I am often asked how one recognizes a really great manager. Well, in almost all of the articles I have included in the site, I have addressed some form of behavior that tends to separate certain managers from the pack…. Read More ›
Self-Management
ABOUT YOU or ABOUT IT?
Do you ever take something personally? I thought so. Don’t we all? For some, it is a chronic problem; wired into our temperament and emotional DNA. On the other hand, I actually know a few folks on the far opposite end… Read More ›
MANAGING YOUR FRUSTRATIONS
I’m sitting by Lake of the Woods in Northern Minnesota one recent morning, enjoying the sun rise, when I ask my sister-in-law about the most difficult part of her job as a sixth grade teacher. “Managing my frustrations”, she replied… Read More ›
SPEAK WITH PRECISION, REPEAT WHAT’S IMPORTANT
Few human endeavors are as challenging as human communication. The process starts in our brain with our thoughts concerning what we wish to communicate. We then translate those thoughts into words we believe convey the exact meaning we intend. We… Read More ›
THE LIMITS OF CONTROL
Regardless of the statistics indicating the safety of air travel, why do most of us remain a bit jittery during take-offs and landings? Why does almost any surgery involving anesthesia seem so scary? Why does driving in extremely heavy fog,… Read More ›
A BIAS FOR ACTION
Although published a decade ago, “The Knowing-Doing Gap” written by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton remains one of my favorite management books. The book’s focus is why so many company’s who know what they should do to achieve success, simply… Read More ›
ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES
After my last post about the 10 mistakes you can count on making as a manager, one of my colleagues asked me what advice I had about avoiding them. Since I said — and believe — making them from time… Read More ›
CHANGE THE ROOM YOU”RE IN
In my management workshops, we often discuss the challenges associated with leading organizational change. Usually the discussion involves some specific process, HR practice, or habitual management behaviors deeply embedded in their organization’s or company’s culture. Inevitably, there are always a… Read More ›
EVERYBODY NEEDS A BREAK: PART II
In my last blog entry — “Everybody Needs A Break” — I focused on the impact of stress in the workplace, especially its effect on our emotions, thought processes, judgment and performance. My emphasis was on the important role of… Read More ›
EVERYBODY NEEDS A BREAK
With the nation’s recession-related unemployment numbers in the double-digit range and many employers holding off on adding new staff, many of those men and women fortunate enough to have jobs are working harder and longer hours to help sustain their… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 