The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #205 Managing Clever People with Rob Goffee
Posted on 30. Aug, 2009 by Wayne in General, Podcast
Cranky Middle Manager Wayne Turmel talks to Rob Goffee about his book Clever- Leading Your Smartest, Most Creative People. Of course, I’m supremely unqualified to do so, but we have fun anyway. Also, how the Trojan War makes the same point, and watch for a new “How to Create and Manage Remote Teams” webinar workshop coming next month.
Rob Goffee, looking awfully clever himself
There are two Greatwebmeetings.com webinars coming up.
September 1 at 2 PM Central Time: Webinar 101 presented by Netbriefings. Click here for more information and to register FREE
September 23 How Speakers and Meeting Planners Can Use Webinars to Boost Their Business, presented by Telenect. Click here for more information and to register FREE
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show, gang. Today we look at managing the really smartest, most talented people we have. They add value, but they can be a real pain. Our dedication is to King Menelaus, who knew a thing or two about that problem during the Trojan War.
2:30 The quote of the week is from Naquib Mahfouz - clever is one thing, wise is another. Few people are both.
3:08 Welcome Rob Goffee to the show. He and his co-author Gareth Jones have written about managing clever people…what do we mean by clever and how is that different from just plain smart? They tend to add more value than most employees, tend to smarter and expect to be treated differently. They can also be a management nightmare if mishandled. The good news is that most of them need organizations, even if they act like they don’t.
6:18 There’s a business case to be made for handling these people differently than most , and most of that handling means leaving them alone to do what they do. Less management is more.
9:34 How do you keep your “clevers” motivated while not hurting the rest of the team. The term “benevlolent guardian” is appropriate. Rob explains it better than I do.
14:58 Why do so many superstars make lousy managers and why do companies insist on trying to make them fit that role? We mention Donato Bramante trying to manage Michelangelo. You can learn more back in Episode 35 if you’re so inclined.
19:45 How do managers keep their own heads and deal with their own insecurities in dealing with these people who might be smarter than they are? Start by acknowledging what they’re good at. And now you have to put together a team of Superstars which is it’s own nightmare.
Rob’s Resources
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #204 The Carrot Principle- Chester Elton
Posted on 23. Aug, 2009 by Wayne in General, Podcast
Today Wayne Turmel talks about something that makes him cranky- reward and recognition. Author Chester Elton joins him to talk about his book, “The Carrot Principle”. We also discuss the worst Reward and Recognition program in history and “How to Create and Manage Virtual Teams” is now available to deliver to your whole company.
Chester Elton looks like he’s having more fun than the rest of us….
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show and a topic I’m notoriously bad at (apologies to all who’ve worked for me in the past)- reward and recognition. Chester came to us through both Vince Thompson (hear his interview here) and Adrian Gostick (hear HIS interview here). We dedicate this episode to the worst reward and recognition program ever. No matter how bad your company’s is… it didn’t start the Trojan War.
3:20 The quote of the week is from Ovid….. nothing but the dresscode has changed since Roman times…
4:15 Welcome Chester Elton, author of “The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent and Accelerate Performance”. The idea of course involves the carrot and the stick…. pretty much every culture understands that analogy.
6:00 Why do so many companies do this so badly? I know I do it badly but they’re supposed to be smarter than me. The problem is that general praise does nothing useful, specificity is the important factor.
9:16 Okay, full disclosure (and it’s unfair to blame my mother) but i’m really bad at this. I’m happy to praise big things, but basic competence is the expectation. Right? Apparently i’m an idiot.
13:30 Most of us manage the way we like to be managed but maybe demotivates other people. Things like giving the same reward to everyone, for example. For an opposite take on some of these opinions take a listen to Charlie Jacobs’ interview on Management Rewired
20:07 The more employers pour into employee engagement programs, the more obvious it is that they’re doing a lot of little things to kill engagement. It’s amazing how much pride in your company is critical to engagement. What are you doing to make your employees proud of their workplace?
25:27 How can middle managers do this when the larger organization doesn’t support your efforts? Hands up all those who’ve ever felt this way? Is pizza really THAT expensive?
Charlie’s Resources
Thanks.com for free and cheap rewards
Check out “Webinar 101″
Posted on 18. Aug, 2009 by Wayne in General
I will be leading a webinar for newbies called, Webinar 101, on September 1 at 2 PM Central time. Please join me if you’d like to learn the basics of doing successful webcasts.
Now, this is done in conjunction with a platform called Netbriefings. I have worked with them in the past and they’re good folks. Their area of focus is videocasting ( a mixed blessing when you look like me) and that will be an area you might not have heard me address before.
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #203 Success Mapping with Arlene Johnson
Posted on 11. Aug, 2009 by Wayne in General, Podcast
Wayne Turmel, “The Cranky Middle Manager”, welcomes Arlene Johnson to talk about Success Mapping. What do you want out of your career? Do you even know? It’s critical to your company and your personal mental health. Also, Wayne goes on a rant about why snobs look down at Middle Managers and we quote Thomas Jefferson, who knew a thing or two about achieving success in spite of himself.
Arlene Johnson talks about Success Mapping and focusing on where you want to go. Most of us obsess about this but don’t really act. That changes today, got it?
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Today is about us and our careers. My snake oil detector usually doesn’t put up with the “if you imagine it, it will be” school of success. I come from a great long line of people who’ve crashed and burned following that advice. Why do people pick on middle managers? This is actually something to aspire to for many of us and don’t take any crap from snobs- and not everyone is cut out to be an entrepeneur. There, I feel better.
4:45 The quote of the week is from Thomas Jefferson, an overachiever who really managed to be far more successful than logic dictated. He understood that attitude was pretty much the deciding factor in success.
5:30 Welcome Arlene Johnson, author of Success Mapping… Achieve What You Want Right Now! Don’t let the exclamation mark put you off like it did me…there’s good stuff here. We don’t spend enough time on us and our careers, at least not productive time. The book maps out 8 steps… we’ll only look at a few of them:
- What do you REALLY want?
- The power of you- intention
- The power of choice
- Using your strengths
- Transforming stumbling blocks
- Ask for- and get- what you need
- Making decisions with no regrets
- Yes, i’m really ready to achieve my intention statement
8:17 How do we reconcile taking care of our careers while honoring commitments to our employers? When your’e taking care of yourself you do a much better job for your employer.
11:39 How do you define goals and intentions? Do we even know what our goals are? Survival is important, but it’s not a real goal. And don’t let the little guy on your shoulder tell you any different.
14:00 What’s the difference between a goal and “intention”? Intention is the end goal, clearly defined, focused and actionable
17:47 Here’s what stops most of us: do we really have choice? Feel free to challenge this idea but it’s true. Ugly, but true.
20:05 Arlene walks us through how to make a clear decision. You have to know what you value, protect what’s valuable, change what’s not and figure out where the gaps are.
22:45 Okay, we have to work from our strengths. How do we know what our strengths are? How can we tell we’re not deluding ourselves? If you enjoy it, it gets you the results you need, and you can’t wait to do it again is a good rule of thumb.
26:00 Look, you and I are alike in that we are really bad at asking for what we want. Whining and hoping someone tosses you a bone is NOT the same thing. Think about WHY they would accept or deny your request and fram it accordingly. Remember, people WANT us to be successful.
Arlene’s Resources