Manager Tools

If your directs aren't managers, they may not know the core principles behind giving feedback. They won't know how to give peer feedback. But you can teach them.

Giving effective feedback is one of the hardest tasks for managers. Feedback isn't hard to understand. We know we need to give it. But too many of us don't understand feedback's first rule: it's about future behavior.

This cast describes how to prepare for meetings or presentations in order to ensure your message is persuasive and you get the support you're looking for from the audience.

This cast describes how to prepare for meetings or presentations in order to ensure your message is persuasive and you get the support you're looking for from the audience.

Coaching is the least-used of the Manager Tools Trinity's tools - One On Ones, Feedback, Delegation, and Coaching. That's too bad, because it only takes 5-10 minutes a week. One common use case we've heard from managers is helping a direct who has excellent job skills but struggles with relationships. Here's how to do that.

Coaching is the least-used of the Manager Tools Trinity's tools - One On Ones, Feedback, Delegation, and Coaching. That's too bad, because it only takes 5-10 minutes a week. One common use case we've heard from managers is helping a direct who has excellent job skills but struggles with relationships. Here's how to do that.

Don't believe the "news" that organizations are changing so fundamentally that the core standards of professionalism no longer apply. In fact, as the world becomes faster, the old rules of working together effectively and efficiently become even more important. The speed of AI only adds to this insistence. We start with teaching timeliness because a professional who isn't timely isn't a professional at all.

Don't believe the "news" that organizations are changing so fundamentally that the core standards of professionalism no longer apply. In fact, as the world becomes faster, the old rules of working together effectively and efficiently become even more important. The speed of AI only adds to this insistence. We start with teaching timeliness because a professional who isn't timely isn't a professional at all.

There's always a lot of talk by a lot of so-called experts about culture. That's because they define culture any way they want. That way they can say whatever they want. But some cultures are better than others, regardless of any definition those experts apply.

The vast majority of things that happen in your organization are good. Otherwise your company would go out of business. But most managers think their job (and it's a part they hate) is to give negative feedback. They have it backwards. The road to be able to give negative feedback and have it be effective is through positive feedback. And we're putting too high a bar on what behaviors deserve feedback.

The vast majority of things that happen in your organization are good. Otherwise your company would go out of business. But most managers think their job (and it's a part they hate) is to give negative feedback. They have it backwards. The road to be able to give negative feedback and have it be effective is through positive feedback. And we're putting too high a bar on what behaviors deserve feedback.

If you have a good network, with some of those in your network on your bench, you can shorten your hiring process and increase the chances of a successful hire.

There's an organizational tool, almost always used by Human Resources, called competencies. Even though it's a fairly popular model for thinking about professional development, it's a terrible system we don't recommend. But if you have to use competencies, here's how.

One of the most common presenting failures is being too rigid in one's preparation and delivery. If you're not well prepared, and therefore flexible, your rigidity can cause your message to not be persuasive.

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

Too many managers, and the majority of execs, too, are TERRIBLE at presenting. But getting good at presenting is just like getting good at managing. Since everyone else is so terrible, all you have to do not be terrible. And that means doing a lot of small, simple things the right way.

There is a 3-Body Problem in Classical Mechanics. That one cannot be solved. But hiring managers are also afflicted with *The Warm Body Problem.* But this one is easily solved.

You may not realize it, but your company makes it increasingly harder to find qualified candidates without intending to. How does it do that? With The Hiring Requirements Ratchet. Why does it do that? Because it can, and it has a short memory.

If your people say they don't know what's going on strategically, or operationally, **it's your fault.** You can fill that void with your own vision and communications.

Do you know what it's like to lose a job? Get fired? Get laid off? If you don't, that's good. But more people who go through it wish more people who haven't did a better job of helping. When it happens to you, it's easy to feel lonely and afraid. St. Jude - the Patron Saint of Lost Causes - tells us what to do for those going through those hard times.

When you're a manager, you're thinking of your team all the time. But remember you're a part of a team, too: your boss's team. You need to work on having good relationships with your peers so your boss can achieve her goals.

When you're a manager, you're thinking of your team all the time. But remember you're a part of a team, too: your boss's team. You need to work on having good relationships with your peers so your boss can achieve her goals.

One of the most common mistakes of managers when hiring - it made our Top 10 list! - is being swayed by their directs into hiring someone that they weren't that impressed by. They always regret, they often write to us. Here's how to not fall prey to one of the most common hiring mistakes.

