, working cohesively involves placing trust in decision-makers and a fair process.”

A great decision-making meeting achieves the following:

  • ✅ Reaches a decision
  • ✅ Involves those most affected by the decision and the designated decision-maker
  • ✅ Presents all viable options objectively, providing relevant background information and including the team’s recommendation
  • ✅ Allocates equal airtime to each option
  • ✅ Ensures participants feel heard

A successful informational meeting accomplishes the following:

  • ✅ Leaves the group feeling enriched with valuable insights
  • ✅ Conveys key messages clearly and memorably
  • ✅ Sustains audience engagement
  • ✅ Evokes intended emotions such as inspiration, trust, or pride

Feedback meetings focus on optimizing outcomes rather than judgment. A great feedback meeting includes:

  • ✅ Aligning everyone on the project’s success criteria
  • ✅ Presenting the current work status
  • ✅ Framing open questions, key decisions, or known concerns to elicit the most helpful feedback
  • ✅ Defining next steps

As a designer, you have the privilege of actively participating in or leading numerous idea-generation meetings, meetings aimed at solving intricate problems. In my personal view, these sessions stand out as the most rewarding because they foster teamwork and mutual challenge.

Drawing from personal experience with such meetings, I strongly resonate with this insight:

“The best idea generation unfolds when we appreciate the need for both solitary contemplation (as our minds thrive in isolation) and collaborative engagement (where diverse perspectives ignite superior ideas).”

When preparing your upcoming workshops or idea generation meetings, remember to allocate dedicated alone time for each participant to independently tackle the problem discussed. Preparation and effective facilitation are essential. A successful generative meeting:

  • ✅ Generates a multitude of diverse and unforeseen solutions, ensuring each participant has alone time for ideation.
  • ✅ Values all contributions, giving consideration to all ideas rather than just the loudest voices.
  • ✅ Fosters an environment where ideas can evolve and intertwine through meaningful discussions.
  • ✅ Concludes with well-defined next steps, providing a clear pathway for translating ideas into actionable plans.

Building Your Team

Building an effective team, especially a high-performance one, requires dedication and time.

“For a team to function at its best, members must collaborate seamlessly. It’s crucial to foster empathy, build trust, and promote a culture of collaboration.”

Taking care of your current team is crucial, and it’s equally important to be meticulous about who joins this journey. When I was hiring for a startup that I was part of, for my design team, my mindset mirrored the sentiment expressed in the following quote:

“The most important thing to remember about hiring is this: hiring is not a problem to be solved but an opportunity to build the future of your organization.”

This is especially important for very new and small teams in my opinion. The individuals you bring on board will significantly impact the success or failure of the company or product you are working on, making it essential to make the right hires.

From my hiring experience, I searched not only for great talent and skill but also specific values. In my case, I looked for individuals who are hardworking, humble, eager to learn and develop, and pleasant to work with. Consider the qualities you value in a candidate before you start the hiring process.

If you already have a formed team, I recommend conducting a Skill Mapping exercise to identify existing skills and focus areas for future hires.

One really important thing when it comes to you: strive to deliver an amazing interview experience ❤️. This communicates to prospective hires that you care about the people who may shape the future of the organization and helps secure the best talent. Remember, the candidate is evaluating you as well.

As a closing note for this chapter, I leave you with this quote:

“As a manager, one of the smartest ways to multiply your team’s impact is to hire the best people and empower them to do more and more until you stretch the limits of their capabilities.”

Making things happen

If you’ve been involved in developing new products, you likely resonate with the following sentiment:

“Success doesn’t follow a linear path. It’s not about a single, brilliant insight winning the game. Instead, it’s about consistent planning and execution — trying out good ideas, learning from them, discarding failures, and amplifying successes. This iterative process is what truly makes things happen.”

As a manager, part of your role involves establishing effective processes for your team. Let’s first define what a process is:

“A process is the answer to the question: What actions do we take to achieve our goals?”

Poor processes feel burdensome and arbitrary like a series of hoops to jump through. On the other side, good processes empower us to execute at our best, learn from mistakes, move swiftly, and make informed decisions for the future.

Drawing from my experience in creating processes, I found the following practices effective:

  • Involve everyone impacted by the process in the conversation for increased buy-in.
  • Listen to all ideas and perspectives.
  • Seek inspiration from existing practices, adapting them to your context.
  • Document the process for easy reference.
  • Recognize that a good process is dynamic, evolving based on outcomes and continuous improvement.

As a manager, cultivating playbooks — detailed instructions for solving complex problems — becomes part of your responsibility. When you find yourself repeatedly handling a task, transforming it into an instruction manual or checklist can enhance efficiency. Share these playbooks for others to learn and execute smoothly.

“Plans are worthless, but planning is everything,” as Dwight D. Eisenhower wisely stated. While surprises are inevitable, a solid strategy allows quick adaptation instead of starting from square one when emergencies arise.

“Nothing worthwhile happens overnight. Every big dream is the culmination of thousands of tiny steps forward. Thinking only about the finish line of a long race can be discouraging because it seems miles and miles away. You might wonder if anything you do today can really make a difference. But if you divide your plan up into smaller chunks and focus on your next milestone — finishing the task at hand, preparing for the next meeting, getting through two pages — success suddenly seems entirely within your reach. And the sense of urgency becomes real. “

Finally, the notion that “nothing worthwhile happens overnight” applies not only to business but to life. Breaking down big dreams into manageable steps ensures consistent progress, making success feel achievable.

Conclusions

I wholeheartedly encourage you to explore the pages of “The Making of a Manager” by Julie Zhou. While this article offers a sneak peek into the valuable content, the true wisdom lies within the book. It’s an enlightening and enjoyable read that goes beyond the summarised ideas that I presented here. Your future self will undoubtedly thank you for embracing this recommendation. Happy reading and discovery!

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Bootcamp
Bootcamp

Published in Bootcamp

From idea to product, one lesson at a time. Bootcamp is a collection of resources and opinion pieces about UX, UI, and Product. To submit your story: https://tinyurl.com/bootspub1

Andra Cimpan
Andra Cimpan

Written by Andra Cimpan

User Experience Engineer that creates digital products 👩‍💻 with knowledge and passion💖 https://znap.link/andraardna

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