The Cranky Middle Manager Show #312 The Future of the MBA Ken Starkey
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #225 Turning Millennials into Leaders Lisa Orrell
Posted on 26. Jan, 2010 by Wayne in General, Podcast
Today Wayne Turmel talks to the Generations Relations expert, Lisa Orrell about the Millennials- not the usual stuff about how hard they are to work with and they won’t pull their noses out of Facebook long enough to do real work. No, we’re talking about turning them into the leaders and managers of tomorrow. Be afraid, be very afraid Also we talk about Henry the 6th, and get child rearing advice from Nietzsche.
Lisa Orrell, author of Millennials Into Leadership
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Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show, gang. Today we’re talking about those darned kids again, but it’s not how they work or who they are….it’s too late for that. We need them and they are going to be the leaders of tomorrow…. which is rapidly approaching since I’m feeling my mortality of late. The President of the US is younger than I am…. I’m officially out of excuses. And we have to mentor and teach them to lead or they might wind up like this week’s dedicatee King Henry the 6th of England. Take over too early without training and mentoring and it can get ugly.
4:44 The quote of the week is from someone with great parenting advice, although probably not the first person you’d think of…. Friedrich Nietzsche
5:40 Welcome Lisa Orrell, author of “Millennials Into Leadership”. This is not another show about how they want to start at the top, but some day we’ll get there and you can help. First we have to define the term, and it turns out I own one. They’re born between 1980 and 2000.
10:40 I look at my daughter and am really impressed by her energy and leadership skills. Their problem is they are too work-oriented and don’t have much use for timetables. They are loyal to people who actually earn it and are loyal to the work, not the company. If it doesn’t matter they won’t stay.
14:30 Virtual teams aren’t unusual for this group. Facebook is great training in a strange way. Allowing them to have the technology is the next step. By the way, the people surfing porn at work are NOT 22 years old….
17:00 A lot of young workers are getting promoted before they’re ready, so what challenges do they face? A lack of training is a huge problem- and unlike Gen X, these kids want training….. if it’s relevant. The biggest challenge is that they are immature… no kidding. Communication skills are key.
22:00 One of the big things to consider is their personal “leadership brand”. What do you want people to think and say about you? How do you stand out as a leader? It’s made up of your Communication style, Philosophy, Social style,Intellectual style, Emotional style and Ethical style. You can read a blog post about it here
26:15 Who do millenials turn to for leadership examples? Turns out it’s you and me (if we do it right). They also aspire to those who change the world.
31:00 Unlike those of us who hide from our bosses and want to be left alone, Millennials can’t communicate enough which drives some managers crazy
Lisa’s Resources
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #224 Surviving Layoffs with David Noer
Posted on 19. Jan, 2010 by Wayne in Podcast
Today Wayne Turmel talks to David Noer, author of “Healing the Wounds-Overcoming the Trauma of Layoffs and Revitalizing Downsized Organizations”. We also talk about the guy who had to handle a reduction in force during the Crusades and a quote from Rudyard Kipling. Join us…. it ain’t boring.
David Noer, author of “Healing the Wounds”
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Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Pretty much all of us have been expected to manage a layoff, and come out the other side still getting work done. It’s not easy on our people or on us. We dedicate this show to Balian of Ibelin, who knew a thing or two about trying to work after your team has been gutted…. in his case literally.
4:00 The quote of the week is from one of my favorite but politically incorrect writers, Rudyard Kipling. Overwork has killed many people stronger than us. Take care of yourself my people……
4:50 Welcome David Noer to the show. One good thing about being the victim of a downsizing is you don’t have to manage people through it. Middle managers are at risk if your social and emotional well being is tied to your job, you’re at risk. Leadership makes a different, especially over distance.
6:50 Middle managers are particularly vulnerable because they are both laying people off and at risk themselves. Before you try to deal with your employees, get yourself together and handle your own emotions. David also suggests you break a couple of rules if only to save your sanity.
10:00 Why do companies so seldom get downsizing right? Do they let too many people go? Are they the right people? Proper or not, you’re the one stuck dealing with it. Layoffs never meet their financial goals because they don’t factor in survivor guilt and lost productivity.
12:15 How do you get your team back on track? Acknowledge the emotions and don’t try to just push through it. Being lucky to still have a job is not sufficient motivation for most humans. It’s okay to be lean, but mean is just unnecessary. The good news is if you focus on the customer and how to be efficient, you’ll find a lot of what was being done was useless to start with.
15:18 Companies whine about a lack of engagement, then do everything to get people disengaged. The contract has changed. Managers need to take responsibility for their own careers, learning and psychological well-being. We’re all temps, we just don’t all admit it.
19:00 How do you balance taking care of yourself with giving a fair effort to your employer? “Cautious loyalty” is the solution. And if you thought Gen X and the millenials had this figured out, don’t believe it. They’re getting sucked in too.
22:00 Even if you are employed, you need to act like an entrepeneur…. and that’s hard for a lot of people. Newer economies seem to get this better than we do.
David’s Resources
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #223 The Leadership Test- Timothy Clark
Posted on 12. Jan, 2010 by Wayne in Podcast
Wayne Turmel talks to Dr Timothy Clark about his book, The Leadership Test- do you have what it takes to be a leader? How do you know? We also discuss Spartacus, Chaucer and Virtual Teams. Let Google make sense of that sentence, I dare’em.
Dr Timothy Clark asks you to take The Leadership Test. Preferably before you become one.
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Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the show. Today we’re talking leadership, and how you know you have what it takes. We dedicate this show to Spartacus.…because a real leader creates that kind of identification with a cause. I can’t even get folks to admit they were at the meeting.
4:00 Don’t forget to check out my latest piece on Management Issues: Why your virtual team chooses to suck. You can also follow everything we do on Twitter.
4:20 The quote of the week is from Geoffrey Chaucer.… whether schlepping to Canterbury or a staff meeting the rules are the same.
5:00 Welcome Tim Clark to the show. He has a unique definition of leadership…and involves getting people to volunteer, even if they’re being paid to be there. He also has a three part spectrum of influence… from Manipulation through Persuasion and on to Coercion. Persuasion is better, trust me.
9:39 In Tim’s book, the character doesn’t necessarily jump at a management job. Why not? Ask yourself, WHY do you want to be a leader? Is it all about you? What’s your “leadership intent”?
12:55 If you know why you want to be a leader (and it involves other things than the raise), then you have to take the Leadership Test. There are 5 areas to examine:
- Fill your pack- are you willing to take on not only your load, but more than your share?
- Sign your name- are you really willing to take responsibility for others?
- Share the stage- are you willing to share the credit?
- Take the oath- what’s your mission and what exactly are you signing on for? Do you have a commitment to honesty and integrity?
- Pour your cup- can you take what you have and pour it into the lives of others? Mentoring and coaching is critical to leadership.
16:00 What does it mean to really own the results of you and your team? Real leaders don’t hide, even when it’s bad news. Much easier to do when you’re an individual contributor- but you might not be the one who screwed up!
19:00 Giving credit is not easy and you have to take care of your people first. Reward and recognition is a tough one when things aren’t going well.
23:00 There are only 2 things people remember when they leave an organization: their relationships with people, and their contribution to the company.
Tim’s Resources
you can take the test at www.theleadershiptest.com
2 New YouTube Videos From Greatwebmeetings
Posted on 09. Jan, 2010 by Wayne in General
Here are 2 new YouTube videos I put together for the new Greatwebmeetings site (we’re shocked to discover some delays but working diligently on THAT). Don’t forget there’s still time to register for January’s online Training Workshops
How to Create and Manage Remote Teams