As promised, one of our listeners will get their quote on the back cover of my new book, 125 Quotes For Whacking Weasels- Centuries of Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comebacks From The Cranky Middle Manager Show.

Adam Larson is the man…. here’s how his quote will look on the back cover

Thanks to all the CMM Listeners who submitted kind words about the show. As you can see some very cool people have said some very nice things about the book.

To see more quotes, check out the page on my website.

Look for it to be available at The Cranky Middle Manager Store September 1, and on Amazon in about 3 weeks.

 

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Tough times call for tough managers. How do you handle downsizings, downturns and helping people get through rough periods? Plateau CEO Paul Sparta tells us how to buckle down and get back to work… Also we learn about the ultimate downturn if you’re an Inca king…

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to the show… Today we look at managing during a downsizing and downturn brothers and sisters….. Also we dedicate this episode to Atahualpa who proves you can do everything possible and still not make the new boss happy- especially during the ultimate downturn.

2:36 The quote of the week is from my boy Epictetus… sometimes stoicism is what you need, and it’s how you make your bones. Speaking of quote of the week, my new book, “125 Quotes for Whacking Weasels- Centuries of Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comebacks From the Cranky Middle Manager Show” will be available September 1!

4:38 welcome Paul Sparta. He’s thrown a bit by the Hunter S Thompson reference but hey it’s my show… What’s the hardest thing for a middle manager to get their head around during a downturn? Usually it’s being blindsided when you have to let people go. We’re too busy getting the job done to see what’s going on around us.

8:01 Managers need to be aware of what’s going on in the company AND in the world around us… we’re not working in a vacuum. Business acumen is one of the 4 Disciplines, after all. Let’s face it, sometimes given what’s going on you DO have too many people…

14:00 How do managers decide what their teams need to know and what will just freak them out unnecessarily? Folks need to know the metrics

17:00 Do companies tend to cut too deeply when they do finally make cuts? He makes the point using the movie Bottle Shock- grapes have to be under stress to create good wine.

20:00 Once the decision has been made, how do you go about getting back to work? You have to suck it up, be honest and survivor guilt be damned. Remember you’ve downsized to be the right size to get back to growing the company.

26:36 Paul’s Resources

Wall Street Journal

Information Week

CIO Journal

You have to stop gazing at your navel and keep an eye on what’s going on out there.

Drop us a line… post to the blog…. let us know what you think.

Don’t let the weasels get you down!

Working from home has both charms and drawbacks. In my latest Management Issues article, I talk about the trend to companies not having office space at all….and whether it’s a good thing or not. Make up your own darned minds…..

Read the article here

Oh, and thanks to everyone who alerted me that iTunes (am I the only one who is starting to believe that Apple may be its very own Evil Empire?) erased me from its memory banks and for a week we didn’t exist on the main podcast outlet on the planet! A thousand blessings on Cam Reilly at TPN and the brains at Xminds in India for getting me back in the game.

 

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Today Wayne Turmel talks to Dr. Marty Seldman about Executive Stamina, which is almost as important as middle management stamina. We’re in this for the long haul, how do we keep body soul and career together? Also we take a look at the first marathon as well as wise words from Napoleon….

Dr. Marty Seldman

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to the show. Business is a marathon, not a sprint so we’re talking stamina today. Not only are we talking to Dr. Marty Seldman co-author of “Executive Stamina- How to Optimize Time, Energy and Productivity To Achieve Peak Performance”. We are also taking a look at Phidippides, the first marathon runner and someone who needed to learn the fine art of delegation.

3:15 The “Quote of the Week” is from Napoleon Bonaparte- forget guts…. endurance is the greatest virtue.

4:17 Welcome Marty Seldman, who along with his son Joshua, wrote the book. Joshua is a 24-hour endurance cycling coach. Show off. Stamina is both the day to day energy to perform at a high level, but it’s also about the term of your career. The two laws at work are ‘The Law of Diminishing Returns’ and the “Law of Gradual Change”.

9:02 Our listeners are a hard-working, dedicated group, so how can working harder have diminishing returns? We are over-committed and don’t realize what the tradeoffs are.

12:05 What are some of the warning signs that we are shifting and drifting? Are you doing the minimum to sustain relationships and your health?

14:48 5 areas to pay attention to:

• Work/Life Alignment
• Health and Wellness
• Job Performance/Business Results
• Career Management
• Maintaining positive relationships

17:43 How can you maintain networking and watch out for your career while still playing nicely with the other kids?

20:50 Okay, I know I should exercise and it just doesn’t happen. Why not? What the heck is wrong with me and what’s the minimum I can do and still say I’ve done it?

26:50 What’s the one thing Marty would change for most of us? Overcommitting and not maintaining boundaries. I also do not recommend slapping people like George C Scott in Patton, but I understand the temptation.

