Tag: great management
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The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back
Deconstructing American sayings is admittedly one of my favorite past times. Our Americanized English offers some very colorful sayings which give our dialect a lot of historically referenced character. Often, the more interesting American sayings can also have deep roots in prehistoric Americana. Today’s saying is one that goes back more than 5,000 years. Here… Read more
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Bigfoot is Real
People frequently speak about “the elephant in the room”. A metaphor for issues that everyone knows exist, but refuse to acknowledge. Collective denial allows people to work around the elephant; ignoring the ear shattering trumpet calls, happily stepping in enormous piles of elephant dung, and eagerly inhaling the tangy aroma of vast pools of urine.… Read more
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Proof of Life
The hardest lessons to learn are often the most important. In business, apathy comes easily and often. True leadership is hard, as are the lessons which separate the managerial wheat from the chaff. Managers who have come this far are no doubt adequate. Maybe even good. But…as a manager:Are you willing to take that extra step… Read more
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Employee Retention
Thanks to the Triangle Shirtwaist fire employee retention has moved beyond just chaining the emergency exists closed. Plus, chains and padlocks cost money. Why waste precious capital when there are so many free strategies available. Read on to discover how you can get your employees to chain themselves to their desks for almost nothing but… Read more
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Inspiration!
Famed baseball coach Yogi Berra once said “100% of inspiration is 90% perspiration.” Yogi Berra didn’t actually say that, but it sure sounds like something he would say. And you can too. Confused? Of course you are. That’s because everything you’ve ever learned about inspiring people is wrong. Your team looks up to you, not… Read more
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Stacking 2.0
There you are, your managerial 6-pack glistening under the glorious florescent lights overhead. Your leadership biceps pumped from lifting the morale of everyone around you. You wonder, how can you further apply everything you’ve learned about Managerial Stacking. Welcome to Stacking 2.0! A clever manager can achieve accelerated results by using the secrets of stacking… Read more
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Such Sweet Sorrow
Saying goodbye to a trusted colleague and work friend can be a difficult time. It may be the hardest thing most employees will face during their entire working career. Years or even decades of camaraderie somehow get washed away with a few gluten-free cupcakes at 2PM in the break room. You’ve been through challenges together… Read more
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No I in Team
As the old saying goes “There is no ‘I’ in team”, but that’s just an old cliche dragged out to remind people not to be too full of themselves, right? Why then, would Frederick E. “Fredly” Frederickson, Professor of Leadering and Manageristical Arts trot out that old saw? Because there is truth that must be… Read more
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The Death of the 80/20 Rule (part 1)
As I was taking the elevator to the 85th floor yesterday I overheard two CFO-type executives talking about how so-and-so was no longer on the favorable side of the 80/20 rule. “He’s not part of the 20% doing the lion’s share of the work anymore” the younger of the two gentlemen offered. Across the executive… Read more
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The Death of the 80/20 rule (part 2)
In case you missed it, the 80/20 rule is dead and the reasons are simple: Employees started gaming the 80/20 rule and helped make it obsolete. Like disco, it had to go. It failed to track employee accountability and productivity. A lawsuit brought on by the late “Greasy” Pete Shepanski’s estate. Not far in our… Read more