Manager Tools

This show describes a couple of simple techniques to help you remember people’s names. Whether we like it or not, other people are part of our professional lives. And, as Dale Carnegie sagely noted, “A person’s name, to that person, is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” But how to remember them? It vexes the best of us. And one of the keys: you really don’t have to. PLEASE NOTE: If you downloaded this show and got part 2 of the Meal Intervi...more

This show describes a couple of simple techniques to help you remember people’s names. Whether we like it or not, other people are part of our professional lives. And, as Dale Carnegie sagely noted, “A person’s name, to that person, is the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” But how to remember them? It vexes the best of us. And one of the keys: you really don’t have to. PLEASE NOTE: If you downloaded this show and got part 2 of the Meal Intervi...more

This podcast is the second of two on the subtleties associated with being interviewed during a meal.

This podcast details all the subtleties associated with being interviewed during a meal. We have NO EXCUSE for why we didn’t do this podcast 2 years ago. We get this question all the time, so much so that we’re making it part of the standard weekly show rather than restricting it to the interview tool. Meal interviews are becoming more and more common, even as they become ever less intelligent as a tool. The cast is really just a long list of small tips – there is very little ove...more

This cast updates one of our most popular casts Your Resume Stinks [October 31, 2005] with learnings from our community and some timely recommendations regarding recent trends. And, in this cast, we make a very exciting New Product Announcement! The Link: Manager Tools Resume Service Description

Recently one of our great members, Doug Bardwell, was kind enough to point out that the “quote” I recently used from Petronius Arbiter is not accurate. There is no credible evidence that it is Arbiter’s, or anyone else’s, for that matter. It really was too good to be true. I like quotes, but I failed to validate the provenance of this one. I won’t use it again. I regret my error.

This cast describes a technique for measuring your team and/or organization’s ability to recognize talent. Many managers mistakenly fail to connect the process of hiring with the later successes and failures of the organization. When someone doesn’t work out, particularly if it’s 3-5 years after they were hired, very few managers think that the problem started when they were being interviewed. But the fact is, just like our elected leaders in a democracy, we get the people we...more

This cast explains how to capture interview results in a fast and simple meeting. One of the things we have learned over the years is that bad hiring is easy, and good hiring is hard. It’s easy to hire someone who isn’t going to work out – just do one interview, don’t dig for details, don’t listen to the doubts you’re feeling, don’t interview for the soft skills. Of course, this is what happens far too often…and then when there are culture or discipl...more

We will be back in Europe in May, and Rowley Maggs in the UK has arranged for our second London MT Meet Up. Details: Date: 16 May Time: 7:30 - 9:30 pm Where: Pizza Express, Hounslow Link To Map Address Details: Closest Tube is Hounslow East (zoom out one click on the map above) About 35 mins from the West End on the Piccadilly Line. About 20 mins from Heathrow Terminal 3 on the Piccadilly Line. The plan is for all of us to chat from 7:30 to 8:30, and then Mark and Mike will answer questions in ...more

This cast describes how to give feedback about your employees’ attire. Mark once was asked to adjudicate a discussion between two managers (one new, one experienced). The issue? “Should a manager give feedback about the clothes an employee is wearing?” Mark sided with the manager who said no, you shouldn’t. If you’re surprised, listen in!