Resources

Officepolitics.com

Robin Sharma’s blog

Don’t let the weasels get you down!!!

 

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Today Wayne Turmel talks to Joe Heuer, the Rock and Roll Guru. No high-minded stuff today, just lightening up and having some fun. What can managers learn from rock and roll lyrics? How do we develop a rock and roll attitude without alarming the nice lady from HR? Listen and party on…..

Joe Heuer

Show Notes

0:00 Today will be a non-stop parade of rock and roll references because sometimes you just have to lighten up. Managing can suck the fun out of you otherwise. Case in point? Antonio Salieri... Mozart had all the fun and got all the chicks…..take a lesson

3:05 The quote of the week is from Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., not exactly a party animal, but he encourages us to take a music bath… i just saw Mamma Mia and had to take a shower but I suppose that’s more of an editorial comment.

4:53 Welcome Joe Heuer, the Rock and Roll Guru. Hey, it’s the dog days of summer here in Chicago and I couldn’t take one more serious conversation so we’re going to have some fun. Let’s face it, any business conversation that starts with the Who has to be more fun than going over the financials…..

7:30 How the heck does someone start thinking about rock and roll and middle management, or worse, customer service?

11:52 How does rock and roll fit with our 4 Disciplines of Management? Joe pulls some good ones out of his hat.

14:52 How does rock and roll fit the corporate environment? Motivational speakers are apparently the professional wrestlers of the corporate world. Joe vents here…. you may agree or not but heck that’s rock and roll, right? And what is a rock and roll attitude?

22:05 What do Supertramp and Jesus Christ have in common- besides Roger Hodgson’s beard?

Joe’s Rock and Roll Resources

Rock of Ages

Classic Rock

Rock Revival

Rock Town Hall

The Ripple Effect

Support Adam Larson’s love of Queensryche!

Don’t let the weasels get you down!

 

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Today Wayne Turmel talks to Caela Farren, CEO of Masteryworks, about onboarding employees effectively so they stick around longer. Also we look at Lady Jane Grey and a chance to win a copy of the latest Cranky Middle Manager book.

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to the show. Ever find someone to fill a position, breathe a sigh of relief and they’re gone and you’re back to square one? Today we’re talking to Caela Farren from Masteryworks.

Today’s episode is dedicated to Lady Jane Grey, who was queen of England for all of nine days. Getting a candidate not everyone can agree on and then leaving her without mentoring is a recipe for disaster, although no HR department I know still advocates beheading as a way to address the problem.

There is one episode left for you to win a free copy of my new book: “125 Quotes for Whacking Weasels- Centuries of Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comebacks From the Cranky Middle Manager Show” Here’s how it works… just drop me an email or post to the blog with a short line or two about why you like the quote of the week, and why you listen to the Cranky Middle Manager Show. I’ll pick the best quote to put on the back cover of the book along with quotes from some big shots and send you a copy. You have about 2 weeks left, get on it!

3:10 The quote of the week is from Plato- who understood that the beginning is the best time to teach anyone anything.

3:50 Welcome Caela Farren. It seems like a silly question, but why is the way we bring employees on board so important? When there are more jobs than there are good people, you don’t want to give anyone a chance to bail out on you. 46% of rookies wash out in 18 months.

6:30 What is going on in that first few days that chases people out the door before they even settle in? Sometimes it’s a bad hire, a greedy recruiter or a manager that doesn’t know how to properly interview. The open-ended interview question is important as are “value questions”.

Ask about:

people- what are they all about, what do they like?

ideas- what and how do they think?

data-how do they handle information?

things- do they work with things and with their hands?

10:49 we are now talking about personality assessments such as John Holland’s Codes, Myers Briggs Type Assessments and all that good stuff. Hire for skills and fire for personality, values and fit. You can’t really train for that stuff. She tells us a cool story about how one company uses the interview to identify fit…

16:02 Once we’ve hired someone, what goes on that first day that will help ensure success? Make them feel included. It worked in grade school. Hook them up with a mentor…but choose that mentor well.

21:14 when in doubt ask the magic wand question. The most important thing you can do is hook them to a good manager or a “buddy”

Resources

It’s an election year here in the US. Check out

The Post American World- Fareed Zakariah

The New Age of Innovation- Driving Cocreated Value Through Global Networks- CK Prahalad

Don’t let the weasels get you down!

I know a lot of you were impressed with Dr. Paul Elliott when he was with us on episode 149. Well his organization, Exemplary Performance, is holding a webinar on Wednesday, July 30th.

The topic will be “A Fresh Approach to the Manager As Coach”.  Nancy Smith and Elena Galbraith will be presenting and it will give you a really good look at what their Human Performance model is all about. Check it out by clicking here.

