Successful managers aren’t perfect. Successful managers do get more done, get better results, and have higher retention rates than unsuccessful managers. I don’t know all the secrets of being a successful manager, but I do know seven secrets that can help you be a more successful manager.

Successful managers…
1) Are comfortable being themselves – Know who you are, and be comfortable with that. Know who you’re not, and be comfortable with that. Take the time to understand who you are, so you’re not surprised by what you naturally gravitate towards, and away from. It’s also very ok to be vulnerable and …read more

Great article by Lance Haun about being effective in HR isn’t about technology.
He makes 3 great points that are applicable for managers and folks in HR. Here are his 3 points, and my expanded thoughts on them:

Technology will not replace leadership – Everything starts with leadership. If you have great technology, if your leadership is bad, the technology will be bad too. Garbage in, garbage out.
Don’t put the cart before the horse – Don’t buy a tool and expect it to create all these great processes for you. Take time to map out your processes and then find a tool …read more

One of my direct reports came up with a great idea for those times between weekly one-on-ones to make sure he doesn’t forget to tell me anything. He created a Weekly Wins folder.
Inside this folder he puts all the great feedback he receives from 3 different groups of people:

Customers – Anyone who he serves that e-mails him a thank you or “attaboy” he saves in the Weekly Wins folder.
Peers – Anyone on the team that says something nice, that they appreciate his efforts, or that they appreciate him, he saves in the Weekly Wins folder.
Managers – Anything from me or …read more

Some time ago I asked for your help to figure out what to do with the unmotivated. The responses I received were nothing short of amazing, and they are very worth this follow-up article.  Thank you to all who contributed to this article!

Mike Chitty shared this gem:
First thing to do – recognize that you have found a Unicorn. A mythical creature.
Part of the human condition is to be motivated to do something. Even a choice to do nothing requires motivation.
You have to recognise that you have not got the right relationship with this person. They don’t trust you …read more

How fast is microwave management? 100 times as fast as regular management, with all the flavor.
Decisions – 10 seconds or less.
E-mails – 5 sentences or less.
Hiring decisions – 1 interview is enough.
Firing decisions – who needs documentation?
When I put it that way, I think you agree:
Microwave management is ridiculous.

But it’s what some do when they don’t take the time to:
Train their people for the job they hired them to do.
Fire people after one mistake.
Don’t properly delegate.
Shoot first ask questions later.
Don’t be a microwave manager.
Take the time to train your people, even when times are lean.
Understand why a mistake …read more

This past week we lost a role model for managers everywhere.
No, not Michael Jackson, though his music will be missed greatly.

I’m talking about Billy Mays, celebrity pitchman for such products as Kaboom household cleaner and the amazing Zorbeez, and a role model for managers everywhere.
If you’re wondering if I’ve lost my mind, I ask that you stay with me a little longer, and see the 5 reasons why Billy Mays was such a great role model for managers.
Contagious Smile – The first thing I always noticed about Billy Mays was the guy is infectiously happy. Any time you watch one …read more

One of the hardest things to accept as a manager is the fact you don’t know everything.
Once you become a manager, your team becomes the expert. They do what you did, day after day, week after week, year after year. They know it inside and out, because they do it every day.
You don’t know everything.

If you don’t like not knowing everything, don’t be a manager.
Because you CAN’T know everything.
It’s impossible. You can’t possibly know everything about every aspect of the job anymore. You don’t do it enough.
Sure, you may understand the business behind the job better, or the big picture …read more

I was recently sitting in a meeting and I looked around the room while we were going through the meeting agenda and giving status updates. I was shocked by what I saw!
One person was checking their iPhone for stock quotes
Two people were having a sidebar conversation
Three people were looking out the door of the conference room, hoping the meeting would be over soon (we had just started).

When you’re in a meeting, be there! Find out how you can engage in the conversation and what’s going on.
Unless you’re expecting an urgent e-mail, put your iPhone and Blackberry away, and look at …read more

This is the first in a series of posts from Scot Herrick, author of the fantastic blog Cube Rules. Scot is an expert in corporate life, from a management and an associate viewpoint. I’ve learned a lot from Scot, and I know you will too.
The people I call Cubicle Warriors, people who not only survive, but thrive, working in cubicles, need to know how to evaluate a position and manager for any prospective work. How can we tell the manager will be right for us? How can we tell if the group’s culture will support us? It isn’t as if …read more

One of the hardest things to accept as a manager is the fact you don’t know everything.
Once you become a manager, your team becomes the expert. They do what you did, day after day, week after week, year after year. They know it inside and out, because they do it every day.
You don’t know everything.

If you don’t like not knowing everything, don’t be a manager.
Because you CAN’T know everything.
It’s impossible. You can’t possibly know everything about every aspect of the job anymore. You don’t do it enough.
Sure, you may understand the business behind the job better, or the big picture …read more