I met my sergeant soon after I arrived in Germany. His name was Thomas Brett. I was a green, newly minted, Second Lieutenant placed in charge of eight Medical Dispensaries. I knew just enough about being an Officer with such… Read More ›
Managing People
MANAGING UP PART III: DISAGREEING WITH THE BOSS
Unless you are a natural contrarian who loves being on the opposite side of almost any issue, chances are you don’t relish arguing or disagreeing with your boss. Some folks are so emotionally uncomfortable with conflict that they avoid such… Read More ›
MANAGING UP PART I: KEEPING YOUR BOSS INFORMED
No boss likes being blind-sided by something that one of their subordinates had wind of in advance. As a subordinate, it is always useful to bear in mind the critical difference between three things; (1) those things you can do… Read More ›
LETTING THEM KNOW WHO’S BOSS
One of the silliest management behaviors I have observed is the obsession of some managers for conspicuous displays intended to demonstrate that they are the boss. Silly I say, because really do they think their subordinates are so stupid that… Read More ›
CHANGE AND A SENSE OF LOSS
A number of years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop conducted by the late chairman emeritus and founder of the Levinson Institute — Psychologist Harry Levinson, Ph.D. The workshop focused on the topic of organizational change. While… Read More ›
DECISIONS AS ACTS OF FAITH
When many of us hear the words faith or belief, we think of religion. So I often receive a strange look from others when I tell them that most of the decisions we make in life are also based on our faith… Read More ›
AM I REALLY A MANAGER?
This may sound like a dumb question to someone who carries the title. But many folks carry some version of the title — manager, assistant manager, co-manager, — yet actually manage nothing at all except a daily workload assigned to… Read More ›
THE POWER OF FOOD
You might ask what FOOD has to do with being an effective manager and leader? Consider the following scenario contained in my workshop for managers: In the past six months you have made some difficult management decisions clearly unpopular among many… Read More ›
FUN, PLAY AND WORK
Are fun and play incompatible with work? I have worked for my share of managers whose behavior towards their subordinates certainly seemed to suggest these two things do not mix. I have never believed that, however, and have experienced the reasons… Read More ›
TEAM PERFORMANCE: THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF FULFILLED HUMAN NEEDS
I have focused on the topic of teams several times in this series of articles. And indeed there has been enough written about the topic these past twenty-five years to fill an entire library shelf. I return to the subject here,… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 