Enjoy it and let me know what you think.

 

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Today Wayne Turmel talks to Kathleen Caldwell, one of the authors of Blueprint for Success about teams, why it’s so hard to get them all on the same page and how do you measure success? We also give some love to John Paul Jones… the one that helped start the American Navy, not the one from Led Zeppelin. This show would be wayyyy cooler than it is if we profiled HIM.

Don’t forget you can get a free copy of my new book, “125 Quotes for Whacking Weasels- Centuries of Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comebacks From The Cranky Middle Manager Show” (due date is September 1). All you have to do is post to the blog page or drop me an email and say why you listen to the show and why you like the quote of the week. The winning quote will appear on the back cover of the book and you’ll get a free copy. Thanks to Adam, Bob, Lucy and the folks who’ve already sent in suggestions…..

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to Episode 153. Since we’re talking teamwork I thought we’d salute (literally) Captain John Paul Jones, one of the reasons the American Navy got off to such a good start. Yup be loyal to your team, set high expectations and when all else fails, quit and go work for a startup in Russia.

3:32 The quote of the week is from Ralph Waldo Emerson, one of my all time favorites. Execution is the key, and sometimes realllly tempting.

4:15 Welcome Kathleen Caldwell author of Blueprint for Success, 14 Powerhouse Professionals and all around good egg. Why is managing teams such a challenge?

7:34 Why do smart teams do stupid things? What the heck is Team Intelligence? An effective team has to talk about why they’re all together. Explicity, out loud. There are 5 components:

1. Communication
2. Trust and Spirited Conflict
3. Inspiring Goals
4. Effectiveness and Accountability
5. Mastery

11:47 Explicit communication is vital. Are all the goals stated or just assumed? We also talk about assessment tools that help you understand yourself and other people. (Marcus, i told you we’d get to this topic).

18:34 How does “Spirited Conflict” match up with all this bonding and communication? it’s not rocket science, I think rocket science is easier.

23:09 How do you actually measure team cohesion and accountability?

26:39 How does an outside consultant establish credibility with a team? How do you avoid malicious compliance?

29:00 Kathleen’s Resources

Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port

The Speed of Trust by Stephen M R Covey

Don’t let the weasels get you down!

If our guests sometimes treat Middle Management like it could save the world, maybe they’re right? What if better management practices actually made our planet a better place to live?

That’s the idea behind my latest Management Issues Article- World Peace Through Middle Management. Sometimes i write something that even makes me laugh….

If you have the time, check out the Working Week podcast as well. Shorter conversations about the worldwide workplace…. it’s good stuff.

 

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Today, Wayne Turmel talks to Clint Korver, one of the authors of Ethics for the Real World- Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions In Work and Life. We also look at a 2500 year old business book. Plus an offer to get one of the first free copies of my new book!!!

Show Notes

0:00 Welcome to The Cranky Middle Manager. Today we’re talking ethics with no “yeah buts…”. Life is complicated but the rules are pretty simple. so simple, in fact we’ve known them for thousands of years. We dedicate the show to Tao Zhu Gong, business guru and still relevant 2500 years later.

2:43 Our quote of the week is from Tao Zhu Gong as well…. good advice is good advice. By the way, here’s an exciting opportunity to get a free copy of my new book “125 Quotes for Whacking Weasels- Wisdom, Motivation and Snappy Comeback from the Cranky Middle Manager Show”. Simply write and say why you listen to the Cranky Middle Manager, and what you like about the Quote of the Week. One answer will be chosen to go on the back cover of the book… and if it’s yours you’ll get a free copy. Just drop a line to wayne@crankymiddlemanager.com or post to the blog site.

4:00 Welcome Clint Korver, one of the authors of Ethics for the Real World- Creating a Personal Code to Guide Decisions in Work and Life. Ethics is a word that gets thrown around -and out- a lot. What is it and how is it different from morality? Ethics are your personal standards of right and wrong. Morality is the social code.

6:30 it’s the little things that try your soul…and your ethics. What harm can come from little white lies? Rationalization is the enemy, which is tough cause it’s also my best friend. How good are YOU at telling the truth?

15:00 There are three reasons we test our ethics: Prudentia (your self interest)l, Legal (letter of the law) and Ethical (spirit of the law).

17:50 What happens when your ethics and the situation don’t seem to coincide? You have to talk to your boss and lay it out. He gives us a good example from the consulting world….interesting choice. I have a horror story of my own.

22:50 Clint and Ronald suggest setting up a very explicit personal code.. how do we do that? Can you make ethical decisions with a matrix? Listen up. It’s one thing to have a rule like “tell the truth at all times” but then what are the exceptions?

29:30 Clint’s resources

7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey

Don’t let the weasels get you down!