Managers today are constantly besieged by requests and demands from above their level. But just because someone is "above" you in the org chart doesn't mean they can easily task you and your team. Here's how to make that a little easier.

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21st century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are close to 2,000 podcasts so they might be hard to find.

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21st century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are close to 2,000 podcasts so they might be hard to find.

For over half a century, managers have been complaining: "HR won't let me fire this guy." This myth - and yes it is a myth - is so common that experienced managers teach it to new managers, and it affects entire firms' performance management systems much for the worse. The reason so many managers can't fire people is not because they can't. It's because they don't want to do it the right way, and they want to blame HR.

For over half a century, managers have been complaining: "HR won't let me fire this guy." This myth - and yes it is a myth - is so common that experienced managers teach it to new managers, and it affects entire firms' performance management systems much for the worse. The reason so many managers can't fire people is not because they can't. It's because they don't want to do it the right way, and they want to blame HR.

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they need to apply pressure to see how candidates react. But in fact, positive interviewing is much more effective, both in terms of outcomes and in terms of offer acceptance rates.

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they need to apply pressure to see how candidates react. But in fact, positive interviewing is much more effective, both in terms of outcomes and in terms of offer acceptance rates.

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire better. We've been saying it for two decades now. We normally put out positive guidance, about what to DO. In this series of casts, though, we address common misconceptions and mistakes most managers make when hiring. This guidance is about lack of preparation, which is an epidemic among managers. You can't be good at hiring if you're not good at preparation.

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire

One of the most common things professionals say about managing is that they have a personal 'style.' But does that make sense? Is it reasonable to expect that with all the systems organizations employ, they should leave out how to manage others?

Development plans for directs are constantly talked about. You've read about them in the business news, especially for less experienced employees. They're recommended by HR. They don't work!

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to think more creatively about annual planning goals.

Our Hall Of Fame guidance on how to start setting annual goals, and why we do not like "SMART" goals.

Many managers are worried about talking about personal topics in One On Ones. They shouldn't be - it doesn't happen that often... and it's a sign of trust, too.

A manager is always obligated to support the organization, even if he or she disagrees with what the organization is doing. But what happens when your boss doesn't do that? Here's what to do.

Our Hall of Fame guidance on delivering a performance review.

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to prepare for performance reviews.

Executives and managers both have two core responsibilities that inform all else that they do. But the two key responsibilities are different between managers and executives. Managers manage; executives lead.

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

Most managers don't know it, but if they want to further their career, they must always have a presentation in their hip pocket, ready to be given on no-notice. That's why it's called the Hip Pocket Presentation.

Time management is a fallacy. Time doesn't need you to "manage" it - it's been getting along just fine without you for billions of years. We can't manage time. What we CAN manage is what we do with that time. And yet, the overwhelming evidence is that professionals and managers do NOT "manage what they do with that time."

For many years at our Effective Manager Conferences, Mark ended the day by giving what we came to call, "The Love Speech." Love matters in managing others. Here it is, for the record, for those who never got to hear it in person.

Time management is a fallacy. Time doesn't need you to "manage" it - it's been getting along just fine without you for billions of years. We can't manage time. What we CAN manage is what we do with that time. And yet, the overwhelming evidence is that professionals and managers do NOT "manage what they do with that time."

Today, we cover the second in a two-part series of podcasts on Time Management. If you're new to the show or you didn't listen to last week's podcast, it's probably worth while going back and listening to the previous show first. Otherwise, you'll be joining the conversation half-way through and we all know how comfortable that feels. :-( We recommend 4 1/2 steps to analyzing your use of time Roughly Assess Your Time - absolutely *no* materials other than pen and paper allowed! Capture Your Priorities Do a Rough Analysis (part b, only for the truly committed) - Do a "Drucker" Analysis Put Your Number One Priority on Your Calendar That's it! We walked through steps 1 and 2 last week, today we cover the remainder.

