Manager Tools
Episodes
The Coaching Dilemma - Part 1
19 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes whom to coach and develop on your team with your marginal time.
The Coaching Dilemma Introduction
16 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
A short (8 min) extra cast where Mark introduces the Coaching Dilemma and solicits YOUR responses. What do you think is the correct answer to the dil...
Right Of First Refusal - Part 2
12 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our discussion on how to use your calendar more proactively.
Right Of First Refusal - Part 1
05 Sep 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to use your calendar more proactively.
Contract Employee One On Ones - Part 2
29 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our guidance on the right way to conduct One on Ones with your contract employees.
Contract Employee One On Ones - Part 1
22 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes the right way to conduct One on Ones with your contract employees.
Bi-Monthly Skip Level Reviews - Part 2
15 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance concludes our discussion on how to learn about your skips and develop your direct report managers by discussing your skips on a regular ...
Bi-Monthly Skip Level Reviews - Part 1
08 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to learn about your skips and develop your direct report managers by discussing your skips on a regular basis.
Travel EMP
01 Aug 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to prepare for the inevitable loss of gadgets and gadget power, most likely on while traveling.
Can I Be Friends With My Directs? - Part 2
25 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our guidance on what a professional manager's role and limits are when it comes to being friends with our directs.
Can I Be Friends With My Directs? - Part 1
18 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes what a professional manager's role and limits are when it comes to being friends with our directs.
There Is No Why In Feedback - Part 2
11 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our guidance on what to do and why when directs want to describe why they did what they did when you have given them negative feed...
There Is No Why In Feedback - Part 1
04 Jul 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes what to do and why when directs want to describe why they did what they did when you have given them negative feedback.
Coaching Presenting Skills With Toastmasters
27 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends having any of your directs who present, and maybe even yourself, join and attend a Toastmasters Chapter.
Measuring The Trinity - Chapter 1
20 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance explains how to BEGIN to measure YOUR success in rolling out the Manager Tools Trinity – One on Ones, Feedback, Coaching, and Delegati...
The One Third-Planning Rule - Part 2
13 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our guidance explaining the One-Third Planning Rule: when assessing and assigning work to your team, never take more than 1/3 of t...
The One Third-Planning Rule - Part 1
06 Jun 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance explains the One-Third Planning Rule: when assessing and assigning work to your team, never take more than 1/3 of the available time to ...
Over Assigning And Delegating Work - Part 3
30 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our recommendations on developing your directs by always having them have more to do than they have time to do ... by assigning an...
Over Assigning And Delegating Work - Part 2
23 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast continues our recommendations on developing your directs by always having them have more to do than they have time to do ... by assigning an...
Over Assigning And Delegating Work - Part 1
16 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends developing your directs by always having them have more to do than they have time to do…by assigning and delegating more wo...
Peer One on Ones - Part 2
09 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our recommendations on why and how to meet weekly, or regularly, with your peer managers.
Peer One on Ones - Part 1
02 May 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends why and how to met weekly, or regularly, with your peer managers.
Event Based Feedback
24 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how to give a lot of feedback about a specific event all at once.
How To Manage A Disgruntled Non-Promoted Direct - Part 3
17 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our guidance on how to manage one of your directs who wanted the job you’re in now, and you may have reason to believe that they...
How To Manage A Disgruntled Non-Promoted Direct - Part 2
10 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast continues our guidance on how to manage one of your directs who wanted the job you’re in now, and you may have reason to believe that they...
How To Manage A Disgruntled Non-Promoted Direct - Part 1
03 Apr 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how to manage one of your directs who wanted the job you’re in now, and you may have reason to believe that they will hold ...
Internal Team Pre-Wires
27 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes why and how effective managers insist on their directs pre-wiring information they brief to you.
How To Run A SPOT Project Kickoff Meeting
20 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to run the first meeting you have with your team about a new project your team will be doing.
How To Assign Work Tasks - Part 2
13 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our discussion on how to assign tasks to your directs.
How To Assign Work Tasks - Part 1
07 Mar 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to assign tasks to your directs.
How To Manage A Massive Workload Increase - Part 4
27 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes (Part 4 of 4) our guidance on how to respond when, through any number of factors, you and your team are OVERWHELMED with lots of n...
How To Manage A Massive Workload Increase - Part 3
20 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast continues (Part 3 of 4) our guidance on how to respond when, through any number of factors, you and your team are OVERWHELMED with lots of n...
