The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
It’s a Big World- What Should We Know?
Posted on 30. Jan, 2007 by Wayne in General
Gang, we have been lucky to have guests from all over the world. I know we have listeners in over 25 countries. Here’s my question- Who should we be talking to that we don’t know about? Specifically, I’d like to find guests who can talk about developing managers:
- In Africa
- In Latin America
- In the Pacific Rim
- In China
- In India
- in Russia
Who should we be talking to? Help me out and drop me a line to wayne@crankymiddlemanager.com
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #80 The Evil HR Lady
Posted on 24. Jan, 2007 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #080
Do you ever get the feeling that people in HR are not only in your way, but downright evil? Are you in HR hiding your more evil tendencies behind a Cheshire cat grin? Then you’ll love our chat with the author of the Evil HR Lady blog.
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Today we take a break from high-minded views of leadership and nobility and get down and dirty on the subject of Human Resources….what do we really think of them? What do THEY think of us? Never asked yourself that one did you?
Our show is dedicated to the Egyptian God Thoth- god of the egyptian scribes…the first HR people, evil or otherwise is open to interpretation.
2:48 The quote of the week from Thomas Jefferson. Remember, resistance to tyranny is obedience to God. Resistance is NOT futile, despite the Evil HR Lady and her ilk.
3:34 Welcome the Evil HR Lady. Usually, you only see HR when you’re getting hired and when you’re fired….oh except for paperwork. She seems normal enough, what is it about HR that intrigues her? It sure ain’t people, which is strangely comforting in a way.
7:24 She works for a really big company, so let’s find out- exactly what does HR do and how is it different than OD (Organizational Development)? The good news is that sometimes they’re so busy fighting each other the rest of us get left alone.
10:56 We digress into trainer venting… oh nothing like people checking Blackberries in class to warm the cockles.
11:34 Can’t we all just get along? What departments drive HR crazy and vice versa? The main culprit is Finance…the Marketing and Sales Weasels come 2 and 3.
15:03 You actually heard it here first- HR is not there for the employee, it’s there for the company. That’s why she gets so many questions to her blog. The main concern seems to be performance appraisals. Why is that so difficult? Because they suck.
Oh, and in her opinion, most managers are lazy and they stink at giving feedback. This conversation is going well…..
20:09 But what’s the alternative? Lots of feedback, written goals and regular meetings would make everything simpler. Yeah, we’ll get right on that. Here’s a solution though….write your own performance appraisal and let your lazy boss cut and paste.
23:21 Hiring and firing is a big issue on her blog. In her humble opinion, people don’t get fired enough. Seriously.
25:29 Some resources-
Our boy Patrick Williams Guerilla HR blog (check out our interview with him here)
28:45 In conclusion, she talks about overhauling the compensation structure. Basically they want you to quit over money…… you heard it here first.
Don’t forget to post to the blog and have your say. Or you can just drop me a line…..
Don’t let the weasels get you down.
Podcasts and Sponsorship- a Look Behind the Curtain
Posted on 23. Jan, 2007 by Wayne in General
As you know, for the last couple of months we’ve been blessed with a terrific sponsor- Mind Tools. It’s been a great relationship, and I’m honored to be involved with James’ team and their faith in the show- not to mention their wisdom in realizing what a cool audience you are.
Well, John Havens over at The About.com Guide to Podcasting has posted an interview with both James and myself about the basics of podcast sponsorship. This has nothing to do with management or career development, but for those of you interested in a “behind the curtain” look at how New Media is developing it’s worth checking out.
By the way, I’m going to speaking at Podcamp New York in April on the subject of building your podcast brand…more details on that in the spring.
While you’re surfing around, don’t forget to check out Mind Tool’s Career Excellence Club and take advantage of their CMM discount!
One more week to join us a Shamrox game!
Posted on 22. Jan, 2007 by Wayne in General
Folks, we’re putting together a Cranky Middle Manager trip to a Chicago Shamrox lacrosse game. So far, there are 3 people joining me. We’re going to watch the game, meet owner Kevin Loughery Jr (who was on our show in Episode 77) and just get together for some laughs.
If you’re in the Chicago area on February 24, and want to join us, please let me know by Friday the 25th. I’ll pick up the tickets and the first round of beverages.Â
Adam, if you want to come down form Minneapolis to watch us put a second hurting on your Minnesota Swarm that night, let me know!