Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “managers”
Although it pains me to say it, I’m somewhat of an expert on passive-aggressive behavior. The good people at Wikipedia describe passive-aggressive behavior as follows: The indirect expression of hostility, such as through procrastination, stubbornness, sullen behavior, or deliberate or repeated failure to accomplish requested tasks for which one is (often explicitly) responsible. That’s a good definition, but Urban Dictionary gets …
I can count many blessings. Among those is the fact that not only do I have a great boss, I have two fantastic managers reporting to me. When you have strong people supporting your efforts, you can sometimes take for granted the fact that development continues for all of us – even those who are already at a pretty advanced …
Sometimes, you just need to be reminded of some basic principles of the workplace. Here’s one to keep in mind as your organization struggles with recruiting and retention: Employees don’t leave their company, they leave their managers. Victor Lipman wrote a book about this last year — The Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World — and in it (and …
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Business fads predicated on eliminating managers are a bad idea. I know, I know — Zappos has generated a lot of media attention for embracing “holocracy” and getting rid of managers, and others have tried it too, but with the exception of W.L. Gore, the maker of Gore-Tex, virtually nobody has had much success …
“Let me give you some counsel, bastard,” Lannister said. “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armor yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you.” “Remember this, boy: ‘All dwarfs may be bastards, yet not all bastards need be dwarfs.’ And …
It’s mid-March in the United States. That means the following things: – Some of your employees are about to get absolutely hammered this Thursday on St. Patrick’s Day. Green dye in the liquid of their choice? Absolutely no problem. If there’s one thing Americans can do, it’s celebrate days that are centered around other countries. We’re Irish on 3/17. We celebrate …
Much has been said about the wisdom of crowds. Yet many managers still consider Performance Management and Professional Development to be their own responsibility—and don’t enlist the help of their colleagues when evaluating and developing employees. As a result, they’re leaving valuable insights on the table. When evaluating and developing her people, a good manager should focus not only on …
A few months ago, I wrote about an alternative measurement of quality of leadership called Leadership Gravity. I’ve got another one for you, but this one is about kicking the kids out of the nest rather than attracting them. Good leaders attract people to them like moths to the light you left on overnight on your back porch. The great ones also …
It’s hard for me to talk about bonuses without thinking of Clark Griswold getting a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club in Christmas Vacation. As Eddie said, “Clark, that’s the gift that keeps on giving throughout the entire year.” Bonuses have gone through an evolution. Company-wide, “thanks for being here” Christmas bonuses were the standard when my parents …
I recently rediscovered Paul Graham’s classic 2009 essay, “Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule,” and it’s making me reevaluate how I approach my work. In the article, Graham breaks information workers and their schedules into two categories: Managers (e.g., line managers, project managers, and other “boss” types), and Makers (e.g., writers, designers, and other creative or analytical types). A Manager’s schedule is …
