Manager Tools

There are rules for how to conduct oneself professionally. It's part of a manager's job to teach them to our employees.

Transcribed - Published: Invalid Date

Many professionals think that one way to keep their career moving upwards is to change companies. Unfortunately, this is a relatively rare occurrence.

Transcribed - Published: 1 June 2026

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

Transcribed - Published: 25 May 2026

The Manager Tools Interview Process recommends having your direct reports interview candidates who would become their peers. Here's how to teach your directs to be Effective Interviewers.

Transcribed - Published: 18 May 2026

Too many managers, and the majority of execs, too, are TERRIBLE at presenting. But getting good at presenting is just like getting good at managing. Since everyone else is so terrible, all you have to do not be terrible. And that means doing a lot of small, simple things the right way.

Transcribed - Published: 11 May 2026

There is a 3-Body Problem in Classical Mechanics. That one cannot be solved. But hiring managers are also afflicted with *The Warm Body Problem.* But this one is easily solved.

Transcribed - Published: 4 May 2026

You may not realize it, but your company makes it increasingly harder to find qualified candidates without intending to. How does it do that? With The Hiring Requirements Ratchet. Why does it do that? Because it can, and it has a short memory.

Transcribed - Published: 27 April 2026

If your people say they don't know what's going on strategically, or operationally, **it's your fault.** You can fill that void with your own vision and communications.

Transcribed - Published: 20 April 2026

Do you know what it's like to lose a job? Get fired? Get laid off? If you don't, that's good. But more people who go through it wish more people who haven't did a better job of helping. When it happens to you, it's easy to feel lonely and afraid. St. Jude - the Patron Saint of Lost Causes - tells us what to do for those going through those hard times.

Transcribed - Published: 13 April 2026

When you're a manager, you're thinking of your team all the time. But remember you're a part of a team, too: your boss's team. You need to work on having good relationships with your peers so your boss can achieve her goals.

Transcribed - Published: 6 April 2026

When you're a manager, you're thinking of your team all the time. But remember you're a part of a team, too: your boss's team. You need to work on having good relationships with your peers so your boss can achieve her goals.

Transcribed - Published: 30 March 2026

One of the most common mistakes of managers when hiring - it made our Top 10 list! - is being swayed by their directs into hiring someone that they weren't that impressed by. They always regret, they often write to us. Here's how to not fall prey to one of the most common hiring mistakes.

Transcribed - Published: 23 March 2026

Managers today are constantly besieged by requests and demands from above their level. But just because someone is "above" you in the org chart doesn't mean they can easily task you and your team. Here's how to make that a little easier.

Transcribed - Published: 16 March 2026

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21st century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are close to 2,000 podcasts so they might be hard to find.

Transcribed - Published: 9 March 2026

This cast serves as a compendium of the biggest management scams of the 21st century. We have covered these topics extensively. But we know there are close to 2,000 podcasts so they might be hard to find.

Transcribed - Published: 2 March 2026

For over half a century, managers have been complaining: "HR won't let me fire this guy." This myth - and yes it is a myth - is so common that experienced managers teach it to new managers, and it affects entire firms' performance management systems much for the worse. The reason so many managers can't fire people is not because they can't. It's because they don't want to do it the right way, and they want to blame HR.

Transcribed - Published: 23 February 2026

For over half a century, managers have been complaining: "HR won't let me fire this guy." This myth - and yes it is a myth - is so common that experienced managers teach it to new managers, and it affects entire firms' performance management systems much for the worse. The reason so many managers can't fire people is not because they can't. It's because they don't want to do it the right way, and they want to blame HR.

Transcribed - Published: 16 February 2026

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they need to apply pressure to see how candidates react. But in fact, positive interviewing is much more effective, both in terms of outcomes and in terms of offer acceptance rates.

Transcribed - Published: 9 February 2026

Too many managers make the mistake of thinking they have to be a "tough" interviewer. They think that interviewing is adversarial. They think they need to apply pressure to see how candidates react. But in fact, positive interviewing is much more effective, both in terms of outcomes and in terms of offer acceptance rates.

Transcribed - Published: 2 February 2026

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire better. We've been saying it for two decades now. We normally put out positive guidance, about what to DO. In this series of casts, though, we address common misconceptions and mistakes most managers make when hiring. This guidance is about lack of preparation, which is an epidemic among managers. You can't be good at hiring if you're not good at preparation.

Transcribed - Published: 26 January 2026

If you want managing to be easier, learn to hire

Transcribed - Published: 19 January 2026

One of the most common things professionals say about managing is that they have a personal 'style.' But does that make sense? Is it reasonable to expect that with all the systems organizations employ, they should leave out how to manage others?

