Over the years, as a manager and consultant, I have had the opportunity to participate in numerous Mission, Vision and Values exercises, involving both large and small organizations. Many have been fun, some just OK, and some downright tedious. … Read More ›
Ask any manager if she or he strives to be fair and equitable in her or his dealings with subordinates and you will rarely get a negative response. By the time we reach adulthood, these two concepts are well ingrained… Read More ›
In any organization of size, there are usually three distinct levels of management. No matter how many managers there are, or layered the levels, there are still only three. Each layer has a critical strategic function to perform and in… Read More ›
Most managers who have logged a few years of experience hiring employees will tell you that it is harder than you might think. If lucky, a few of those hires have been spectacular successes. Most hopefully have turned out OK…. Read More ›
Most of us at some time have experienced the downsides of over-controlling management. Micromanagement discourages subordinate initiative, damages organizational morale, and inexorably leads to less than optimal subordinate performance. Managers who try to exercise control over everything their subordinates do,… Read More ›
More than a few times during my years as a practicing manager, I felt compelled to explain the WORK CONTRACT to an underperforming subordinate. In simple English the work contract is as follows: YOU WORK, WE PAY; YOU DON’T WORK,… Read More ›
If you work for an organization of some size, chances are you have an official personnel file housed in HR. Management reviews these files periodically and they may play an important role in some of your career decisions, especially when… Read More ›
An END RUN, as referred to in management circles, constitutes the behavior of a subordinate who surreptitiously goes around his or her boss to raise an issue with the boss’s superior. Perhaps the issue is a complaint about the boss’s management style… Read More ›
At some point in everyone’s work life we encounter that person — boss, peer, senior manager, or subordinate that simply “gets under our skin”. There is something about them — their style, voice, mannerisms, daily behavior, attitude, routine commentary, or… Read More ›
At times of stress, it is always valuable for a manager to keep her or his “COOL”. Subordinates are watching and there is something reassuring about a boss who is able to stay calm, unflappable, and able to handle the… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 