How To Manage A Massive Workload Increase - Part 2
13 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This cast continues our guidance on how to respond when, through any number of factors, you and your team are OVERWHELMED with lots of new work.
How To Manage A Massive Workload Increase - Part 1
07 Feb 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to respond when, through any number of factors, you and your team are OVERWHELMED with lots of new work.
Boss Meeting Prep - No Surprises
31 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to prepare your boss for attending any meeting you are running.
Conduct Multiple Interviews, Chapter 1 - Part 3
23 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In this cast, we conclude our conversation on how to interview candidates by conducting multiple interviews.
Conduct Multiple Interviews, Chapter 1 - Part 2
17 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
In this cast, we continue our conversation on how to interview candidates by conducting multiple interviews.
Conduct Multiple Interviews, Chapter 1 - Part 1
10 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to interview candidates by conducting multiple interviews.
Assumptive Goal Setting
03 Jan 2011
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes a technique for how to think more creatively about annual planning goals.
Managers Are Communicated THROUGH
26 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how managers ought to communicate organizational information to their team members.
Professional Subordination - Part 2
20 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This show concludes our recommendations on the professional approach to supporting choices you didn't champion.
Professional Subordination - Part 1
13 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends the professional approach to supporting choices you didn't champion.
Managing A High I: Dangers Part 2
06 Dec 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our discussion on how to manage a High I direct based on some natural tendencies and weaknesses.
Managing A High I: Dangers Part 1
28 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to manage a High I direct based on some natural tendencies and weaknesses.
Not Too Picky Feedback
21 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends giving negative feedback only after a second instance, and only ON the second instance.
Mentoring With Political Smarts
14 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes whom to choose to mentor internally based on political considerations.
Calendar Changes And Your Admin
07 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes some simple things your admin can do to help you manage your calendar.
Simple Project Reporting Guidance
01 Nov 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to assign a project to a direct and set up some simple reporting that will greatly increase early (and overall) success.
Distant Manager Basics - Part 2
25 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our guidance on some simple things managers can do to improve the accountability and productivity of distant team members.
Distant Manager Basics - Part 1
17 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends some simple things managers can do to improve the accountability and productivity of distant team members.
Introducing Managerial Change
09 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how to introduce changes in how you manage your team.
Resistant Directs In One on Ones
04 Oct 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how to have effective One on Ones with directs who are initially resistant.
Managers and Governmental Politics – Part 2
27 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our discussion on how effective managers address governmental politics at work.
Managers and Governmental Politics – Part 1
19 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how effective managers address governmental politics at work.
Succession Planning - Extending Your Network
12 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how to further your succession planning efforts by extending your network to your directs.
Effective Meetings Starter Model - Part 2
07 Sep 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on an even more basic model for effective meetings than in our original guidance.
Effective Meetings Starter Model - Part 1
30 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes an even more basic model for effective meetings than in our original guidance.
One on Ones – Work or Personal?
22 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance addresses how personal One on Ones ought to be – should they be all about family and personal stuff, or just about work?
One On Ones Are Business Meetings
15 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance addresses questions about the purpose and value of One on Ones, particularly for those directs who challenge the need for them.
How To Handle Public Disagreement - Part 2
09 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on how to respond when someone disagrees publicly in an unprofessional way.
How To Handle Public Disagreement - Part 1
02 Aug 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how to respond when someone disagrees publicly in an unprofessional way.
Third Party Negative Feedback – How To Decide
26 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how to decide whether or not to give feedback to one of your directs based on someone else's input.
Skip Level Feedback
19 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how to deliver feedback to skip level associates.
Calendar Control #1 – Say No
12 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes a simple technique for controlling one's calendar, thereby keeping more time available for primary objectives.
Resolving Conflict With Internal Support Providers
10 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast gives our guidance on how to deal with conflict with internal support providers.
Assign Work AND Reporting
05 Jul 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends assigning both the reporting of work and the work itself when delegating.
Praise In Public, Criticize In Private Is WRONG
27 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance disagrees with the old notion of praise in public, criticize in private, and recommends more effective behaviors.
Yes, Please Praise, Thank You
20 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance recommends how to deliver both praise and feedback (though not together), and why they are both valuable – and completely different.
Feedback – Public Or Private?
14 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes whether or not to give feedback in public, or in private . . . or neither.
Feedback Immediacy
07 Jun 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes WHEN to give feedback. How fast is too fast? How slow is too slow?