Transcribed - Published: 12 January 2026

Development plans for directs are constantly talked about. You've read about them in the business news, especially for less experienced employees. They're recommended by HR. They don't work!

Transcribed - Published: 5 January 2026

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to think more creatively about annual planning goals.

Transcribed - Published: 29 December 2025

Our Hall Of Fame guidance on how to start setting annual goals, and why we do not like "SMART" goals.

Transcribed - Published: 22 December 2025

Many managers are worried about talking about personal topics in One On Ones. They shouldn't be - it doesn't happen that often... and it's a sign of trust, too.

Transcribed - Published: 15 December 2025

A manager is always obligated to support the organization, even if he or she disagrees with what the organization is doing. But what happens when your boss doesn't do that? Here's what to do.

Transcribed - Published: 8 December 2025

Our Hall of Fame guidance on delivering a performance review.

Transcribed - Published: 1 December 2025

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to prepare for performance reviews.

Transcribed - Published: 24 November 2025

Executives and managers both have two core responsibilities that inform all else that they do. But the two key responsibilities are different between managers and executives. Managers manage; executives lead.

Transcribed - Published: 17 November 2025

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

Transcribed - Published: 10 November 2025

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

Transcribed - Published: 3 November 2025

At some point in your career, you're going to get to, or have to, present at a conference. There are some special considerations, and here they are.

Transcribed - Published: 27 October 2025

Most managers don't know it, but if they want to further their career, they must always have a presentation in their hip pocket, ready to be given on no-notice. That's why it's called the Hip Pocket Presentation.

Transcribed - Published: 20 October 2025

For many years at our Effective Manager Conferences, Mark ended the day by giving what we came to call, "The Love Speech." Love matters in managing others. Here it is, for the record, for those who never got to hear it in person.

Transcribed - Published: 13 October 2025

Promotions are exciting - congratulations! And now you have some work to do, but we will tell you exactly what and why and how.

Transcribed - Published: 6 October 2025

Promotions are exciting - congratulations! And now you have some work to do, but we will tell you exactly what and why and how.

Transcribed - Published: 29 September 2025

We recently re-released a Hall of Fame Career Tools cast about Building Your Network. That's only one part of a series of things everyone must do to manage their own careers. Everybody needs "Career Insurance." And too many managers don't educate their directs on what they have to do to be successful with their own careers management.

Transcribed - Published: 22 September 2025

We recently re-released a Hall of Fame Career Tools cast about Building Your Network. That's only one part of a series of things everyone must do to manage their own careers. Everybody needs "Career Insurance." And too many managers don't educate their directs on what they have to do to be successful with their own careers management.

Transcribed - Published: 15 September 2025

We have mentioned, usually only briefly, Google's "Project Oxygen' for many years, in many podcasts. Now we tell the story - in part because we were there.

Transcribed - Published: 8 September 2025

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake that many aspiring executives make is to start narrowing their development at the same time that their executive role requires them to be thinking more broadly, including outside the organization. It can put a stop to your upward development.

Transcribed - Published: 1 September 2025

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake that many aspiring executives make is to start narrowing their development at the same time that their executive role requires them to be thinking more broadly, including outside the organization. It can put a stop to your upward development.

Transcribed - Published: 25 August 2025

The way most managers develop their team is haphazard and neither efficient nor effective. How can we not develop our teams when doctors learn thousands and thousands of procedures, diagnoses, and surgeries in such little time? See One, Do One, Teach One. It's faster, and it works well if you're willing to delegate and give lots of negative feedback.

Transcribed - Published: 18 August 2025

Too many managers fail to delegate sufficiently. In many cases, managers don't know how or what to delegate. But even when some managers have a sense of what and how, they don't delegate. This is often because they don't know the hidden dangers of NOT delegating!

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2025

Too many managers fail to delegate sufficiently. In many cases, managers don't know how or what to delegate. But even when some managers have a sense of what and how, they don't delegate. This is often because they don't know the hidden dangers of NOT delegating!

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the demands of running their org. The increases in requests for information from above take time to prepare for. The answer is to make your team's reporting more proactive.

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2025

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the demands of running their org. The increases in requests for information from above take time to prepare for. The answer is to make your team's reporting more proactive.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

As managers get more responsibility, and potentially promotions to Senior Manager, they start feeling squeezed between the demands from above and the demands of running their org. The increases in requests for information from above take time to prepare for. The answer is to make your team's reporting more proactive.

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

Part 2 of our Hall of Fame guidance on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

Our Hall of Fame guidance on how to plan for and take an effective vacation.

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025