Manager Tools

This guidance tells you how to prepare for meetings where politics are going to play a role (which is to say, ALL of them).

This guidance tells you what to do when directs bring you bad news.

This guidance recommends what to do when a direct would get negative feedback but it’s not yet time for it in the Trinity Rollout Process.

This guidance recommends what to do when a direct would get positive feedback but it’s not yet time for it in the Trinity Rollout Process.

This guidance tells you what to do when directs resist One on Ones because they are a form of "micromanaging."

This guidance tells you how to structure your briefing to your team around Simple Succession Planning.

This guidance recommends knowing where decision makers and influencers stand on proposals and decisions that matter to you and your team.

This guidance recommends proactively scheduling time for your key responsibilities in the morning, versus afternoon or early evening, "when everyone’s gone.

This guidance describes when we recommend a manager consider their directs’ resumes.

How to create a dead-simple Succession Planning Form.

This guidance completes our recommendations on how to do One on Ones while you are traveling.

Part 2 of our guidance on how to document the performance of your directs and your communications with them.

Our guidance for how to document the performance of your directs and your communications with them.

This guidance recommends how to address behaviors in meetings that reduce meeting effectiveness, based on a popular 2012 Wall Street Journal article. This Chapter deals with handling a multi-tasker and also reviews the Journal’s general meeting guidance.

How to improve your effectiveness by eliminating long open periods from of your calendar.

This guidance recommends how to do One on Ones while you are traveling.

This guidance discusses how to manage those directs whom you didn’t hire and who have a history of poor performance.

This guidance discusses how to manage those directs whom you didn’t hire and who have a history of poor performance.

This guidance recommends how to address behaviors in meetings that reduce meeting effectiveness, based on a popular 2012 Wall Street Journal article. This Chapter deals with handling a Rambler – someone who talks and talks and talks ... and talks.

This guidance recommends admitting your mistakes openly as a manager, to your team, to enhance candor and openness from your team members.

We recently published guidance recommending that managers ask directs for their efforts, rather than commanding. Can't they say "no"? Yes.

This guidance describes a simple way executive succession planning is often done, and the key to mastering it.

This guidance recommends how to address behaviors in meetings that reduce meeting effectiveness, based on a popular 2012 Wall Street Journal article. This Chapter deals with handling a Silent Plotter – someone who tries to kill every idea, even after everyone’s agreed.

This guidance describes the fundamental error in trying to achieve “Work-Family Balance” and how to solve it forever.

The conclusion of our guidance on how to respond initially to a direct who pushes back in various ways to an instance of feedback.