When NOT To Give Feedback - Part 2
31 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on some situations where feedback isn't appropriate, because the error/mistake/infraction is so egregious, encour...
When NOT To Give Feedback - Part 1
23 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes some situations where feedback isn't appropriate, because the error/mistake/infraction is so egregious, encouragement of effective...
Small Company Systems – The Rule of 150, Part 2
17 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on the Rule of 150, how it affects the growth of small companies and organizations, and how to address it.
Small Company Systems – The Rule of 150, Part 1
10 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes The Rule of 150, how it affects the growth of small companies and organizations, and how to address it.
How To Choose What To Delegate
03 May 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This guidance describes how to choose what to delegate using a simple Venn Diagram – the intersection between the direct, the manager, and the organ...
Influence Through Verbal Commitments - Part 2
26 Apr 2010
Contributed by Lukas
The conclusion of our recommendations on how to influence others by asking for verbal commitments.
Influence Through Verbal Commitments - Part 1
18 Apr 2010
Contributed by Lukas
In this recommendation, Manager Tools describes how to influence others by asking for verbal commitments.
LinkedIn For Managers - Part 2
12 Apr 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on LinkedIn and what it means for Managers.
LinkedIn For Managers - Part 1
05 Apr 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast reviews our recent Career Tools guidance on LinkedIn, as well as highlights LinkedIn's recent Fortune magazine cover story, and recommends s...
Rolling DOWN The Trinity
29 Mar 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes one way to help your directs – when they are managers – to begin using the Manager Tools Management Trinity: One on Ones, Feed...
The Manager Tools Promotion Standard: 150% - Part 2
22 Mar 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on a more effective way to set standards for getting one of your directs promoted.
The Manager Tools Promotion Standard: 150% - Part 1
14 Mar 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes a more effective way to set standards for getting one of your directs promoted.
Delegate Your Reporting - Part 2
08 Mar 2010
Contributed by Lukas
We conclude our conversation on how and why to delegate almost all of your routine reporting to your directs.
Delegate Your Reporting
28 Feb 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how and why to delegate almost all of your routine reporting to your directs.
High D Manager Simple Downfall
21 Feb 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast addresses a behavioral change for an insidious practice of High D Managers: always putting results in front of relationships. People MATTER...
High S Manager Simple Downfall
14 Feb 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast addresses a behavioral change for an insidious practice of High S Managers: overprotecting your team.
Intra-Company Training Network Building
07 Feb 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast recommends building relationships internally at your organization when you attend training events.
Managing Cultural Diversity - The Wendii Curve
01 Feb 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes Manager Tools' first principle about managing directs from different cultures, based on the Wendii curve.
How To Manage An Arrogant Producer
23 Jan 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast addresses how to manage a high performer who is arrogant or dismissive of others.
How To Stop Gossip
18 Jan 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast addresses how to stop intra-office gossip.
The High I Manager Simple Downfall
11 Jan 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast addresses a behavioral change for an insidious practice of High I Managers: starting well and ending poorly.
Developing Subordinate Managers - Chapter 1
04 Jan 2010
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes the first principle of how to develop subordinate managers - Measure Basic Behaviors.
Coaching/Feedback Template For Presentations
28 Dec 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast provides guidance on giving feedback when coaching directs on their presentation skills, AND a detailed template managers can use when doing...
Favorite Candidate Interview Preparation - Part 2
21 Dec 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on how to increase the chances that you will get to hire your favorite candidate when he or she has to interview ...
Favorite Candidate Interview Preparation - Part 1
14 Dec 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how to increase the chances that you will get to hire your favorite candidate when he or she has to interview elsewhere in the org...
High C Manager Simple Downfall - Part 2
06 Dec 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on a behavioral change for an insidious practice of High C Managers: finding fault with recommendations and ideas...
High C Manager Simple Downfall - Part 1
30 Nov 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast addresses a behavioral change for an insidious practice of High C Managers: finding fault with recommendations and ideas.
The One On One Refresh
22 Nov 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how to refresh your One on Ones with your directs after you've been doing them for 1-2 years.
My Boss Skips Me
16 Nov 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast describes how to work with a boss who repeatedly skips over a manager and works directly with your directs (his or her "skips").
Owning The Inputs - Part 2
09 Nov 2009
Contributed by Lukas
This cast concludes our conversation on handling a direct who blames another direct for their failure to deliver a task on time.