The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager #36- Real-Life HR With Pat Williams
Posted on 24. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #036
Welcome to a “Real World” edition of the show. No consultants, no wanna-be gurus, just a real life manager and how he faces his job. You might remember Patrick Williams from the show when we talked to the winners of our “Worst Manager On the Planet” Contest. We talk about how HR can really work with managers, what companies are looking for and what keeps these folks up at night.
Show Notes
0:00 The show is dedicated to Genghis Khan who managed to conquer half the known world without a single teleconference or web meeting. YOU try to get the Sydney office to follow procedure with just a few flags and horses…..
2:26 Our boy Cicero says something we should take note of- especially, if like me, you don’t have a degree that’s worth a darn…..
5:45 We meet Patrick Williams, Director of Talent Development for Factiva. and the writer of the Guerilla HR blog. What does a glorified HR guy worry about- retention and recruiting baby. The good news is they need people, the bad news is only about 15% are the stars.
10:00 Why invest in people, why not just raid other companies? Is it like software- do you build it or buy it?
13:00 How does a manager make it obvious he/she/it is one of the Super 15%?
17:00 How do you find people inside your organization who have skills that aren’t obvious? Project work.
18:40 How does a real company break down the issue of one of our favorite topics- Disciplinary Xenophobia? This ain’t theory, take notes.
25:46 What are the things a manager can do to raise their profile and get noticed?
Leadership
Enterpeneurial Spirit
Work on Processes
Good Communication skills….
Sounds an awful lot like the 4 Disciplines of this show, doesn’t it?
27:38 Our gratuitous Tom Peters reference for the week, but how does someone step up without seeming arrogant or not a team player? We’ll forgive you if you deliver. Notice Pat refers the show to his employees and friends…take the hint gang!
That’s it for this week’s show. Don’t let the weasels get you down.
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #35 Leading Geeks with Paul Glen
Posted on 16. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #035
This week’s show is for Geeks and those who love them, manage them or just want to be less terrified of them. our guest is Paul Glen, author of the book, Leading Geeks.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to geeks everywhere! This particular episode is a love letter to a group that takes a fair share of abuse on this show. Still, if you think you have an issue managing the creative geeks on your team, imagine trying to project manage Michelangelo while he was working on the Sistine Chapel. Well, that’s what poor Donato Bramante had to do. Not terribly well as it turns out, he never even made it into the movie.
3:20 The quote of the week is from Pantanjali, a third century Yogi. Geeks and Yogis, who says this show isn’t eclectic? Heck, even our TPN promo this week celebrates Geek culture.
5:10 Welcome Paul Glen. I ask him if the term Geek is even one we should be using. Is it an insult, a badge of honor or just a description? Oh, and I try not to be offended when he assumes I’m an IT guy.
9:25 Why is managing Geeks different. Part of it is the culture, part of it is the work they do. Have you ever thought about your IT folks as creative artists? Oh, and failure is ALWAYS an option.
13:35 Power games are completely useless in managing Geeks. Have a good day.
17:30 When “sucking less” is a badge of honor.
20:25 Welcome to the “Knowledge Inversion”…. when your workers know more than you do- learn to embrace it or prepare for a long day at work.
22:30 What are the things we should be doing to grow and help candidates move to management?
- Don’t pay attention to education
- Don’t use technical skills as a yardstick
-Can they communicate, both in writing and verbally?
- Do they have emotional flexibility-Can you behave as needed, not as you feel?
- Are they comfortable with ambiguity?
Resources:
Tom Davenport’s “Thinking for a Living”
Organizing Genius by Warren Bennis
Edgar Schein’s “Organizational Culture and Leadership”
That’s it for this week. If you have an idea for a show, please EMAIL ME. We have several shows coming up that are based on suggestions from our audience and God love ya for turning me on to these folks. Also, post to the blog, link to us from your own websites and blogs and, as always, don’t let the weasels get ya down.
The Cranky Middle Manager in Brazil
Posted on 15. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in General
Oh, if only I were…. but the show is. This was from an article on podcasting in Voce S/A, the leading business mag in Brazil. I don’t read Portuguese, but I like the word Mal-humorado every bit as much as Cranky, don’t you?
2 – Mau humor
Para quem é fluente em inglês, esse é imperdÃvel. The Cranky Middle Manager Show (O Show do Médio Gerente Mal-humorado), apresentado pelo comediante Wayne Turmel, é voltado para “aqueles que estão presos entre os idiotas que tomam as decisões e os imbecis que não conseguem seguir ordens simples”.
They did an interview that will come out next month. Maybe I’m only destined to be a big hit with people who can’t understand what I’m really saying…….
Rene Da Costa’s New Book
Posted on 14. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in General
Rene Da Costa was on our show a few episodes ago. Okay, it was episode 22 to be precise.
He’s just written a primer for anyone interested in hiring a personal coach- it’s a breezy read but chock-full of great information on how to tell the true Master Coach from the pretenders. It’s called “Essential Coaching Techniques – In Next to Know Time” (it’s a pun. If you’re going to hang with Rene get used to them).
You can check out his new E-book here. Guaranteed weasel-free reading and a great example of how interactive E-books can be. It may even inspire me to get mine done at last.