Manager Tools

Top 10 Hiring Mistakes - #6 - The Warm Body Problem

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Job Requirements - Beware The Ratchet!

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Fill The Vacuum! - Communicate Your Vision - Chapter 1

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 a...

Network Building - The St. Jude Rule

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 h...

Building Peer Relationships - Part 2

06 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 hav...

Building Peer Relationships - Part 1

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 hav...

Top Ten Hiring Mistakes - #7 - Being Swayed

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 we...

The Difference Between Line And Staff Leadership

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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'...

Three Current Modern Management Scams - Part 2

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Three Current Modern Management Scams - Part 1

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are clo...

Why Does HR Make It So Hard To Fire People? - Part 2

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 experie...

Why Does HR Make It So Hard To Fire People? - Part 1

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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 experie...

How To Be A Positive Interviewer - Part 2

09 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they nee...

How To Be A Positive Interviewer - Part 1

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they nee...

Top 10 Hiring Mistakes - #8 - Unprepared - Part 2

26 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Top 10 Hiring Mistakes - #8 - Unprepared

19 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire

Management Is An Organizational System

12 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of the most common things professionals say about managing is that they have a personal 'style.' But does that make sense? Is it reasonable to e...

Development Plans Are Dumb

05 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Development plans for directs are constantly talked about. You've read about them in the business news, especially for less experienced employees. The...

Assumptive Goal Setting - HOF 2025

29 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to think more creatively about annual planning goals.

How to Set Annual Goals - HOF 2025

22 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall Of Fame guidance on how to start setting annual goals, and why we do not like "SMART" goals.

One On Ones - How Much Personal?

15 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Many managers are worried about talking about personal topics in One On Ones. They shouldn't be - it doesn't happen that often... and it's a sign of t...

My Boss Doesn't Support Company Guidance

08 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A manager is always obligated to support the organization, even if he or she disagrees with what the organization is doing. But what happens when your...

Delivering the Performance Review - HOF 2025

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall of Fame guidance on delivering a performance review.

Preparing Performance Reviews - HOF 2025

24 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to prepare for performance reviews.

The Executive's Two Responsibilities (MT)

17 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Executives and managers both have two core responsibilities that inform all else that they do. But the two key responsibilities are different between ...

How To Present At A Conference - A Checklist - Part 2

03 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

How To Present At A Conference - A Checklist - Part 1

27 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

The Hip Pocket Presentation

20 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most managers don't know it, but if they want to further their career, they must always have a presentation in their hip pocket, ready to be given on ...

The Love Speech

13 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

For many years at our Effective Manager Conferences, Mark ended the day by giving what we came to call, "The Love Speech." Love matters in managing o...

What To Do When You Get Promoted - Part 2

06 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Promotions are exciting - congratulations! And now you have some work to do, but we will tell you exactly what and why and how.

What To Do When You Get Promoted - Part 1

29 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Promotions are exciting - congratulations! And now you have some work to do, but we will tell you exactly what and why and how.

Career Insurance For Your Directs - Part 2

22 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We recently re-released a Hall of Fame Career Tools cast about Building Your Network. That's only one part of a series of things everyone must do to m...

Career Insurance For Your Directs - Part 1

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We recently re-released a Hall of Fame Career Tools cast about Building Your Network. That's only one part of a series of things everyone must do to m...

Google's Project Oxygen

08 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We have mentioned, usually only briefly, Google's "Project Oxygen' for many years, in many podcasts. Now we tell the story - in part because we were t...

The Black Widow Mistake - Part 2

01 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake t...

The Black Widow Mistake - Part 1

25 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake t...

See One, Do One, Teach One

18 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The way most managers develop their team is haphazard and neither efficient nor effective. How can we not develop our teams when doctors learn thousan...

The Four Hidden Dangers of Not Delegating - Part 2

11 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Too many managers fail to delegate sufficiently. In many cases, managers don't know how or what to delegate. But even when some managers have a sense ...

The Four Hidden Dangers of Not Delegating - Part 1

04 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Too many managers fail to delegate sufficiently. In many cases, managers don't know how or what to delegate. But even when some managers have a sense ...

Proactive Reporting And The Bricklayer - Part 2

28 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the ...

Proactive Reporting And The Bricklayer - Part 1

21 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the ...

How To Go On Vacation - Part 2 - HOF 2025

14 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of our Hall of Fame guidance on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.

How To Go On Vacation - Part 1 - HOF 2025

07 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.

