The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #157 Managing Through a Downturn- Paul Sparta
Posted on 25. Aug, 2008 by Wayne in Podcast
Tough times call for tough managers. How do you handle downsizings, downturns and helping people get through rough periods? Plateau CEO Paul Sparta tells us how to buckle down and get back to work… Also we learn about the ultimate downturn if you’re an Inca king…
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show… Today we look at managing during a downsizing and downturn brothers and sisters….. Also we dedicate this episode to Atahualpa who proves you can do everything possible and still not make the new boss happy- especially during the ultimate downturn.
2:36 The quote of the week is from my boy Epictetus… sometimes stoicism is what you need, and it’s how you make your bones. Speaking of quote of the week, my new book, “125 Quotes for Whacking Weasels- Centuries of Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comebacks From the Cranky Middle Manager Show” will be available September 1!
4:38 welcome Paul Sparta. He’s thrown a bit by the Hunter S Thompson reference but hey it’s my show… What’s the hardest thing for a middle manager to get their head around during a downturn? Usually it’s being blindsided when you have to let people go. We’re too busy getting the job done to see what’s going on around us.
8:01 Managers need to be aware of what’s going on in the company AND in the world around us… we’re not working in a vacuum. Business acumen is one of the 4 Disciplines, after all. Let’s face it, sometimes given what’s going on you DO have too many people…
14:00 How do managers decide what their teams need to know and what will just freak them out unnecessarily? Folks need to know the metrics
17:00 Do companies tend to cut too deeply when they do finally make cuts? He makes the point using the movie Bottle Shock- grapes have to be under stress to create good wine.
20:00 Once the decision has been made, how do you go about getting back to work? You have to suck it up, be honest and survivor guilt be damned. Remember you’ve downsized to be the right size to get back to growing the company.
26:36 Paul’s Resources
You have to stop gazing at your navel and keep an eye on what’s going on out there.
Drop us a line… post to the blog…. let us know what you think.
Don’t let the weasels get you down!
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