#31 It’s all about them!
“Influence is…” I recently read a question in April 23, 2007 BusinessWeek magazine (the Analyze This article of the UpFront section.) Part of the question was the following: “We have an employee who...
View Article#33 Managing As You Like It!
“It’s my comfort that’s most important!” I have the belief that most managers either manage based on how they would like to be managed or they manage based on how they were managed early in their...
View Article#36 Can a Jerk Be a Successful Manager?
How bad can we be and still be good? So here’s the question… can a jerk still be a successful manager? The answer of course, is Yes! I know it all depends on how we define “successful” but there is no...
View Article#37 Is Colin Powell A Leader?
“Should we take Colin Powell’s advice?” I’ll bet I’ve got your attention now, haven’t I? Actually, I’m very serious when I ask “Is Colin Powell a leader?” and “Should we take his advice on leadership...
View Article#38 How Ruthless Should You Be?
“How much time is the right time to train an employee?” Today I was talking to a VP at a client company. We were discussing the difficulty in hiring and training people to fit into a job. The time it...
View Article#40 Wisdom
Wisdom. What is it? What’s your definition of wisdom? I’ll tell you mine. Here it is…. “Wisdom is having lived long-enough so that you begin to understand those events, situations, life experiences,...
View Article#44 Team Building Ain’t What You Think!
Team building isn’t a cookie-cutter process. As many authors, pundits, consultants, and academics have stated over the years and as many of us who have worked inside organizations known from...
View Article#50 Is Micromanagement About Power?
Do engineers really care about power? Hello everyone! I wanted to spend one more blog (maybe two) on the topic of micromanagement, I listened to a teleseminar a few weeks back. The teleseminar was...
View Article#52 Your Performance Review!
Management is a one-on-one affair Hello everyone! Have you ever had a performance review where some people say you “walk on water”, or “you can do no wrong” and others say that “you can’t manage...
View Article#53 No Power Can Be Worse Than Power!
Helplessness can look like power. Hello everyone! Last week I was sitting around talking to a group of my family members. Someone brought up a newspaper article they had read about a women who was...
View Article#55 Hillary & Obama & Your Management Style
Presidential management and you. Hello everyone! I was listening to National Public Radio (NPR) a couple of days ago to a segment regarding the anticipated management styles of Barack Obama and Hillary...
View Article#56 Once More With Micromanagement
A direct report wants to manage her manager Hello everyone! Today I was conducting some business. The young woman who was assisting me was very competent with her company’s products, services, and she...
View Article#57 Micromanagement To The Rescue!
The case for “close-in” management. Hello everyone! What would you do if you were managing a direct report who complained much of the time? A direct report who “spewed venom” in conversations with...
View Article#59 Why Do Bad Managers Succeed?
It seems that bad managers go on and on and on. Hello everyone! Last week I published my May ezine/newsletter. It was focused on a specific management question, namely; “Why is it that bad managers are...
View Article#61 Why Do Women Leave Engineering?
How do we keep women engineers in their careers? Hello everyone! On June 16, 2008, Computerworld Careers published an article on the website linked here. The title of the article was: Why Women Quit...
View Article#62 You Know You Side With Your Feelings!
Intellect versus emotions. Which rules? Hello everyone! Human beings are quite the creatures aren’t they… or more accurately… aren’t we? That’s a loaded question though… isn’t it? Here’s what I mean....
View Article#65 Managing Projects Half a World Away
Can I make a contractor part of my team? Hello everyone! I have a coaching client who has a big challenge. He is attempting the development of a website by hiring contract website development from...
View Article#67 How Technical Should A Manager Be?
Should a technical manager be a technical expert? Hello everyone! There seems to be an on-going debate about how technical an engineering manager ought to be. Some say that any manager worth his or her...
View Article#78 Choice Is A Myth!
“Do you really choose anything?” Hello everyone! As an engineer or engineering manager, how much of what you do is your choice? As an engineer or engineering manager how much of what your colleagues do...
View Article#79 Trust Your Experiences
“How do you recognize good management advice?” Hello everyone! “Who do you trust and what is the truth in management?” This last week I was reading some of the blogs on the people skills necessary for...
View Article