20th Anniversary Cast

30 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to a special episode of Manager Tools. Today, you're listening to the live recording of our 20th anniversary podcast, captured in front of a f...

Building Your Bench - Chapter 1 - Part 2

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Too many managers rely on HR to bring them candidates for their hiring needs. HR is a necessary part of sourcing candidates, and it's important to wor...

Building Your Bench - Chapter 1 - Part 1

16 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Too many managers rely on HR to bring them candidates for their hiring needs. HR is a necessary part of sourcing candidates, and it's important to wor...

HR May Not Be Your Friend - Part 2

09 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Effective managers need a good relationship with HR. But HR may be the hardest staff organization to have a good relationship with, because their ince...

HR May Not Be Your Friend - Part 1

02 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Effective managers need a good relationship with HR. But HR may be the hardest staff organization to have a good relationship with, because their ince...

The World's Best Feedback Organization

26 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

If feedback is so important to high performance - and it is - it makes sense to study if and when and how the very best athletes get feedback about th...

Everybody Has Too Much Work To Do! - Part 2

19 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone is always complaining that they have too much work to do. Too many tasks, too many projects, too many meetings. Theree's not enough time in t...

Everybody Has Too Much Work To Do! - Part 1

12 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone is always complaining that they have too much work to do. Too many tasks, too many projects, too many meetings. There's not enough time in th...

The Hidden Purpose Of Interviewing - External Validation - Part 2

05 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of our guidance on why interviewing must not only select the right candidate, but also build organizational trust through a fair, known, challe...

The Hidden Purpose Of Interviewing - External Validation - Part 1

28 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Interviewing must not only select the right candidate, but also build organizational trust through a fair, known, challenging, and respectful process.

Working Hard - Chapter One - The Myth And The Basics - Part 2

21 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It takes hard work to get ahead in your professional life. As you progress into more demanding roles, more is expected of you. To climb to the top, if...

Working Hard - Chapter One - The Myth And The Basics - Part 1

14 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

It takes hard work to get ahead in your professional life. As you progress into more demanding roles, more is expected of you. To climb to the top, if...

Introducing The Effective Senior Manager Conference

07 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Learn about our Effective Senior Manager Conference: its purpose, its agenda, its topics. If you’re a manager and are thinking about your career as ...

Internal Hiring Process - Chapter 1 - Development Feedback

31 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Interviewing internal candidates is different than interviewing external candidates. Internal interviews are not just efforts to fill positions, but a...

Swimming Upstream - Chapter One - Your Boss's Calendar - Part 2

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of our guidance on Swimming Upstream introduces executive-level insights into our Manager Tools content to help managers become more effective ...

Swimming Upstream - Chapter One - Your Boss's Calendar - Part 1

17 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Our guidance on Swimming Upstream introduces executive-level insights into our Manager Tools content to help managers become more effective by underst...

Why Scheduling Is The Most Important Component of One On Ones - Part 2

10 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Scheduling your One On Ones is surprisingly the most important component of One On Ones. Too many managers mistakenly believe that they are “too bus...

Why Scheduling Is The Most Important Component of One On Ones - Part 1

03 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Scheduling your One On Ones is surprisingly the most important component of One On Ones. Too many managers mistakenly believe that they are “too bus...

Why Is Negative Feedback So Hard? - Part 2

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of managers - hundreds of thousand, and perhaps millions by now - start doing Manager Tools One On Ones, and they love them. They love them becau...

Why Is Negative Feedback So Hard? - Part 1

17 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Lots of managers - hundreds of thousand, and perhaps millions by now - start doing Manager Tools One On Ones, and they love them. They love them becau...

The Simple Quarterly Performance Review

10 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Most managers think that performance reviews are their most significant contribution to performance management and improvement. But that’s wrong. Fr...

The Purpose of Feedback - Part 3

03 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Almost every Non-Manager Tools manager thinks feedback is hard. And yet every year thousands of managers start giving feedback successfully. These man...

The Purpose of Feedback - Part 2

27 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Almost every Non-Manager Tools manager thinks feedback is hard. And yet every year thousands of managers start giving feedback successfully. These man...

The Purpose of Feedback - Part 1

20 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Almost every Non-Manager Tools manager thinks feedback is hard. And yet every year thousands of managers start giving feedback successfully. These man...

A Basic Team Culture Model For Managers - Part 2

13 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this guidance, we share what we think the base culture ought to be for all managers. You may wish to add more - that can be fine. Just be careful y...

