Manager Tools

On today's cast, we complete our discussion on coaching directs on interpersonal skills. Of course, if you haven't listened to last week's cast, you may want to start there.

This cast tells you how to begin a process of coaching a direct on interpersonal skills. Soft Skills! How many times have you heard, “hired for technical skills, fired for (lack of) people skills”? It may be common wisdom (an oxymoron if there ever was one), but it's still true. The path to greater success [...]

We've been asked a number of times recently for more information about the Effective Manager Conference we're holding in San Francisco, July 22 - 23. Although we used to put out a special cast each time we hosted a conference, we haven't done that of late. So, for those who asked, here you go. [...]

In this cast, we finish our conversation on how to manage effectively in a Matrix Organization. By now, you know why matrix organizations exist (and why we don't like them). In today's cast, we talk about what you DO to be effective in matrix organizations.

September 9-10, 2008 – Hilton Palacio Del Rio Hotel, San Antonio, TX “Communication is What The Listener Does” - Peter Drucker We are pleased to announced our first ever Effective Communications Conference! Communication is so critical to every manager, and yet so few seem to do it well. Join us in San Antonio to learn how to be [...]

This cast describes how to manage effectively in a Matrix Organization. (Not that we recommend it ) We've finally succumbed to the steady drumbeat of requests for “The Manager Tools Way” of dealing with how to survive and thrive in a matrix organization. A couple of years ago, Mark said he'd never [...]

This cast describes how to create a simple behavioral interview question. We believe that behavioral interviewing is the best systemic form of interviewing evaluation a manager can use. There's nothing that even comes CLOSE. Sure, there are those who think testing is important, and we don't disagree. But we also think that a [...]

We're all in meetings all the time, right? So how come there's not an instruction manual? We all complain about them. But no one seems able or willing to do something about it. We will. We shared - 3 years ago - our recommendations on how to RUN an Effective Meeting. [...]

This cast shares a simple technique for managers to be kind to their directs. Many of our casts address specific problems that managers face. It's easy to forget that management is an inherently human endeavor. And when it comes to our humanity, all the technology in our modern world doesn't take the place of [...]

This show describes a couple of simple techniques to help you remember people's names. Whether we like it or not, other people are part of our professional lives. And, as Dale Carnegie sagely noted, “A person's name, to that person, is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” But how to remember [...]

This podcast is the second of two on the subtleties associated with being interviewed during a meal.

This podcast details all the subtleties associated with being interviewed during a meal. We have NO EXCUSE for why we didn't do this podcast 2 years ago. We get this question all the time, so much so that we're making it part of the standard weekly show rather than restricting it to the interview tool. [...]

This cast updates one of our most popular casts Your Resume Stinks [October 31, 2005] with learnings from our community and some timely recommendations regarding recent trends. And, in this cast, we make a very exciting New Product Announcement! The Link: Manager Tools Resume Service Description

This cast describes a technique for measuring your team and/or organization's ability to recognize talent. Many managers mistakenly fail to connect the process of hiring with the later successes and failures of the organization. When someone doesn't work out, particularly if it's 3-5 years after they were hired, very few managers think that the problem [...]

This cast explains how to capture interview results in a fast and simple meeting. One of the things we have learned over the years is that bad hiring is easy, and good hiring is hard. It's easy to hire someone who isn't going to work out – just do one interview, don't dig for details, [...]