Time management is a fallacy, we like to say. Time doesn't need you to "manage" it - it's been getting along just fine without you for billions of years. We can't manage time. But what we CAN manage is what we do with that time. And yet, the overwhelming evidence is that managers do NOT "manage what they do with that time." There's a shocking CHASM between our behavior in this area and our knowledge of what to do. In fact, Mark recently blogged on how busy everyone says they are, which irritates him. He looks at their calendars, and there's no EVIDENCE that they're busy. There are vast swaths of unscheduled time! Peter Drucker, in the first prescriptive chapter of his seminal work, the Effective Executive, says it best (of course): "The output limits of any process are set by the scarcest resource. In the process we call "accomplishment", this is time ... Of the other major resources, money is actually quite plentiful ... People ... one can hire. But one cannot rent, hire, buy or otherwise obtain more time." So, the question is, how can managers start to become more efficient about using the time that each of us has at our disposal? In fact, that's a great way to state it: STOP disposing of your time! It's not only your most precious resource, it's also your most perishable! This cast will get you started doing just that.

Promotions are exciting - congratulations! And now you have some work to do, but we will tell you exactly what and why and how.

Promotions are exciting - congratulations! And now you have some work to do, but we will tell you exactly what and why and how.

We recently re-released a Hall of Fame Career Tools cast about Building Your Network. That's only one part of a series of things everyone must do to manage their own careers. Everybody needs "Career Insurance." And too many managers don't educate their directs on what they have to do to be successful with their own careers management.

We recently re-released a Hall of Fame Career Tools cast about Building Your Network. That's only one part of a series of things everyone must do to manage their own careers. Everybody needs "Career Insurance." And too many managers don't educate their directs on what they have to do to be successful with their own careers management.

We have mentioned, usually only briefly, Google's "Project Oxygen' for many years, in many podcasts. Now we tell the story - in part because we were there.

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake that many aspiring executives make is to start narrowing their development at the same time that their executive role requires them to be thinking more broadly, including outside the organization. It can put a stop to your upward development.

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake that many aspiring executives make is to start narrowing their development at the same time that their executive role requires them to be thinking more broadly, including outside the organization. It can put a stop to your upward development.

The way most managers develop their team is haphazard and neither efficient nor effective. How can we not develop our teams when doctors learn thousands and thousands of procedures, diagnoses, and surgeries in such little time? See One, Do One, Teach One. It's faster, and it works well if you're willing to delegate and give lots of negative feedback.

Too many managers fail to delegate sufficiently. In many cases, managers don't know how or what to delegate. But even when some managers have a sense of what and how, they don't delegate. This is often because they don't know the hidden dangers of NOT delegating!

Too many managers fail to delegate sufficiently. In many cases, managers don't know how or what to delegate. But even when some managers have a sense of what and how, they don't delegate. This is often because they don't know the hidden dangers of NOT delegating!

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the demands of running their org. The increases in requests for information from above take time to prepare for. The answer is to make your team's reporting more proactive.

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the demands of running their org. The increases in requests for information from above take time to prepare for. The answer is to make your team's reporting more proactive.

Part 2 of our Hall of Fame guidance on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.

Welcome to a special episode of Manager Tools. Today, you're listening to the live recording of our 20th anniversary podcast, captured in front of a fantastic audience of managers and leaders just like you.

Part 2 of our guidance on what to do when we don't understand in relationships.

Part 1 of our guidance on what to do when we don't understand in relationships.

Our guidance on restarting relationships which have gone sour.

This cast gives our guidance on how to deal with conflict with internal support providers.

Part 2 of our 2-part series on managing conflict when your directs are involved.

What do you do when you're in conflict with a peer... and your directs become involved? What's interesting here is that we all ought to know that if we ARE in conflict with a peer, our directs ARE involved. Our directs know who among our peers are our allies, and who we don't align well with. Our directs make choices, perhaps subtle, but choices nonetheless, that can add to our tensions (yes, even if we tell them not to).

If you've ever had to deal with two of your directs fighting about something, this is the cast for you. Mark likes to say that "the definition of conflict is two human beings in the same COUNTY." If that's true, then 500 or 1,000 or 5,000 people in the same organization is not just 'a conflict waiting to happen', it's conflict guaranteed to happen.

Too many managers rely on HR to bring them candidates for their hiring needs. HR is a necessary part of sourcing candidates, and it's important to work with them. But there is often a disconnect, because they don't know your work or needs as well as you do. Effective managers build a bench of possible candidates, and hire from their own bench whenever they can.

Too many managers rely on HR to bring them candidates for their hiring needs. HR is a necessary part of sourcing candidates, and it's important to work with them. But there is often a disconnect, because they don't know your work or needs as well as you do. Effective managers build a bench of possible candidates, and hire from their own bench whenever they can.

