Almost all of us have had to deal with a boss whose own management style and set of management skills left something to be desired. Managing up — as it is called — is relatively easy when one’s boss has… Read More ›
Self-Management
THE VICTIM MENTALITY: AN EMOTIONAL BLACK HOLE
At some point during a career, most people have the misfortune of drawing the proverbial short straw. Perhaps you were passed over for an assignment or promotion, laid off due to a merger, or out of a job because the… Read More ›
BEING ACCOUNTABLE: “The Asoh Defense”
On November 22, 1968 Japan Airlines Flight 2, a DC 8, was scheduled to land at San Francisco International airport. In heavy fog, its Captain Kohei Asoh, not adequately trained on the plane’s new flight director, landed his aircraft in San… Read More ›
PROBLEM SOLVING: WHAT ARE THE REAL ISSUES INVOLVED?
Abraham Maslow, famous for his theory of the “Hierarchy of Human Needs”, also had this to say about problem solving: “If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail”. No manager has only one… 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 ›
THE LETTING IT ROLL OFF YOUR BACK FALACY
For many of us, the expression of negative feelings and emotions towards others is extremely difficult and uncomfortable. On one level, our rational self knows that the expression of these emotions can be beneficial both for our own psychological health… Read More ›
WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND PULL THE PLUG
In September 2011, the American-based media provider Netflix announced that it planned to raise prices for its services and separate into two companies: a DVD mail order service it would call “Qwikster” and an internet streaming service that would retain… Read More ›
OBVIOUS MISTAKES YOU WILL STILL MAKE AS A MANAGER
Like it or not, some predictable mistakes are inevitable as a manager. Even knowing what they are in advance, you will still make them anyway. The faster you learn to avoid becoming a chronic repeat offender the better. 1. You… Read More ›
THOSE ELECTRONIC SCREENS: A CAUTIONARY NOTE
Not long ago, I was walking along a corridor in the facility where I go several times a week to put my aging body through regular physical workouts. I passed by a gathering of four young teens huddled in close proximity… Read More ›
HARD WORK REVISITED: GRIT
Some time ago, I wrote an article in this collection entitled “Good Managers Work At It”. The point of my essay was that success at almost anything is usually related to the amount of hard work one is prepared to invest… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 