You are on an airplane, 35,000 feet above the ground, flying from the East Coast to the West. Summer thunder storms have stirred up the atmosphere and the ride has been choppy for some time. The Pilot’s first “seat belts… Read More ›
advice for managers from managers
THE ART OF MOVING ON
Leaving one management job for something else — within management or outside of the profession — generally happens in one of two ways: reassignment for some reason or you choose to change assignments or professions yourself. Both forms of departure involve… Read More ›
WATCH THAT “FIX IT” MODE
We have all heard the axiom “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. By extension of that logic, I suppose that means if it is broke, then fix it. Observing the behavior of many managers over the years, I believe… Read More ›
THE POWER OF PSYCHIC PAY
A colleague of mine — Jack O’Connor — frequently shares with his workshop participants the notion that there are many ways beyond money, to pay employees. Jack’s is a powerful notion — I call it psychic pay — that opens… Read More ›
A MANAGER’S FIRST YEAR
It surprises me that I have not turned to this subject sooner in this series of articles, since it is such an important topic. So much of value happens in a manager’s first year — both good and bad —… Read More ›
MEETINGS: THOSE THAT SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE HELD
It is almost impossible to imagine modern business, non-profit, or government work getting accomplished, without people gathering in a seemingly endless round of meetings. Meetings are so much a part of our everyday work life that we rarely question their… Read More ›
COMMUNICATING DECISIONS
A common criticism I hear about management, is that they often announce important decisions with little or no explanation, rationale, or indication of the precise results they hope to achieve. Moreover, these complaints often come from line managers who say… Read More ›
ARE YOU ABOUT TO LOSE YOUR JOB?
Right-sized, down-sized, cut lose, laid off , let go, declared excess, victimized by a company’s collapse, or fired, losing one’s job — for whatever reason — is just plain AWFUL and very painful in most cases. I was involuntarily let go… Read More ›
WHEN SUBORDINATES ARE DOING THE BOSS’S WORK
Delegate! Delegate! Delegate! It is almost impossible to take a management course or read a management book that does not drive home the importance of delegation, if a manager is to do their job properly and succeed. And when the… Read More ›
MINIMIZE THOSE SYMBOLS OF POWER
A LITTLE THING THAT MATTERS —- When one becomes a manager in many organizations, there are numerous symbols of power and authority that often accompany this newly acquired status. An office, for example, is generally construed as quite a status… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 