Have you ever done a dumb thing? Well, I certainly have and I’ll bet I’m not the only one. As a matter of fact, I didn’t realize just how dumb I could be until I became a manager for the first time many years ago. Dictionary.com defines dumb as...
One of the hardest lessons for managers to learn is how to move fast but not so fast that they don’t connect. A few years ago I knew a manager that struggled with this exact issue. The problem with this situation is that the manager was moving at maximum speed...
If you’ve been in management for over 30 seconds, you have had the experience of a team member’s attitude absolutely driving you nuts. It just seems to you like this person is intentionally trying to push you over the cliff. Know what I mean? You believe...
Giving direct reports clear directions is one of the most important functions of being a great leader. But here’s the way most managers think about directions: “Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?” They start with a bad...
This is a question managers ask themselves every day. They often don’t voice it out loud but show it in their actions. For example, let’s say that you have a single mother working for you that has small children. Her issue is that one of her children has...
Have you experienced that awkward silence after you were promoted when you walked into a room and everyone stopped talking? Yep! That was the sound of your friendship with your former coworkers dying a slow death. Bring out the violins and funeral music! It’s...