High Output Management—How to Be Task Relevant Instead of Reactive

If you’re a regular reader, you know that I love to share great books when I come across them. Today is no exception, and the book I’m excited to share with you, which is more than worth the read, is High Output Management by Andrew Grove. As the former chairman and CEO of Intel, Grove is more than qualified to offer his insights on building and running a successful company, which is exactly what he has done in this impressive work.

In fact, I would go so far as to say this book is legendary: Consider it the proverbial handbook of Silicon Valley especially. But the great news is that you don’t have to be a world-famous CEO or startup founder like Elon Musk or Bill Gates to benefit from the wisdom shared by Groves. His insights about entrepreneurship offer equal opportunity for all, meaning that you can benefit from his insights whether you are a sales manager, an accountant, and a consultant, too.

And I am not the only one who dug this book. Apple board member Bill Campbell offered his high praise of Groves’ work: “High Output Management is a bible that every entrepreneur and every manager in the country should look at, read and understand.” 

While Groves offer much invaluable advice within its pages, I wanted to at least provide you with some key takeaways from the book that every manager and entrepreneur should have in their back pocket. Think of it as your summarized version of Groves’ groundbreaking management manifesto.

Key Takeaways:

*Understanding the elements of production, including inputs, outputs, etc., is invaluable to achieving your goals: the ultimate goal is to produce the greatest output with the least waste. 

*Focus on tangible indicators of output that you can measure and improve upon.

*As a manager, it is vital you manage your time and energy wisely. Place your energy on things that take minimal time investment yet produce maximum impact. Examples are gathering information, decision making, and spurring others to action. In contrast, avoid things that directly thwart these efforts at all costs, such as delaying decisions, meddling, abdication, and unnecessary interruption.

*Be mindful when conducting meetings. Value people’s time, stay on topic, and make it purposeful for maximum return on time investment. Again, avoid all “waste,” including time and extraneous meetings.

*When making decisions, always keep the long-game in mind. Even when managing and trying to accomplish short-term objectives, your long-term goals must be factored into the equation as well, ensuring all are aligned.

*Set clear and realistic expectations of your teams, including those based on upholding cultural values that you also set the standard for based on the current pulse of what is relevant to your team. Staying current is vital in this arena. 

*Motivate, motivate, motivate. Your team will respond to the encouragement, affirmation, and inspiration you provide as a manager by skyrocketing individual performance—making the team and company itself stronger in the process. Groves mentions that regular performance reviews can be a specific tool to use in this regard.

*Keep an eye on your turnover. Groves doesn’t mince words when he reveals his opinion that if an employee leaves, it is most often due to faulty management.

*Don’t shirk your training responsibilities. As a manager, this is among your primary roles and will help increase output exponentially. Groves can’t seem to stress enough that this is not a role you leave to outsiders, but take hold of it and handle it yourself.

Groves ends the book with a Call to Action of sorts: He gives you homework assignments to do, all of which actively put the steps he has just laid out in the book to use. Similarly, I am giving you a homework assignment as well. Only one: Get this book and read it immediately. Walk, don’t run.