In my initial posting about making your point, I referenced Chip and Dan Heath’s book “Made to Stick” and the characteristics the Heath’s believe make an idea memorable. Among the qualities the Heath’s and I believe are critical, is the… Read More ›
advice for managers
MAKING YOUR POINT
One of the most difficult challenges we humans face on a daily basis is the task of communicating precisely what is on our minds to someone else. Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that we must first translate… Read More ›
MOTIVATING BY EXAMPLE
Recently, my wife and I had dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. We sat at the bar where my wife enjoys watching the cooking action in the open kitchen area. The Executive Chef and his wife own the… Read More ›
THE GIFT
Suppose somebody tells you that you tend to ramble and repeat yourself in your meetings causing some attendees to tune you out. Or imagine that a colleague suggests that sometimes the emotion you express while making a point seems off-putting… Read More ›
MANAGING A GO-TO PERSON
Recently a young manager was relating to me the “saving grace” quality of having his “Go-To” guy to rely on in a pinch. It brought a smile to my face and some found memories of my own. If you have… Read More ›
A GOOD IDEA IS A GOOD IDEA
I was once asked how I would describe my management style? My reply, “an amalgamation of all those things that I have observed other managers do that work grafted onto the essential me.” It was the best I could do… Read More ›
WHAT’S IN A NAME AND JOB?
What’s in a name and a job? To most subordinates at work, if it is their name and their job we are discussing, a great deal. During a recent business trip, I was asked what I did on such trips… Read More ›
MANAGING UP PART IV: MENTORING THE BOSS
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 surrounding Stuttgart. I knew just enough about being an Officer… Read More ›
MANAGING UP PART III: DISAGREEING WITH THE BOSS
Unless you are one of those people who happens to be one of life’s natural contrarians and thus loves being on the opposite side of almost any issue, chances are you don’t relish arguing or disagreeing with your boss. In… Read More ›
MANAGING UP PART I: KEEPING YOUR BOSS INFORMED
Believe me, no boss likes being blind-sided by something that one of their subordinate managers had wind of in advance. To help me avoid this mistake, a senior executive told me early in my management career I should always keep… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 