A Basic Team Culture Model For Managers - Part 1

06 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this guidance, we share what we think the base culture ought to be for all managers. You may wish to add more - that can be fine. Just be careful y...

Assumptive Goal Setting - HOF 2024

30 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to think more creatively about annual planning goals.

How to Set Annual Goals - HOF 2024

23 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall Of Fame guidance on how to start setting annual goals, and why we do not like "SMART" goals.

The Tetris Workload Battle - Part 2

16 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Tetris Workload Battle - Part 2

The Tetris Workload Battle - Part 1

09 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Tetris Workload Battle - Part 1

How To Get Subordinate Managers To Do One On Ones - Part 2

02 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How To Get Subordinate Managers To Do One On Ones

Delivering the Performance Review - HOF 2024

25 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our Hall of Fame guidance on delivering a performance review.

Preparing Performance Reviews - HOF 2024

18 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we're re-releasing one of our Hall of Fame casts on how to prepare performance reviews.

How To Get Subordinate Managers To Do One On Ones - Part 1

11 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How To Get Subordinate Managers To Do One On Ones

The Goal Of An Interview Is To Create A DECISION

04 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our guidance on the reason for interviewing

The Feedback Sandwich

28 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our guidance on the Feedback Sandwich.

"Is That What You Want” - Not Recommended

21 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our guidance on using "Is that what you want?" in the Manager Tools Feedback Model.

Celebrate Yellow Tasks - Part 2

14 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of our guidance on how to change the ways you interact with your team when it comes to keeping work on time.

Celebrate Yellow Tasks - Part 1

07 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 1 of our guidance on how to change the ways you interact with your team when it comes to keeping work on time.

What If Your Direct Says No To Change?

30 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when you ask a direct to change for the better and they say no? Are they resisting all changes now? Is there something going on you don’...

How To Respond To A Grievance - Part 4

23 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when one of your directs, or even not a direct, files a grievance against you? How should you respond? What are the rules? What can you d...

How To Respond To A Grievance - Part 3

16 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when one of your directs, or even not a direct, files a grievance against you? How should you respond? What are the rules? What can you d...

How To Respond To A Grievance - Part 2

09 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when one of your directs, or even not a direct, files a grievance against you? How should you respond? What are the rules? What can you d...

How To Respond To A Grievance - Part 1

02 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when one of your directs, or even not a direct, files a grievance against you? How should you respond? What are the rules? What can you d...

What Number Twos Do - And Why - Part 2

26 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To find the time to get your own work done, you've got to name a successor: a Number Two. You can be forgiven for thinking that Number Two's aren't re...

What Number Twos Do - And Why - Part 1

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To find the time to get your own work done, you've got to name a successor: a Number Two. You can be forgiven for thinking that Number Two's aren't re...

Top Ten Hiring Mistakes - #9 - Comparing Candidates

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hiring is a critical skill for managers, and especially so for executives. And managers and executives have been making the same hiring mistakes for t...

"You're Asking For The Wrong Thing"

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's actually usually a good thing when directs ask for a promotion. Yes, some folks aren't ready, and some folks just want more money, or to make the...

Interviewing Is NOT A Two Way Street

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The common wisdom these days says that "interviewing is a two-way street." In other words, the candidate is evaluating you and your company and your o...

Manager Tools Delegation Model - Updated

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our updated guidance on the Manager Tools Delegation Model.

Manager Tools Coaching Model - Updated - Part 3

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 3 of our updated guidance on the Manager Tools Coaching Model.

Manager Tools Coaching Model - Updated - Part 2

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of our updated guidance on the Manager Tools Coaching Model.

Manager Tools Coaching Model - Updated - Part 1

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 1 of our updated guidance on the Manager Tools Coaching Model.

The Manager Tools Chatbot - Great Management Advice

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our founders, Mark Horstman and Michael Auzenne, introduce the Manager Tools chatbot and share features, development details, and benefits for profess...

Rolling Out The Trinity - Updated - Part 3

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 3 of our updated guidance on how to gradually implement The Manager Tools Management Trinity (One on Ones, Feedback, Coaching, and Delegation). W...

Rolling Out The Trinity - Updated - Part 2

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 2 of our updated guidance on how to gradually implement The Manager Tools Management Trinity (One on Ones, Feedback, Coaching, and Delegation). W...

Rolling Out The Trinity - Updated - Part 1

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Part 1 of our updated guidance on how to gradually implement The Manager Tools Management Trinity (One on Ones, Feedback, Coaching, and Delegation). W...