Parallel Universes
When I read business articles, I often get the feeling that the work world I see isn‘t quite what those folks are thinking of when they write about the workplace. The problems they focus on always somehow seem the same – either non-strategic thinking or poor communication, or both. As I read, in my minds eye […]
“We Can Do This” management
Every once in awhile I dream of coming up with some phrase that’s so memorable and evocative, I can copywrite it. Then it would get picked up out there somehow, create some “buzz,”, generate a ton ideas and comments – as well as a bestselling book. So far, no luck. But I was leafing through some […]
The Monkeys on Hawthorne’s Back
I can see how managers can come to resent, or at least view negatively, an employee’s need to be reassured, reinforced, praised, validated, or “checked-in” with and communicated with, so constantly. Since managers are usually squeezed for time themselves, their ideal employee is a self-starter who takes initiative, works fast and efficiently, doesn’t make mistakes, doesn’t need hand-holding and – above all – doesn’t take up managerial time.
Good Old Girls
In hindsight, it was probably true that Serena wasn’t a ton of fun to be around, but still … The small office she worked in was virtually all women – with the exception of one customer service guy and one of the two salesmen who came around three or four times a month at best. […]
The “Micro-Managing” Accusation
In many workplaces, the key quality that makes someone a manager is his or her willingness to step up and take responsibility for the satisfactory completion of the work product. Since these managers know that their own job performance is being closely monitored, there’s a huge motivation to be right on top of real and imagined problems – in fact, failure to anticipate and act on “preventable” situations is one of the main reasons managers lose their jobs.
Parents as “Case Managers”
It’s the eye-on-the-ball stance that a good case manager takes that makes the difference for the long haul. Sure, parents love their children more than case managers love their clients, but that should enhance, not harm, the chances for success.
Managing Hourly Employees: Two Stories
I usually use the term “battlefield promotion” with my tongue in my cheek when I’m discussing managerial careers, but Jim’s situation was almost literally true. Jim worked at one of those “quick oil change” places. He’d taken the job in early May, right as he was finishing his Junior year of college, and planned […]
Dear Ray: Counsel to a Newbie
Dear Ray: I remember our last chat in the lobby outside the auditorium waiting for the main speaker to close out the conference. You seemed a little wistful compared to our previous encounters, and I wondered whether being up to your Adams apple in clients now is more of a cold shower than you’d anticipated. […]
EI meet Phil III
Privately, I affectionately refer to people like Phil as “lunkheads,” and sure, some of them do have a small dark side like the rest of us, – but still, they’re mostly decent people who’ve embraced their “character,” and are usually just looking to play out the string. Phil liked me enough to go farther down the road […]
Emotional Intelligence: Meet Phil II
Phil’s boss wanted me to “fix” him, but what that really meant wasn’t clear. Phil had been there going on 18 years, had outlasted several management makeovers, and an ownership change. Even though there were no barriers to firing him, like a union or strict seniority policies, there was no stomach for it either. The […]