Sometimes, things just don’t work out.
It could be the employee.
It could be the employer.
It could be both parties.

But it’s never easy to fire someone.
It doesn’t feel good for the person doing the firing.
It SURE doesn’t feel good for the person getting fired.
So what’s the secret to firing someone?
Two words: Be human
Treat the other person in a humane way.
Let the other person respond humanly.
There may be some yelling,
Some screaming
Some anger,
Some crying.
Don’t take it personally.
Be human
And let the rest take care of itself.
What’s YOUR secret to firing people?
Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinksherbet/3561662932/
P.S. Tomorrow is my last day writing Slacker Manager. I hope you’ll join …read more

Managers,
What’s your one thing?
The one thing you need to do?
That if you do,
Will make a difference?

That if you don’t do,
Will make a difference?
What’s your one thing,
That only you can do?
You can’t delegate it,
You can’t avoid it,
You can’t ignore it.
You have to do it?
What is it?
Why are you still reading this article?
GO DO IT!
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkn/2057381520/

Dear Slacker Manager readers,
One of my employees was out of dress code today. He had his shirt untucked, and our dress code clearly states shirts must be tucked in. When I asked him to tuck it in, instead of complying, he went to the associate handbook to find where it said (I had already shared with him the exact quote) and he took a screen snap of the handbook, and sent it to me with a note that said “Gotcha!” and then he tucked his shirt in.

How should I respond? Is this disrespectful or am I making a mountain out …read more

I recently reviewed a presentation from the fine folks at Netflix discussing culture. I will be posting a few of the lessons learned here over the coming weeks.
The Manager’s Keeper Test
Question: Which one of your employees, if they left for a similar job in 2 months, would you want to keep on your team?
Wow! That’s a truly tough question.
Rather than provide an answer, I have some questions that may help you arrive at the right answer for you.

Ask yourself these tough questions:

What do I value in employees?
What do customers value in my team?
What does my team need to …read more

What’s your focus?
Outcomes
Behaviors
Actions
Inactions
Intensity
Determination

The bottom line
The top line
Fun
Teamwork
Timeliness
Production
Customer service
Analysis
Statistics
So many things you could possibly focus on.
But choose just ONE.
What are YOU focusing on?
Leave a comment. Share the ONE WORD you’re focusing on.
Determination photo credit to Randy Son of Robert

All we have is trust. It’s what people think about us when we’re not around, what they say about us when we can’t hear them, and who others really believe we are.
Trust matters.
As a manager, it means your team believes you have their best interests at heart.
That you’ll help them achieve their goals.
That you’ll point them in the right direction.
That you won’t ask them to do anything immoral, illegal, or that might hurt their career or more importantly, their family.

Trust matters.
You have to trust your team BEFORE they can trust you.
You have to believe they have the best interests …read more

I read somewhere that great leaders make decisions when they have 60% of the information.
Any more information, and you’ve waited too long.
Any less information, and you haven’t taken enough time to do your homework to make a good decision.
My best advice for new managers: Just do something.
Don’t get analysis paralysis, just make a decision.
Then make another one.
And another one.
It doesn’t have to be a decision about the problem you’re working on.
It just needs to be a decision.
Get used to making decisions now, and the harder ones will be easier in the future.
Example: I have 10 …read more

My company blocks social media at work. It blocks MySpace, Plaxo, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and commenting on blogs, though you can create a very basic LinkedIn profile if you sign an affidavit saying you understand the rules and will play by them or risk getting fired.
We block text messaging on your cell phone, and we don’t allow you to access your personal email on your corporate owned Blackberry.
My company also says I can’t share my company name with anyone unless I ask for permission first.
I’m OK with these rules because when I’m not at work, I can do whatever I …read more

Picture this:
It’s Monday morning, and you’re not feeling that great. You had a long weekend and you feel a little bit under the weather. You’re not contagious, and you have time off you could use. Your shift starts at 8 AM and it’s 7:13 AM.
Do you:

Call in sick and hope your boss can find coverage for you.
Go into work and whine about how you’re not feeling so great, in hopes your manager will send you home early, potentially not costing you any time off but showing you as the tough guy/gal in the office.
Go into work and don’t let anyone …read more

In 5 Ways to Deal with Slacker Co-Workers, I got some very interesting and insightful comments. I encourage you to read the post and look for ways to deal with those slackers you work with.
But today, I got a new comment, with a question that I felt was worth answering, and seeing what all the smart people who read this blog have to say.

Slim shared: “Our recently new (about 1 year) boss brought 2 people over from his old department with him. There were already 4 of us in the department when he got here and we all 4 have …read more