Manager Basics

Pretty Good Is Not Good Enough

A big part of my job is to convince managers that they aren’t great. No one likes to hear that and it can be hard to convey that message...

Meta Makes Mega Mistake

When an individual is successful, I ask myself one question - were they successful "because of" or "in spite of" what they did. This is...

"Don't Make Other Managers Look Bad"

No one is HR says it that way, but the sentiment is the same. In order to make sure things are equal, they want you to stop doing certain...

Be a People Manager

Management is a profession. Full stop. However, it doesn't get the attention and respect that other professions do (outside of lawyers...

Undervaluing Competent Managers

We don't value good management. One reason is that we don't see it often. Which means we think it doesn't exist. Another is the messages...

Ideas are Everywhere

I do a ton of research on management, leadership, and business. But I also get ideas from very unexpected sources. For example, I was...

The Big 5

My Great Manager program focuses on 13 behaviors that I believe every manager needs to be successful. I am sure there are a few that...

Flat Orgs Exacerbated the Bad Manager Problem

We've had bad managers for a long time. The situation has gotten worse as the workplace has shifted from manufacturing to the knowledge...