Manager Tools

The vast majority of things that happen in your organization are good. Otherwise your company would go out of business. But most managers think their job (and it's a part they hate) is to give negative feedback. They have it backwards. The road to be able to give negative feedback and have it be effective is through positive feedback. And we're putting too high a bar on what behaviors deserve feed...

If you have a good network, with some of those in your network on your bench, you can shorten your hiring process and increase the chances of a successful hire.

There's an organizational tool, almost always used by Human Resources, called competencies. Even though it's a fairly popular model for thinking about professional development, it's a terrible system we don't recommend. But if you have to use competencies, here's how.

One of the most common presenting failures is being too rigid in one's preparation and delivery. If you're not well prepared, and therefore flexible, your rigidity can cause your message to not be persuasive.

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

Too many managers, and the majority of execs, too, are TERRIBLE at presenting. But getting good at presenting is just like getting good at managing. Since everyone else is so terrible, all you have to do not be terrible. And that means doing a lot of small, simple things the right way.

There is a 3-Body Problem in Classical Mechanics. That one cannot be solved. But hiring managers are also afflicted with *The Warm Body Problem.* But this one is easily solved.

You may not realize it, but your company makes it increasingly harder to find qualified candidates without intending to. How does it do that? With The Hiring Requirements Ratchet. Why does it do that? Because it can, and it has a short memory.

If your people say they don't know what's going on strategically, or operationally, **it's your fault.** You can fill that void with your own vision and communications.

Do you know what it's like to lose a job? Get fired? Get laid off? If you don't, that's good. But more people who go through it wish more people who haven't did a better job of helping. When it happens to you, it's easy to feel lonely and afraid. St. Jude - the Patron Saint of Lost Causes - tells us what to do for those going through those hard times.

When you're a manager, you're thinking of your team all the time. But remember you're a part of a team, too: your boss's team. You need to work on having good relationships with your peers so your boss can achieve her goals.

When you're a manager, you're thinking of your team all the time. But remember you're a part of a team, too: your boss's team. You need to work on having good relationships with your peers so your boss can achieve her goals.

One of the most common mistakes of managers when hiring - it made our Top 10 list! - is being swayed by their directs into hiring someone that they weren't that impressed by. They always regret, they often write to us. Here's how to not fall prey to one of the most common hiring mistakes.

Managers today are constantly besieged by requests and demands from above their level. But just because someone is "above" you in the org chart doesn't mean they can easily task you and your team. Here's how to make that a little easier.

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21st century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are close to 2,000 podcasts so they might be hard to find.

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21st century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are close to 2,000 podcasts so they might be hard to find.

For over half a century, managers have been complaining: "HR won't let me fire this guy." This myth - and yes it is a myth - is so common that experienced managers teach it to new managers, and it affects entire firms' performance management systems much for the worse. The reason so many managers can't fire people is not because they can't. It's because they don't want to do it the right way, and...

For over half a century, managers have been complaining: "HR won't let me fire this guy." This myth - and yes it is a myth - is so common that experienced managers teach it to new managers, and it affects entire firms' performance management systems much for the worse. The reason so many managers can't fire people is not because they can't. It's because they don't want to do it the right way, and...

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they need to apply pressure to see how candidates react. But in fact, positive interviewing is much more effective, both in terms of outcomes and in terms of offer acceptance rates.

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they need to apply pressure to see how candidates react. But in fact, positive interviewing is much more effective, both in terms of outcomes and in terms of offer acceptance rates.

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire better. We've been saying it for two decades now. We normally put out positive guidance, about what to DO. In this series of casts, though, we address common misconceptions and mistakes most managers make when hiring. This guidance is about lack of preparation, which is an epidemic among managers. You can't be good at hiring if you're not good at pr...

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire