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Manager Tools
Tired of management theory? Want to learn specific skills to help improve your management performance? Then Manager Tools is the podcast for you! Manager Tools is a weekly business podcast focused on helping professionals become more effective managers and leaders. Each week, we discuss specific actions for professionals to take to achieve their desired management and career objectives. Manager Tools won Best Business Podcast Award in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2012 as well as the People's Choice Award in 2008. Go to http://www.manager-tools.com/recommendations to read what others are saying about the impact Manager Tools has had on their careers and lives.
Dealing With Vague Feedback - Part 1
This guidance explains how to respond to vague feedback from your boss or others.
00:0018/02/2013
Politics 101 - Chapter 2 - Meeting Prep: Who Wants What
This guidance tells you how to prepare for meetings where politics are going to play a role (which is to say, ALL of them).
00:0011/02/2013
Thank You For The Bad News
This guidance tells you what to do when directs bring you bad news.
00:0003/02/2013
Negative Feedback Before Its Time
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.
00:0028/01/2013
Positive Feedback Before Its Time
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.
00:0021/01/2013
Overcoming Trinity Pushback - Chapter 1 - "One on Ones Are Micromanaging"
This guidance tells you what to do when directs resist One on Ones because they are a form of "micromanaging."
00:0014/01/2013
How To Do Succession Planning - Chapter 4 - The Delivery Meeting
This guidance tells you how to structure your briefing to your team around Simple Succession Planning.
00:0007/01/2013
Rules of Politics – Chapter One – Count Your Votes
This guidance recommends knowing where decision makers and influencers stand on proposals and decisions that matter to you and your team.
00:0031/12/2012
Calendar Management Details – Chapter 2 Priorities In The Morning
This guidance recommends proactively scheduling time for your key responsibilities in the morning, versus afternoon or early evening, "when everyone’s gone."
00:0024/12/2012
Your Directs' Resumes
This guidance describes when we recommend a manager consider their directs’ resumes.
00:0017/12/2012
How To Do Succession Planning Chapter 3 – The Simple Form
How to create a dead-simple Succession Planning Form.
00:0010/12/2012
One on Ones While Traveling - Part 2
This guidance completes our recommendations on how to do One on Ones while you are traveling.
00:0002/12/2012
Effective Documentation - Part 2
Part 2 of our guidance on how to document the performance of your directs and your communications with them.
00:0025/11/2012
Effective Documentation - Part 1
Our guidance for how to document the performance of your directs and your communications with them.
00:0018/11/2012
How To Handle Meeting Killers – Chapter 6 Multitasking
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.
00:0012/11/2012
Calendar Management Details Chapter 1 – Shorten Free Time
How to improve your effectiveness by eliminating long open periods from of your calendar.
00:0005/11/2012
Podcast Awards 2012 Voting
The Podcast Awards voting phase has arrived, and we'd like you to vote for Manager Tools in the Business and People's Choice categories at PodcastAwards.com every day for the next 15 days.
00:0001/11/2012
One on Ones While Traveling - Part 1
This guidance recommends how to do One on Ones while you are traveling.
00:0028/10/2012
Inheriting A Poor Performer - Part 2
This guidance discusses how to manage those directs whom you didn’t hire and who have a history of poor performance.
00:0022/10/2012
Inheriting A Poor Performer - Part 1
This guidance discusses how to manage those directs whom you didn’t hire and who have a history of poor performance.
00:0015/10/2012
How To Handle Meeting Killers - The Rambler
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.
00:0008/10/2012
Admit Your Mistakes
This guidance recommends admitting your mistakes openly as a manager, to your team, to enhance candor and openness from your team members.
00:0001/10/2012
Never Ask A Question Of A Direct (Whose Answer You Don’t Intend to Honor)
We recently published guidance recommending that managers ask directs for their efforts, rather than commanding. Can't they say "no"? Yes.
00:0023/09/2012
Executive Career Management - If Not You Who?
This guidance describes a simple way executive succession planning is often done, and the key to mastering it.
00:0015/09/2012
How To Handle Meeting Killers - The Silent Plotter
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.
