If you squander your attention remembering when to do routine tasks or re-inventing the way you do them every time, stop it. Make routine things routine. Use follow-up files and digital reminders to bring routine tasks and events to your attention. Make a list of what you must do every day, week, month, quarter, or year » Read More
Category: Management
Managing the Uncountable
For a time, early in my career, it seemed like what I was best at was getting fired. I got fired a couple of times before I realized that I was the problem. I was internalizing that when I got fired again. This time, I’d been on the job for around four years. The organization was a hot mess when I showed up. I dug in » Read More
The Fog of Management
In the early 19th Century, Carl von Clausewitz described war this way. “Everything is simple, but the simplest thing is difficult.” He could have been describing the world of today’s manager. The conventional wisdom is that you should “plan your work and work your plan” and you may show up » Read More
Lessons from Chopped!
“Success is about ingredients and execution.” ~ Thomas Keller Great cooks produce their finest creations when they have control over both the ingredients and the process. That’s how great dinner parties happen. As a boss, you can achieve almost anything if you can pick your team and have all the time you » Read More
A Secret No One Tells New Managers
The Merriam-Webster dictionary lists two meanings for “confrontation.” There are “a face-to-face meeting” and “the clashing of forces or ideas.” Both are part of being a boss, but hardly anyone tells that to a new manager in advance. You could say that managing others is the art of » Read More