Manager Tools

If your directs aren't managers, they may not know the core principles behind giving feedback. They won't know how to give peer feedback. But you can teach them.

Giving effective feedback is one of the hardest tasks for managers. Feedback isn't hard to understand. We know we need to give it. But too many of us don't understand feedback's first rule: it's about future behavior.

This cast describes how to prepare for meetings or presentations in order to ensure your message is persuasive and you get the support you're looking for from the audience.

This cast describes how to prepare for meetings or presentations in order to ensure your message is persuasive and you get the support you're looking for from the audience.

Coaching is the least-used of the Manager Tools Trinity's tools - One On Ones, Feedback, Delegation, and Coaching. That's too bad, because it only takes 5-10 minutes a week. One common use case we've heard from managers is helping a direct who has excellent job skills but struggles with relationships. Here's how to do that.

Coaching is the least-used of the Manager Tools Trinity's tools - One On Ones, Feedback, Delegation, and Coaching. That's too bad, because it only takes 5-10 minutes a week. One common use case we've heard from managers is helping a direct who has excellent job skills but struggles with relationships. Here's how to do that.

Don't believe the "news" that organizations are changing so fundamentally that the core standards of professionalism no longer apply. In fact, as the world becomes faster, the old rules of working together effectively and efficiently become even more important. The speed of AI only adds to this insistence. We start with teaching timeliness because a professional who isn't timely isn't a professional at all.

Don't believe the "news" that organizations are changing so fundamentally that the core standards of professionalism no longer apply. In fact, as the world becomes faster, the old rules of working together effectively and efficiently become even more important. The speed of AI only adds to this insistence. We start with teaching timeliness because a professional who isn't timely isn't a professional at all.

There's always a lot of talk by a lot of so-called experts about culture. That's because they define culture any way they want. That way they can say whatever they want. But some cultures are better than others, regardless of any definition those experts apply.

The vast majority of things that happen in your organization are good. Otherwise your company would go out of business. But most managers think their job (and it's a part they hate) is to give negative feedback. They have it backwards. The road to be able to give negative feedback and have it be effective is through positive feedback. And we're putting too high a bar on what behaviors deserve feedback.

The vast majority of things that happen in your organization are good. Otherwise your company would go out of business. But most managers think their job (and it's a part they hate) is to give negative feedback. They have it backwards. The road to be able to give negative feedback and have it be effective is through positive feedback. And we're putting too high a bar on what behaviors deserve feedback.

If you have a good network, with some of those in your network on your bench, you can shorten your hiring process and increase the chances of a successful hire.

There's an organizational tool, almost always used by Human Resources, called competencies. Even though it's a fairly popular model for thinking about professional development, it's a terrible system we don't recommend. But if you have to use competencies, here's how.

One of the most common presenting failures is being too rigid in one's preparation and delivery. If you're not well prepared, and therefore flexible, your rigidity can cause your message to not be persuasive.

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

Too many managers, and the majority of execs, too, are TERRIBLE at presenting. But getting good at presenting is just like getting good at managing. Since everyone else is so terrible, all you have to do not be terrible. And that means doing a lot of small, simple things the right way.

There is a 3-Body Problem in Classical Mechanics. That one cannot be solved. But hiring managers are also afflicted with *The Warm Body Problem.* But this one is easily solved.