How to Deal With a “Do-It-My-Way” Person

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Ever have someone try to tell you the Right Way to do something when you’ve already made up your mind what to do? A few ideas on how to end those conversations, and maybe prevent their arising again.

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Schedule that Appointment? OK, But First Check Three Things…

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We agree to do things without making a good checklist of everything that is involved to satisfy the promise we made. The things on that checklist need to be scheduled too! Here’s how.

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Other Places to Put Your Promises? Nope. They Go in Your Schedule.

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I got some feedback on where people “put their promises”. It is useful to see that we have many ways to manage our agreements, some smarter than others. But putting them on a schedule makes sure we have a time and place for them. If you have a better system, please let me know and I will publish it!

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Your Schedule? That’s Where Your Promises Go.

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Where do you put the promises you make to other people? Do you simply hope you will remember them – or do you record them where they will remind you to honor them? Your reputation depends on your answers.

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How to Save Time: Make Better Requests to Get Better Promises

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How to get what you want from others? Here’s how to make a more effective request. It takes a bit of practice, but you’ll see the benefits early and they will continue to increase.

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When a Team is – And Is Not – a Team

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We talk a lot about teams, and sometimes send people off bungee jumping as a “team-building exercise”. Sounds like fun. But a team is something that needs thought – and practice – to design and implement. It is simple, but not always easy. Still, when you need a team, it’s worth knowing what works.

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Lack of Integrity – It’s a Loose Connection, Right?

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Do what you say you’ll do. It’s worth your credibility and reputation – and that’s pretty much the foundation of all your relationships.

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What You Want & By When: Managers, Leaders, and Schedules

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One manager in a recent MBA class was provoked by a discussion about the importance of using schedules, and offered her opinion on the difference between leaders and managers. “I want to be a leader,” she said, “not a manager. What does scheduling have to do with leadership?” Good question, actually. We were talking about […]

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What’s the Source of the “Productivity Deficit”?

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The Marketplace newsletter has an answer for a question I hadn’t thought to ask: “Why are workers less productive?” It seems the output produced for each hour of labor worked (aka non-farm business productivity) dropped in the second quarter of 2015. It’s the third quarter in a row with a decline in US labor productivity. Innovations like smartphones and 3D printing […]

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That Difficult Client Talk – Part I

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Dear Reggie, First, the bad news. You’ve been blaming your staff and technical teams for not doing their jobs well, but you have not considered that you might be the problem. So I’m here to tell you that you are breaking almost every rule of good management. I’m telling you because you said to me, […]

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