The Manager's Resource Handbook
Tools, Resources and Guides for Managers and Business Leaders. Real Advice from Real Bosses.
In 1972, American Bobby Fischer won the World Chess Championship by beating Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union. It was a match publicized worldwide as the battle between two superpowers. While both nations had massive nuclear arsenals, this particular battle was fought with figurines on a game board. Now, while I know who Bobby Fischer was, I admit that I
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Managing people is a complex business. There are personality differences, business pressures and customers to face on a daily basis. Tip #6 discussed how good leaders need to show their human side. As a leader of people, it’s important to tap into the human element of curiosity. Plenty of literature exists supporting the notion that a learning organization is the best model for
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Management is inherently ambiguous. As a business leader, we make decisions throughout the day on a variety of matters. Issues arise through email, during a visit to our office or on a phone call, and our decisions impact the business, the people and the customers. Because of the impact, decision making is a particularly challenging aspect of management, and it is here where
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All things being equal, a manager who maintains a positive attitude, even in times of adversity, will get more out of their team than the manager who casts a shadow of negativity. In Tip #5, integrity was discussed as the standard to which good managers hold themselves. The next tip is often a byproduct of integrity – a positive, can-do attitude.
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Earlier in the Management Success Series, we talked about integrity and the importance of being honest and open with your team. But as we discussed, we as managers cannot always fulfill promises no matter how hard we try. And while integrity can remain constant, the business environment can be difficult to navigate. We as managers can make mistakes, and that’s what makes
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So far in the Management Success Series, we discussed essentials like influence, visibility and employee development. There’s an old saying that not all managers are leaders, which is unfortunately true. Some people are put in managerial positions for which they are simply not suited. But the opposite is also true: good managers are good leaders. We look up to good leaders because
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Breaking News: Managers actually have two jobs! Previously in the Management Success Series, we talked about influence and visibility as key managerial traits. In Tip #3, we discussed common sense and the need to adapt amid a constant state of change. There’s an added layer of complexity that good business leaders and managers need to understand. Early in my career, I had a
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The previous tips in this series discussed the importance of influence (Tip #1) and visibility (Tip #2) as a manager. Both of these may seem pretty obvious, which leads us to Tip #3. On a flight not too long ago, I had a typical business traveler conversation with the passenger sitting next to me. You know, it was that “What do you do?”,
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Tip #1 of the Management Success Series described influence as a key ingredient in good managers. You have to be able to maneuver and pull various levers to make things happen, while simultaneously pulling your team along with you. Influence, like trust, is something that is built over time but easily lost. A good means of establishing your influence and building trust is
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The Transition to Management It’s a common experience. You left work on Friday afternoon thinking about your weekend plans. On Friday you were just a team member and part of the “crew.” On Friday, you were given your tasks and were not responsible for what others did. Sure, you were part of a team, but you were pretty much responsible for yourself. Then, on Monday you start
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