Managing Up
Jan 21, 2009 Dealing with Bosses
∞ So many people complain about their bosses these days. I heard from one of my management staff today why people don’t complain about me - I do most of the managing up for them. Case in point: one of my newest team members came to us from an environment where constant status updates were the [...]Quantifying Expectations
Jan 19, 2009 Daily Performance
∞ I had a conversation recently about one of my previous articles, in which I discussed how to outline expectations for staff. My acquaintance’s office has a broken performance model - the expectation is that staff will clear all emails received before 4:00pm by the end of the day. There is no allowance for overtime [...]Business Ethics: Insider Training
Jan 17, 2009 Business Ethics
∞ Tonight on Managerpiece Theatre: another selection from Dan McCarthy’s Great Leadership Scruples game: A close friend will be interviewed for a job with your employer. He asks you for a list of the questions in advance. Do you supply it? Well hell, Tallulah, if I’m going to be that unethical, why don’t I just hire him [...]Can’t work with ‘em, can’t beat ‘em with a stick.
Jan 15, 2009 Problem Behaviors
∞ A reader (I was beginning to wonder if the contact form works) writes: Last year, I was put in charge of a group of twelve fully qualified people who are responsible for customer relationship management at my company. The previous manager left the group in a complete shambles. The team seems completely unmotivated to actually [...]Business Ethics: Running Away
Jan 13, 2009 Business Ethics
Another selection from Dan McCarthy’s Great Leadership Scruples game: You want to quit a job without notice but you need a good reference from your employer. Do you invent a family health emergency? It’s funny that this should come up. Please excuse the upcoming lack of posts, as my great-great-great-grandmother has passed away (in 1926, but who’s [...]Business Ethics: Credit and Recognition
Jan 11, 2009 Business Ethics
Dan McCarthy over at Great Leadership has created a twist on the Scruples game, incorporating ethical dilemmas for guests to ponder. Today’s dilemma: Your manager congratulates you for a brilliant suggestion and hints at a promotion. Your employee gave you the idea. Do you mention this to the manager? Most people’s knee-jerk reaction is “of course I’d [...]You’ll never work in this town again!
Jan 9, 2009 Firing, Job Hunting, Problem Behaviors
∞ Have you ever considered - purely for the sake of expediency, I’m sure - having a friend pose as a professional reference? I’d be interested to hear how that worked out for you. Of course, if you’re not a total idiot, you may well have gotten away with it. Let’s review. Some years ago, I [...]Wait, what’s my job again?
Jan 7, 2009 Daily Performance
∞ No, we’re not dealing here with our persistent desire to change our business cards to read “babysitter” instead of “manager.” I’m talking about how to avoid wanting to do that in the first place. Do you find yourself constantly having to reiterate your expectations? Are deadlines or productivity markers being missed on a regular basis? [...]… Did I blow that interview?
Jan 5, 2009 Job Hunting
∞ The answer to that depends on a number of factors, although the glazed look in your eyes while the interviewer described the position probably didn’t do you any good. So, you interviewed for a position and haven’t heard back. More and more these days, I see people who have no clue how to interview, especially [...]Shh! It’s a Secret!
Jan 3, 2009 Employee Relations, Problem Behaviors
∞ I was recently asked about a situation that had come up in a friend’s office that resulted in some entertaining drama and theatrics. (The workplace is a great setting for that, isn’t it?) This friend of mine is a relatively new manager in a company that doesn’t put a lot of emphasis on management training. [...]
