Operating instructions come with every electronic item we buy. Even the simple stuff. The manual for an iron shows how to plug it into the wall. Flight attendants still show us how to insert the strap into the seatbelt clip. (Why do they still demonstrate that??) We might not read the …
Hiring
Fantasyland is in Orlando
Here is the Fantasyland definition of management: expecting people to show up, memorize their job descriptions and “just do their job.” In other words, it's not real. And here is another pretend definition of management: any sort of nonsense that includes things like hitting the number or growing …
Right Person Right Job
This is nothing new. You've read it, heard it, discussed it, debated it and you have surely tried it. Right person - right job. And sometimes you get it right. And sometimes you get it wrong. And wrong. And wrong. And wrong. I say this endlessly, but I think the #1 skill that a manager must …
CEO Syndrome. Not Just for CEOs.
I’m the first to name this recent medical discovery and you read it here first, in the New England Journal of Crummy Management. Sadly, CEO Syndrome is most often diagnosed by others, long before the CEO has any idea that the disease has struck. The CEO will be very resistant to the diagnosis at …
Own The Yes
How many times did you say YES today? The kind of YES where you agreed to do something for somebody else? Maybe it was a small YES like agreeing to return a call. Maybe you promised to do a small favor or you gave your word to finish a project that’s already overdue. You’re the boss. When you say …
Idol Management
In case you don’t know the identity of this trio (where do you live??) they are the three judges of American Idol. I started watching the show just this season & I am fascinated by the way they approach the audition process. It's fascinating to watch because practically every person …