Manager Tools
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Planning an Offsite - Part 1
Our guidance for how to plan an offsite meeting.
How To Measure Feedback Implementation - Chapter 1 - Asking
How Directors can easily measure their subordinate manager's implementation of feedback.
How To Respond To A Departure - Chapter One - Don't Hire
You DON'T have to hire immediately when you have an opening. The strategic-thinking Effective Manager considers other options first. That's what your CEO wants you to do.
First Meeting New Direct Series - Relationships Matter
New Directs need guidance on how to start on the right foot. We recommend a series of meetings in their first weeks, one of which makes clear: you have to create and maintain trusting relationships within the organization to succeed.
Leader's Intent - Part 2
Explaining your Leader's Intent - the "why" of the work - allows more individual decision making and speeds up results.
Leader's Intent - Part 1
Explaining your Leader's Intent - the "why" of the work - allows more individual decision making and speeds up results.
What You've Been Taught About Management is Wrong
Mark's July 2015 USI Speech in Paris
Uncommunicative Direct Conversation - This is NOT Micromanagement - Part 2
How to ask questions of a direct who doesn't communicate during One on Ones, and why this approach is NOT micromanaging.
Uncommunicative Direct Conversation - This is NOT Micromanagement - Part 1
How to ask questions of a direct who doesn't communicate during One on Ones, and why this approach is NOT micromanaging.
First Meeting New Direct Series - Tell The Truth - Part 2
We recommend spending time with each new member of your team encouraging them to tell the truth, and not be afraid of not knowing how to do something or the standard way of doing something in their new role.
First Meeting New Direct Series - Tell The Truth - Part 1
We recommend spending time with each new member of your team encouraging them to tell the truth, and not be afraid of not knowing how to do something or the standard way of doing something in their new role.
How To Prewire a Meeting - Part 1 (Hall of Fame Guidance) (2026)
How to Prewire a Meeting
For the holidays, we're re-releasing one of our Hall of Fame casts ... the Pre-wire. This cast describes a way to prepare for meetings or presentations where you need to persuade.
Results and Retention - 10th Anniversary, Part 2
The definition of an Effective Manager is to achieve results while retaining your team members.
Results and Retention - 10th Anniversary, Part 1
The definition of an Effective Manager is to achieve results while retaining your team members.
Leading Change: The Ore Cart - Chapter 1
Not everyone on your team wants to go along with every change you want to create. Luckily, you don't have to win over everyone.
Overcoming Trinity Pushback - Chapter 2 - No Time For One on Ones - Part 2
Some directs will tell you they don't have time for One on Ones. They're wrong, for all kinds of reasons. Here's what to say to get them over the hump.
Overcoming Trinity Pushback - Chapter 2 - No Time For One on Ones - Part 1
Some directs will tell you they don't have time for One on Ones. They're wrong, for all kinds of reasons. Here's what to say to get them over the hump.
How To Go On Vacation - Part 2
Part 2 of our series on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.
Manager Tools Effective Manager Video Course
More details about the Effecive Manager Video Course.
How To Go On Vacation - Part 1
How to plan for and take an effective vacation.
What To Do When Your Direct Complains About The Company - Part 2
The conclusion of our series on how to tell when complaining from a direct about the company is becoming malignant, and how to address it.
What To Do When Your Direct Complains About The Company - Part 1
How to tell when complaining from a direct about the company is becoming malignant, and how to address it.
Managing a High C - Dangers - Part 2
Managing a rule-following, process focused perfectionist can be infuriating if you don't share their interest in details and data. How can you help a perfectionist "High C" be more effective in a world where deadlines and people matter?
Managing a High C - Dangers - Part 1
Managing a rule-following, process focused perfectionist can be infuriating if you don't share their interest in details and data. How can you help a perfectionist "High C" be more effective in a world where deadlines and people matter?
Manager Tools Effective Manager Video Course Announcment
Announcing the Effecive Manager Video Course.
Conversational One on Ones
Our guidance on how to make One on Ones more conversational.
Hall of Fame: One on Ones - Part 1
The inaugural episode of our Hall of Fame Series: Our guidance on One on Ones.
How To Respond To a Request For A Raise - Part 3
The conclusion of our guidance on how to respond to a request for a raise.
How To Respond To a Request For A Raise - Part 2
The second part of our guidance on how to respond to a request for a raise.
How To Respond To a Request For A Raise - Part 1
Our guidance on how to respond to a request for a raise.
Too Full Calendar Solutions - Back To Back Meetings, Part 2
The conclusion of our guidance on how to regain control of a calendar that is regularly full of back to back meetings.
Too Full Calendar Solutions - Back To Back Meetings, Part 1
Our guidance on how to regain control of a calendar that is regularly full of back to back meetings.
Too Full Calendar Solutions - Meeting Attendance Delegation - Part 2
The conclusion of our guidance on how to delegate meeting attendance, to address a chronically overbooked calendar.
Too Full Calendar Solutions - Meeting Attendance Delegation - Part 1
Our guidance on how to delegate meeting attendance, to address a chronically overbooked calendar.
I Didn't Get The Title/Raise - Part 2
The conclusion of our series on how to handle the situation where you got a "promotion" but didn't get the title/raise that should have gone with it.
I Didn't Get The Title/Raise - Part 1
How to handle the situation where you got a "promotion" but didn't get the title/raise that should have gone with it.
The Unspoken Commitment - Our 500th MT Cast
Our guidance on your obligation to proactively communicate when your projects or tasks are at risk in some way.
Meeting Notes - Dead Simple
How to take meeting notes and distribute them within 30 seconds of a meeting.
Phone Trees
We recommend you create, maintain, and periodically test a telephone alert system or "Phone Tree" for use in exigencies.
Sending a Direct to an Industry Conference - Part 2 (Corrected)
How to get the most out of sending a direct report to an industry conference.
Sending a Direct to an Industry Conference - Part 1
How to get the most out of sending a direct report to an industry conference.
Calendar Soup
Your calendar is not a puzzle, with perfectly interlocking pieces. It’s a soup.
Effective Relationships - I’m a D, My Direct is a C - Part 4 (Updated)
Part 4 of the example of our Effective Relationships Series - How to work with a direct who is a High C, if you are a High D.
Effective Relationships - I’m a D, My Direct is a C - Part 3
Part 3 of the example of our Effective Relationships Series - How to work with a direct who is a High C, if you are a High D.
Effective Relationships - I’m a D, My Direct is a C - Part 2
Part 2 of the example of our Effective Relationships Series - How to work with a direct who is a High C, if you are a High D.
Effective Relationships - I’m a D, My Direct is a C - Part 1
An example of our Effective Relationships Series - How to work with a direct who is a High C, if you are a High D.
How To Turn Down a Job Candidate - Part 2
There are effective and ineffective ways to notify a candidate you've interviewed that you won't be offering them.
How To Turn Down a Job Candidate - Part 1
There are effective and ineffective ways to notify a candidate you've interviewed that you won't be offering them.
There Is No Magic In The Word Feedback
You don't have to say the word "feedback" to give feedback in the MT model. But we do recommend you ask first.