The Cranky Middle Manager Show #47 Working With You is Killing Me
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #047 (MP3 10.0MB 28:53Min)
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Hi everyone. Welcome to another edition of the show. Today we talk about trying to work with people who are just plain obnoxious. For some reason, the folks I work with say I should be paying attention to this topic. Who knew?
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show.It’s all about getting along with your co-workers. The show is dedicated to the Grimke sisters, Angelina and Sarah. When you can tick off the Quakers you’ve got issues, still they got the job done.
2:09 Napoleon Bonaparte knew a thing or two about fighting. It’s the little things that lead to the big blowups people.
3:40 Welcome Kathi Elster and Katherine Crowley, authors of Working With You is Killing Me- Freeing Yourself From Emotional Traps at Work. Why is this a business problem and not just a personal issue?
8:00 “The 4 Ds”- Detect,Detach, Depersonalize, and Deal
14:34 Managing Up- managing a Toxic Manager. Meet with this person a lot- really, and it’s your responsibility. Keep your finger on the pulse of your boss’ priorities. Anticipate problems and offer solutions and be prepared to offer updates on your projects. It’s all about adding value. Rajesh Setty talked about Return on Investment on the Interaction in Show 44. A theme developing?
21:26 What about my team and the folks who work for me? The ladies refer to it as Business Parenting- one of the more truthful titles I’ve heard lately.
- Do your employees know what you expect of them?
- Give consistent feedback
- Employees are going to test their environment- deal with it
- Use your business tools and documents to manage
25:30 Resources
The Shrink (Katherine) recommends The Dance of Anger and Why Men Never Remember and Women Never Forget, the more Hardboiled Business Type (Kathi) suggests the World is Flat and Tipping Point.
That’s it for this week. Don’t let the weasels get you down.
May 15th, 2006 at 9:18 am
You called Napoleon a “warmonger”??!! Wayne, I’m disappointed in you. Obviously you haven’t been listening to my Napoleon podcast:
http://napoleon.thepodcastnetwork.com
On it, my cohost David Markham and I go to extreme lengths to dispel the notion that Napoleon started any wars - they were started by the OTHER countries of Europe and usually funded by the British in an attempt to put an end to the French Revolution, something they saw as being dangerous to their own Monarchies. That’s got nothing to do with your POINT but it’s my job to defend the Emperor’s name. :-)
June 3rd, 2006 at 1:34 pm
In regard to managers asking about project status after you spend two hours writing the status report you sent that morning… Yes, it seems annoying. Until you view those two hours as an investment that pays off in a coherent and succint 5 minute conversation that leaves your manager informed and content.
June 3rd, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Dennis, Yeah i kind of thought on the list of reasons working with someone could kill you this one wasn’t high on the list but it was their example and I was just rolling with it. i’m a big believer in the “oral executive summary” as a sanity saver much of the time. Thanks for posting.