The Cranky Middle Manager Show #34- Making the Right Decision with Luda Kopeikina

Posted on 09. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast

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The Cranky Middle Manager Show #034

Today we talk to Luda Kopeikina, author of “The Right Decision Every Time: How to Reach Perfect Clarity On Tough Decisions”. At the end of this post is a chance to check out a feedback tool you might find interesting…a special discount for listeners of The Cranky Middle Manager……

A special hello to those of you listening in countries I’ve never been to. This show was just featured in Voce S/A the biggest business magazine in Brazil. It was included in an article on how podcasts are affecting business. Next week this show will have it’s own article. If you’re listening overseas, please let me know. I’ve heard from Canada, the US, Australia, Great Britain, Russia, Brazil and South Africa so far…. Drop me an email and let me know where you’re listening from and why.

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to show #34. Since this show is about making decisions, this show is dedicated to Pope Alexander VI, who had to make a whopper of a decision in 1494….how do you divide the world between Portugal and Spain. When you read this, you’ll realize there were a lot of hands in his decisions..maybe he should have spoken to Luda first.

4:30 The Quote of the Week… “Once you make a decision, the Universe conspires to make it happen”…Thanks to Ralph Waldo Emerson for that kick in the pants.

5:15 Welcome to Luda Kopeikina and her intriguing Russian accent. Since she’s an expert in making decisions, we’re guessing appearing on this show was a good one. What’s the criteria for making a right decision?

8:30 Why is clarity so difficult to achieve for managers? There are 5 areas:

1) You haven’t focused on the objectives properly- Clarity is everything
2) Definition
3)Work out the emotions
4) Shift perspective
5) Align with your desired outcome

14:59 This is all based on real science…a sample of over 100 CEOs. 93% of the people working on their decisions did reach clarity….eventually.

18:00 The Clarity State- how do you get your mitts around it?

20:40 How is Technology getting in the way of decision making?

26:30 How do you actually change perspective? Is it even really possible? It depends on
- how the problem is presented to you
- your cultural and social environment

30:00 A $10 Million success story…we love those here.

33:00 Here’s the plug… if you want to achieve clarity you might be able to use Freeze Framer. If you’re interested, you can use code VEQU1001 to get a 10% discount.

some other books you might want to check out:

. J. EDWARD RUSSO, PAUL J.H. SCHOEMAKER Winning Decisions : Getting It Right the First Time, Currency; 1st edition (December 26, 2001) ISBN: 0385502257

2. Hammond, J.S., Keeney R.L., Raiffa H. Smart Choices. A Practical Guide to Making Better Decisions. (1999) Harvard Business School Press.

3. Bazerman, Max H. Judgment in Managerial Decision Making (2002, Wiley)

If you’re new to the show, don’t forget to check out our archives for the other 33 programs.

Special Added Bonus if you want to read more. Lisa Haneberg over at Management Craft has an interview she did with Luda Kopeikina.

You Think YOU Have Trouble In Meetings?

Posted on 03. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in General

Ever feel sometimes like everyone else has a firm grip on their job, and it’s just YOU who can’t get people to show up at meetings on time? Well, it’s not. Check out US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton’s response- and how it went.
Now, for our overseas readers and listeners, JB was not exactly a “Boss of the Year” candidate before taking this job, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he’s not working and playing well with others. Nothing like having your performance review done in front of Congress and the entire world to make you crankier than you already were.

Still, is it a surprise that being a big ole jerk doesn’t work in the world’s largest collection of arrogant self-important people?

Thanks to AaronJV’s Blog for turning me on to the story…..

Check in on Rosa Say’s Talking Story

Posted on 03. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in General

“When you are a manager, you proactively and intentionally cause the good to last in your strengths.

By turning this strength-nurturing talent you have, into your management strength, doing the same thing for the people you manage, i.e. you employ their talent, putting them in the best work environment possible for building on their strengths.
Everyone has talent, a kind of internal wiring that naturally makes us more effective at certain kinds of things. When you harness your natural, born-in talents in a manner which is visible for others and tangible for you, those talents become what we think of as our strengths. ”

Do yourself a favor and check out this month’s entry on Rosa Say’s Talking Story blog. Darn her for always getting it right and never being a smart aleck about it…..

If you missed Rosa Say’s appearance on The Cranky Middle Manager Show # 15, you can always check it out in the archives.

The Cranky Middle Manager Show #33 Love Them or Lose Them- Beverly Kaye

Posted on 01. Feb, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast

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The Cranky Middle Manager Show #033

Keeping Good People

Welcome to epidode 33 of The Cranky Middle Manager Show, with guest Dr Beverly Kaye. In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that I do these interviews weeks in advance then launch the show when it’s ready. It’s purely coincidence, then, that a show on retention of talent should pop up when I’ve had 2 people quit in less than a week. Sorry if I’m crankier than usual.

Also we conclude (I promise) my latest obsession- the life of Admiral Horatio Nelson. Interestingly, the biggest takeaway I got from him also involves retention of good people. The universe knows what it’s doing, but couldn’t it just put out a newsletter so we know what’s coming????

Show Notes

0:00 Today we talk keeping good people with Dr. Beverly Kaye, whom I first heard on the subject ten years ago. Never have we (okay me) needed to hear this more…..

1:00 Okay, what does Nelson have to do with retaining people? Listen here. I think I’ll blog this piece as a separate entry so you can read it at your leisure… I was ranting a bit.

4:02 Our quote of the week from Plutarch. Perserverance is more prevailing than violence…….. or so he says.

5:00 Please welcome the long-suffering Dr Beverly Kaye, author of “Love Them or Lose Them: Getting Good People To Stay”. She gives us 3 or 4 good reasons we should care about retaining our good employees more than ever.

8:25 40 % of people aren’t engaged with their work. What are managers doing to hang on to the talent they need?

10:15 Why so discontented- are just turning into a bunch of whiners? Well, the social contract has changed for starters….

15:51 How well do big organizations get this? Are they holding managers accountable? Given the week I’ve had, do I want them to?

21:30 How do you keep employees connected via distance technology?

23:30 Okay, being good to your people is one thing. What about us Managers? What’s our responsibility to ourselves in this market? Stand up people……

29:00 Want to be a podcast host? Let TPN know, we’re looking for more people right now.

Don’t forget, we’re still hunting Tom Peters. If anyone knows how to get hold of him and ask him to be on the show, there’s a copy of my book in it for you.

Don’t let the weasels get ya down…….