Okay, we would never advise ACTUALLY killing your boss…

Posted on 31. Jul, 2006 by Wayne in General

… especially since so many of us ARE bosses, and Karma is a bear with a long memory. Still, this website is kind of fun. http://www.killourboss.com.

It comes courtesy of Robert Mueller at http://www.bullyingbosses.com. Just coincidentally, Robert will be our guest two shows from now…meantime have a laugh on us.

 

Problem with Show 55. It’s now fixed

Posted on 24. Jul, 2006 by Wayne in General

Thanks to Steve New for bringing a problem to my attention…. the download for show 55 was coded incorrectly. It’s now fixed. The audio file is http://cmm.thepodcastnetwork.com/audio/tpn_cmm_2006717_055.mp3 .Thanks for listening one and all… the problem is mine, not TPN’s. You can download it from the blog page as well…….

The Cranky Middle Manager Show #56 Avian Flu and Disaster Planning with Gregory Peterson

Posted on 24. Jul, 2006 by Wayne in Podcast

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The Cranky Middle Manager Show #056Alright, I’m not given to panic or worry excessively which is a good thing- my blood pressure is normal- and a bad thing…. if there really IS a bird flu pandemic I can only pray I’m the first one taken because I’m not ready to deal with it. Today we talk to Gregory Peterson about the Manager’s role in disaster preparedness.

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to a somewhat scary edition of the Cranky Middle Manager. This episode is dedicated to the prophet Jeremiah… it ain’t easy bearing bad news but it’s got to be done. Here’s your homework assignment- put the word “Jeremiad” in an email……

3:00 Our quote of the week is from the Polish King Stanislaus I…better to face the bad news than wait for it to bite you….

4:01 Welcome Gregory Peterson- an expert on emergency communication. How big a deal is the Bird Flu threat and why should managers care. My cynicism outweighs my fear I’m afraid…..

11:00 Why are middle managers interested? Cause we’ll be the ones dealing with it when it hits…whatever “it” is.

14:43 What did we learn from Y2K…. this guy knows better than most but the exercise did help with 9/11

19:00 Don’t look for government to solve the problem…. we need to have our own house in order.

23:00 What to do:

• Analyze your business
• Identify risk points
• Set up a team

28:00Â Here are some great resources… check it out

The Business Preparedness Checklist from the US government

Other US Government info

The Flu Wiki…..seriously check this out

Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy

The UN/World Health Organization report

Article in Foreign Affairs Magazine

Sleep well and don’t let the weasels get you down.

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Do you trust degrees and resumes? Oh, and news about Israel

Posted on 22. Jul, 2006 by Wayne in General

This article on the Management Issues site raises some good questions….Yet another reason to build your people from the inside instead of buying them from the outside…….. 

Only a tiny proportion of European employers have any faith in the trustworthiness of academic qualifications, CVs and job application forms in determining on-the-job performance, while many also harbour doubts about the quality of managerial candidates.  A study of 375 major European employers by HR consultancy Cubiks found that fewer than one in 10 (eight per cent) believe that academic qualifications are always a reliable indicator of how a candidate will perform in a role. 

The survey also revealed that lies and exaggerations have become common features of application forms and CVs with almost nine out of organisations encountering both of these on a regular basis. To compound the difficulties for employers, it appears that dishonest or inappropriate candidates are not being identified and rejected early on in the recruitment process. 

Six out of 10 employers said that they have had to withdraw job offers at the very last minute following the receipt of a poor personal reference. The most common reasons for businesses rejecting candidates are because they lack the core abilities needed to do the job or because of a poor personality fit. 

At managerial level, employers said that the competencies they find candidates most commonly lack are the ability to manage and lead others and the ability to think strategically. These competencies were also identified as the most difficult to assess, suggesting that employers do not have the knowledge and instruments required to focus in on these areas during selection and development assessments

Read the rest of the article here….

By the way…. my trip to Israel has been postponed for a couple of months. To Yuval and the rest that were planning to meet me for dinner, thank you and please stay safe. To those of you who emailed me telling me not to go, or to at least be careful, God love ya for caring. To Techie Mom (who is my cousin Melanie in real life)… tell your mom she can stop worrying.

While you are all breathing a sigh of relief I now have to spend my 45th birthday in  a classroom in White Plains, NY, rather than at the crusader castle of Montfort. Does that seem right to you????