00:0009/09/2012
Work Family Balance - Chapter 1 - Go Home
This guidance describes the fundamental error in trying to achieve “Work-Family Balance” and how to solve it forever.
00:0002/09/2012
The Part After Feedback - Chapter One - Part 2
The conclusion of our guidance on how to respond initially to a direct who pushes back in various ways to an instance of feedback.
00:0026/08/2012
The Part After Feedback - Chapter One - Part 1
This guidance describes how to respond initially to a direct who pushes back in various ways to an instance of feedback.
00:0020/08/2012
Ask For What You Want
This guidance recommends asking your directs for work to be done - meaning requesting things in the form of a question – rather than stating your desire for something to occur.
00:0012/08/2012
How To Deliver A Shot Across The Bow Review
This guidance describes how to deliver an unofficial performance evaluation when your direct is failing and may either not realize it or is resisting changing.
00:0006/08/2012
How To Deliver An Unofficial Review
This guidance describes how to deliver an unofficial performance evaluation when you need to communicate something that can’t go on an official eval.
00:0030/07/2012
How To Do Succession Planning - Chapter 2
This guidance tells you how to use performance evaluations to improve your basic succession planning.
00:0023/07/2012
How To Handle Meeting Killers - The Naysayer
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 Naysayer – someone who tries to kill every idea, even after everyone’s agreed.
00:0016/07/2012
Self Development Informal 360 Degree
This guidance tells you how to potentially get some informal self development guidance from your manager by asking three simple questions.
00:0008/07/2012
Common One On One Mistakes - Chapter One - Agenda Fascism
This guidance tells you how to avoid the mistake of “Agenda Fascism” in One on Ones.
00:0002/07/2012
How To Handle Meeting Killers - The Dominator
This guidance recommends how to address behaviors in meetings that reduce meeting effectiveness.
00:0025/06/2012
How To Do One On Ones With Shift Workers
This guidance tells you how to do One on Ones with your directs who work a different shift than you do.
00:0018/06/2012
How To Do Succession Planning Chapter 1 – Ready Now, Ready Next
This guidance recommends the 'Ready Now/Ready Next' Approach to Succession Planning.
00:0011/06/2012
The Morning Greeting
This guidance recommends greeting all of your directs when you first interact with them each morning, and how to do it.
00:0004/06/2012
How To Handle Meeting Killers - The Jokester
This guidance recommends how to address behaviors in meetings that reduce meeting effectiveness.
00:0028/05/2012
Big To Small Meeting Agendas
This guidance tells you how to structure meeting agendas around the biggest, most important items.
00:0021/05/2012
How To Address Social Media Abuse
This guidance tells you what to do when one of your directs spends too much time on social media.
00:0014/05/2012
"But I LIKE Doing That Part Of My Job!"
This guidance recommends how to address a direct who likes part of his/her job and won’t stop doing it, or won’t focus on other areas that are more valuable.
00:0007/05/2012
Aggregated Behaviors Are Performance - Part 2
This cast concludes our recommendations on focusing on behaviors because behaviors are measurable and aggregated behaviors ARE performance.
00:0029/04/2012
Aggregated Behaviors Are Performance - Part 1
This guidance recommends focusing on behaviors because behaviors are measurable and aggregated behaviors ARE performance.
00:0023/04/2012
Feedback From Your Directs - What To Say - Part 2
This cast concludes our guidance on what to say when your directs say, “Can I give YOU some feedback?”
00:0015/04/2012
Feedback From Your Directs - What To Say - Part 1
This guidance tells you what to say when your directs say, "Can I give YOU some feedback?"
00:0008/04/2012
And Not But Meeting Ground Rule
This guidance recommends a standing ground rule at all meetings: No “buts,” only “and”.
00:0001/04/2012
How To Use A RACI Matrix
This guidance describes how to use a RACI [Responsible, Accountable, Consult, Inform] Matrix when determining project responsibilities.
00:0026/03/2012
Ethics - Part 2
The conclusion of our guidance on ethical behavior.
00:0022/03/2012