Effective managers need a good relationship with HR. But HR may be the hardest staff organization to have a good relationship with, because their incentives are often misaligned with everyday managers. Even if you have an "HR Business Partner," they work for someone else, and probably support other managers. This isn't inherently bad, but a smart manager knows to work with them, while understanding the challenges.

Effective managers need a good relationship with HR. But HR may be the hardest staff organization to have a good relationship with, because their incentives are often misaligned with everyday managers. Even if you have an "HR Business Partner," they work for someone else, and probably support other managers. This isn't inherently bad, but a smart manager knows to work with them, while understanding the challenges.

If feedback is so important to high performance - and it is - it makes sense to study if and when and how the very best athletes get feedback about their performance. While there are 500 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies - truly rarified air - there are only 32 starting players at each position on each NFL team. There are more than 10 times more of the very best CEOs in the entire world than the very best starting quarterbacks, middle linebackers, centers, and defensive ends.. Even if you count all 11 starting players on offense or defense, there are still more Fortune 500 CEOs than starting offensive or defensive players. It is harder to become a starting NFL player than it is to become a Fortune 500 CEO. And they get more feedback than the CEOs do. There’s a connection.

Everyone is always complaining that they have too much work to do. Too many tasks, too many projects, too many meetings. Theree's not enough time in the day to get everything done. What no one realizes is this is the way it's supposed to be.

Everyone is always complaining that they have too much work to do. Too many tasks, too many projects, too many meetings. There's not enough time in the day to get everything done. What no one realizes is this is the way it's supposed to be.

Part 2 of our guidance on why interviewing must not only select the right candidate, but also build organizational trust through a fair, known, challenging, and respectful process.

Interviewing must not only select the right candidate, but also build organizational trust through a fair, known, challenging, and respectful process.

It takes hard work to get ahead in your professional life. As you progress into more demanding roles, more is expected of you. To climb to the top, if that is what you aspire to do, takes an incredible amount of work. But it is a MYTH that “working hard” simply means working more hours. In fact, working more hours, in the long run, is NOT the way to think about “working hard.” In this series of guidance, we will lay out how to get the most out of yourself without constantly sacrificing your personal and family life.

It takes hard work to get ahead in your professional life. As you progress into more demanding roles, more is expected of you. To climb to the top, if that is what you aspire to do, takes an incredible amount of work. But it is a MYTH that “working hard” simply means working more hours. In fact, working more hours, in the long run, is NOT the way to think about “working hard.” In this series of guidance, we will lay out how to get the most out of yourself without constantly sacrificing your personal and family life.

Learn about our Effective Senior Manager Conference: its purpose, its agenda, its topics. If you’re a manager and are thinking about your career as a Senior Manager and even Executive, you need to learn why the job is different, and how to succeed.

Interviewing internal candidates is different than interviewing external candidates. Internal interviews are not just efforts to fill positions, but also part of professional development for your organization.

Part 2 of our guidance on Swimming Upstream introduces executive-level insights into our Manager Tools content to help managers become more effective by understanding organizational dynamics beyond their role, ultimately preparing them for greater leadership opportunities.

Our guidance on Swimming Upstream introduces executive-level insights into our Manager Tools content to help managers become more effective by understanding organizational dynamics beyond their role, ultimately preparing them for greater leadership opportunities.

Scheduling your One On Ones is surprisingly the most important component of One On Ones. Too many managers mistakenly believe that they are “too busy” to do One On Ones becuase of their full calendars. But scheduling them is actually more important than having weekly One On Ones. Why is that? Our data show why. And directs tell us why when we ask them. And for those who are just getting started, what rules should I use in scheduling my One On Ones.

Scheduling your One On Ones is surprisingly the most important component of One On Ones. Too many managers mistakenly believe that they are “too busy” to do One On Ones becuase of their full calendars. But scheduling them is actually more important than having weekly One On Ones. Why is that? Our data show why. And directs tell us why when we ask them. And for those who are just getting started, what rules should I use in scheduling my One On Ones.

Lots of managers - hundreds of thousand, and perhaps millions by now - start doing Manager Tools One On Ones, and they love them. They love them because they work, and they’re not as hard as the manager thought they would be. And very few managers who do Manager Tools One On Ones never stop.