The Cranky Middle Manager Show #136 When You Become the Boss- Bob Selden
Getting that first management job can be exciting- or really tough. Here are some great tips for survival. Wayne Turmel talks to Bob Selden, author of What To Do When You Become The Boss. We also salute two Australian explorers whose first management gig didn’t go so swell. It’s been that kind of week…..
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Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the Cranky Middle Manager Show. Today we’re going to take a look at that first management job. For some it’s a distant memory, for some it’s coming soon. Either way Bob Selden will offer some great advice. We salute Burke and Wills, two Australians whose first management job didn’t go so well. Perhaps they needed our “4 Disciplines of Management”.
If you have a new manager in your life you can buy a copy of the ebook here.
3:17 The quote of the week is from the Indian book of Fables, the Hitopadesha. If you’re the boss’s spoiled kid with a new MBA and no real experience, may Peter Drucker have mercy on your soul and those of your employees.
4:17 Welcome Bob Selden. I met him as a columnist at Management Issues. It’s amazing how many new managers don’t get training until after they’re in the job. By the way, what IS the difference between orientation and induction training?
7:53 What should I be doing before the new job even starts? First thing you want to do is meet everyone you can, and try to observe the company…without getting arrested.
10:15 The first 100 days of any administration are critical. What should the new boss do on Day One? Meet everyone and establish trust. One way to do that is describe your communication expectations. How do you like your information…details or big picture?
16:14 What is the one thing most managers are really bad at? Appraising performance is something most of us are not comfortable with. Bob gives us a couple of good examples of how it should be done.
19:20 Now you’re the boss over people you used to work with. We offer a suggestion on speaking behaviorally so that it’s neutral and keeps personalities out of it. This is not an easy thing to do and involves reducing use of the word “You”.
25:49 Bob just got back from a training conference in Dubai (we will do a show on those Oasis Economies soon- know any good guests?). How are some companies building management cultures from scratch?
Bob’s Resources
Getting Things Done (You can hear the interview with David Allen here)
Don’t let the weasels get you down!