Manager Tools

The conclusion of our guidance to never make a counter-offer to an employee who has a competing offer.

Part 2 of our series on our guidance to never make a counter-offer to an employee who has a competing offer.

Never make a counter-offer to an employee who has a competing offer.

Part of our periodic series with rules about how to professionally handle email.

When decisions are made you may disagree with, you must communicate the decision supportively both in public and in private.

When decisions are made you may disagree with, you must communicate the decision supportively both in public and in private.

How to adjust a standing agenda for a recurring meeting

The conclusion of our series on why and how to get mentors for your directs.

Why and how to get mentors for your directs.

It's okay to tell your directs how you feel (within professional limits) when giving them feedback.

When your directs want you to adjudicate a fight, start by asking, "Have you talked to them?"

We answer recurring questions from the field.

The conclusion of our series on how to manage the time you're given during a meeting.

How to manage the time you're given during a meeting.

Just saying, "Thank you," is an enormously powerful form of feedback.

To better be able to delegate parts of your job, it's best to be transparent about your job.

To better be able to delegate parts of your job, it's best to be transparent about your job.

In this podcast, we answer the question, "How can HR improve Manager Tools' impression of them?"

The first thing an effective manager does when a disaster strikes is to check on the safety of your people. People trump all organizational and operational needs.

Our recommendations on what to do when you are feeling angry with your direct.

Don't schedule meetings on Monday mornings. Meetings slow people down.

How to respond if your boss tells you he/she doesn’t agree with you doing One on Ones.

Part 3 of Dani's best management story about how she used the Manager Tools Trinity to terminate a poor performer in an organization where "you can't fire anyone."

Part 2 of Dani's best management story about how she used the Manager Tools Trinity to terminate a poor performer in an organization where "you can't fire anyone.

Dani's best management story about how she used the Manager Tools Trinity to terminate a poor performer in an organization where "you can't fire anyone."

Doing "favors" for colleagues is an important part of the political/relationship culture in all organizations. It pays to give and to receive them.

Doing "favors" for colleagues is an important part of the political/relationship culture in all organizations. It pays to give and to receive them.

Learn to ask your directs, "What do YOU think?" when they come to you with problems. THAT is the simple way to develop their skills – have them learn new ones.

How many people the average manager can supervise, and what rules to apply when creating team sizes.

Don't vote against a plan or decision if you're the only one doing so, unless it's for ethics or principles (and it usually isn't).

Don't vote against a plan or decision if you're the only one doing so, unless it's for ethics or principles (and it usually isn't).

The best way to help colleagues and fellow managers with their employees is to insist on behaviors. But most managers don't think this way.

How To Document Performance - Part 2.

How To Document Performance.

The conclusion of our series on how to write a simple job description.

How to write a simple job description.

Assume positive intent when analyzing the actions of others, especially directs.

Certain emails DO justify reading them with some urgency. The key is keeping a very short list.

Never ask how a project is going. You'll get information that isn't helpful…and it's your fault. Ask for status, and define what status is.

This guidance recommends extending short coaching deadlines when your directs show that they can meet them, and keeping deadlines flexible based on performance.

This guidance describes how to communicate lateness for one's responsibilities.

Our guidance on restarting relationships which have gone sour.

Executives are often vague or indirect in giving feedback. One way they do so is to say, "You might want to think about..."

The conclusion of our recommendation of using Visual Record-Keeping for meetings that require collaboration and discussion about future plans and discussions (versus historical discussions like status reporting).

This guidance recommends using Visual Record-Keeping for meetings that require collaboration and discussion about future plans and discussions (versus historical discussions like status reporting).

This guidance describes why not to change the metrics you use for your team's behaviors.

This guidance describes what to say when you don't have an answer to a question, even when it's urgent.

This guidance describes what to do when a direct repeatedly says no to delegation asks.

This guidance describes how to interact with a direct who resists or refuses more, new, or different work because they're "comfortable where they are", or "not interested in promotion."

How to be more effective by planning for your enemies' inevitable efforts to undermine you.