Slacker Manager was originally started by Bren Connelly, to help him flesh out how to become a manager. He wrote a lot of articles, many of which still get good traffic today because they’re that good.

(image used, with permission, from Mark Brady of Alchemy Group)
Eventually, Bren got bored with writing, felt he’d “written out” everything there was for him to write about management, productivity and the like, so he sold the blog to b5 Media.
b5 Media held a little contest to see who would want to blog at this site, taking Slacker Manager in a whole new direction.
And …read more

I’ve been thinking a lot about how I manage, and what would need to be done if I were to train someone to do what I do on a daily basis. There are LOTS of daily tasks that make up my job, and those can all be taught with time and patience and practice.
But then I got to thinking…if I could distill down to 1 word what management is all about, what would that 1 word be?

Clarity
Clarity is the one word, the key to management. Clarity is the key because you need clarity in your communication with the people …read more

If you’ve left a comment and you haven’t seen a response from me in a few days, or your comment hasn’t made it to the light of day, or you’ve e-mailed me and I’ve been slow to get back to you, it’s because I’ve been overwhelmed by spam comments and trackbacks. Several hundred a day, about a variety of things I won’t mention, not because they’re naughty, but because I don’t want this place to rank any higher for these stupid words. WOW!

Please leave another comment or e-mail me and I will try to dig out your comment.
How this relates …read more

Do you practice management porn? Take this quick quiz to find out:

Do you hold meetings just to say you had a meeting?
Do you send out e-mails with no point?
Do you make your team work “mandatory overtime” even if there’s no real work to be done?
Do you volun-tell your team to do teambuilding activities?
Do you send out requests for feedback and then ignore everything that’s said and go with your own favorite choice?
Do you play favorites?

If so, you’re practicing management porn: management for management’s sake.

My advice to you: Just say no!
Stop it right now.
Stop practicing management porn.
You’ll get …read more

I am a HUGE fan of Lisa Haneberg. Her books inspire me to be a better manager, a better leader, and a better person. Her articles remind me of what’s REALY important to keep in mind as a manager.
Her recent article Go Where the Energy Is really struck a chord with me:
…seeing the glass as half-full is an advantage because it allows us to be ready and open for more possibilities. And it is more pleasant – for us and for those with whom we interact. We can blindly move through the world hoping for the best or we can …read more

Sometimes you overhear something your team says that’s less than flattering. It could be about you, or about a customer, or even about someone else on the team. As a manager, it’s easy to want to react to this, and say “HEY! Stop talking crap!” But really, this message wasn’t meant for your ears.
How do you stop yourself from reacting? Easy, reach for your Q-Tips!

Quit
Taking
It
Personally
Q-TIP Management
Take 5 minutes and think about what is really happening. You have a frustrated associate on your hands, and they’re just blowing off steam, trying to make it through to the next part of the …read more

File this one in the “Senators are even dumber than they look” category.
Found in a Business Week article, Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa said AIG leaders should resign…or kill themselves. Quoting Grassley: “But I would suggest the first thing that would make me feel a little bit better toward them if they’d follow the Japanese example and come before the American people and take that deep bow and say, I’m sorry, and then either do one of two things: resign or go commit suicide.” I won’t get into whether or not suicide is a responsible or irresponsible thing to do, …read more

We have a winner in the Made to Stick contest ! Congratulations to Donnie Berkholz who shared this winning entry by answering the question:
Pick the step of the Made to Stick SUCCESS method that resonates the most when you hear a story:
Donnie’s answer: “Unexpectedness, because I think it captures the attention of your audience.”

Congratulations Donnie!
Other entries included:
Tisha White who shared:
“Unexpectedness is what does it for me; coming up with something that hasn’t been done or tried before, or going about something old in a fresh, new way that I haven’t thought of, these can be valuable things.”
F C …read more

This is the first of 10 articles I’ll be writing about the commandments I live by as a manager. I’m calling them Slacker Manager Commandments, and I think they are great rules to live by:

Never stop learning (to be a better manager and better person)
Are you looking to feel alive, really alive, and wondering how to do it? Are you looking to be a leader in your field, and wondering how to do it? Are you wondering what these two questions have in common?
I’m here to say, to stay alive, and to be a leader in your field, the key …read more

Inspired by Don Frederiksen’s Quiet Leader commandments, I thought I’d reflect on the commandments I live by as a manager. I am not perfect and don’t live them all the time, but it’s important to me to have principles to live by, to help guide my decisions.
1) Never stop learning to be a better manager and better person.
2) If it can be delegated, it should be delegated, even if it takes more time.
3) Take the shot and encourage your team to do the same.
4) Ask, don’t tell, when you need something to be done.
5) Be grateful for the little things…and …read more