“All time management begins with planning.” - Tom Greening

As a manager, one of the things what’s important to those you serve, and to clarify expectations of your reports and your manager. As a new author/manager here at Slacker Manager, I’d like to know what your expectations are and to give you what you want from this site. I’ve developed a 3 question survey, with 1 multiple choice question and 2 text boxes that should take you nearly no time to do.

Completing this survey will greatly help David and I help you. If you’re looking for something in particular, I hope you’ll say it in this survey. Or if  you don’t say it in the survey, I hope you’ll say it sometime.

Please click here to take the slacker Manager survey.

Thanks so much!
Phil Gerbyshak

Are you thinking ahead? What books would you like to read before the end of 2007? Here are 3 books that will be released soon to help you take your management work to the next level.

Influencer: The Power to Change Anything by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Greeny, David Maxfield, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler. I have appreciated the power and helpfulness of their previous books:  Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations and I look forward to learning about being an influencer with the power to change anything. I have not seen this book yet but if the style is similar to the authors’ previous work it should be insightful, practical, and easy to read (End of August Release).

10 Steps to be a Successful Managerby Lisa Haneberg. Lisa is a leading management blogger and a terrific writer. After reading the manuscript here was my comment to the publisher: This book hits a management Grand Slam. Lisa offers a clear and engaging guide to management success. Don’t browse the book, rather carefully follow each step from your role to your legacy with the tune ups, tables, and tools to both communicate and obliterate your way to becoming a successful manager. The book is a perfect 10! (September Release).

Leadership the Outward Bound Way by Outward Bound USA.  I completed an Outward Bound course in British Columbia about 30 years ago. It was instrumental in teaching me about teamwork and inner grit. I still carry these lessons around with me 30 years later and look forward to what this book will offer us. The motto of Outward Bound is: To serve, to strive and not to yield. This would also be a very appropriate motto for managers (November Release).

When the books are released during the next 2 months I will write a review of each book for you.

David Zinger

The smart folks over at Manager Tools were nice enough to put their tips for management basics podcasts all on 1 page so if you’re new to management, you can find what you need in 1 easy location.The 5 areas Mark Horstman and Michael Auzenne discuss are what they feel are the most important parts of management:

1. One on ones
2. Feedback
3. Coaching
4. Delegation
5. Running effective meetings

If you can understand and execute in these 5 areas, you can be an effective manager. If you can understand and excel in these 5 areas, you can be a GREAT manager.

Everyone: Are there other management “basic skills” that need to be learned, or are these enough to help you hit the ground running?

Experienced managers: Would these podcasts have helped you get started faster? Do you think these are helpful at this stage in the game?

[Phil Gerbyshak is constantly learning great tips from folks smarter than him. The folks at Manager Tools are a great example of this learning.]

Have you had the experience of  “reading” 10 or 20 blog posts in a row and upon finishing the last one wondering to yourself in total bafflement, what did I just read?

This guide  is primarily for self-management, management and leadership blogs when you are looking for content to assist you in your personal or professional development.

Follow these 13 steps to get the most out of your blog reading time:

1. Focus on the title
2. Scan the article
3. Determine if this post is of interest or value to you - if not, carry on elsewhere.
4. Analyze who wrote the post. What are their qualifications for this topic?
5. Ask yourself 1 or 2 questions about the post before reading the actual post. This will transform you from a passive consumer of information into an active reader.
6. Read the actual post.
7. Reflect on the questions you asked yourself before you read the post. Were your questions answered?
8. Take mental or written notes about the post.
9. Summarize the post in your own words
10. Clip or Tag the blog to save it or be social with it. If it is of further value save the blog post or share it. For example clip it in Bloglines, Digg it or del.isio.us it.
11. Add value to the post: Go the extra mile and post a comment or question to the writer.
12. Act: Do something based on the material, take action.
13. Subscribe: If this blog post is interesting and you don’t subscribe to the blog subscribe to it now so you can easily keep following this blog.

Many times you will just scan or scroll through multiple blog posts but when the material is interesting or useful this method will help you maximize your personal benefit from the blog.

You might find that you won’t read as many blog posts overall but the blog posts you read will be more meaningful and enriching. Less volume, more filling!

David Zinger

Are you looking to reach higher goals, with less stress and more happiness? Dr. Ellen Weber reminds us that the power of a thank you can help you reach your goals, with increased well being, courtesy of a research project at UC Davis by one Robert A. Emmons. Other benefits from a 21-day gratitude intervention is greater amounts of high energy positive moods, a greater sense of feeling connected to others, more optimistic ratings of one’s life, and better sleep duration and sleep quality.

If you ask me, sleeping better, feeling more positive, and being more connected to others is reason enough to say thank you!

This week, I encourage you to take the time to transform your workplace with the power of a simple, and specific, thank you! Allow me to start us off.

Thank you for reading Slacker Manager. Your comments, trackbacks, and other ways of providing feedback is what keeps me writing. Even if you don’t agree with what I write, the fact many of you care enough to share your insights makes my week!

[Phil  Gerbyshak will be finding ways to say a specific thank you to each member of his team this week.]

PS Thank you also to Darwin Bell for the thank you graphic! 

Looking for some easy, common sense tips on how to be a better slacker manager? Look no further than this Manager’s Cheat Sheet of 101 Common Sense Rules for Leaders.

Some of my favorite tips from the list:

8. Always smile. Smiles are contagious and will make others feel positive when you’re around.

19. Make sure expectations are clear. Be sure that each member of your team knows what their specific responsibilities are. This will save time and prevent tasks from being overlooked.

24. Don’t micromanage. While it’s fine to keep up with what your employees are working on, don’t constantly look over their shoulders.

32. Be accessible. Don’t hole up in your office all day — come out and visit with your employees. Let them know that they can always come to you with problems and concerns.

33. Be open to constructive criticism. It may not always be what you want to hear, but listening to constructive criticism gives you the chance to learn and grow from your mistakes.

34. Accept responsibility. Part of being the boss is accepting responsibility for the mistakes of all that you manage, not just your own.

88. Take the blame. If you’ve made a mistake, fess up. It’ll give you more time to work on fixing the problem instead of talking your way out of taking the rap.

…and many more on this awesome Manager’s Cheat Sheet.

One thing I always remember when I’m slacker managing:
Amazing things can happen when you don’t care who gets the credit, so let your team get the credit for the great things your team achieves.

It wasn’t always that way. When I first got promoted, I came up with a great idea that one of my associates took complete credit for, as he was the one that had to explain it to the customer. I chastised him severely for this oversight, and it took a LONG time for me to earn his trust back. Did it really matter who the customer thought found the answer? I thought so, but looking back, I was completely wrong.

What do you think? What are your best common sense rules for leaders? What would you add to the Manager’s Cheat Sheet ?

Hat tip to Raven’s Brain for pointing this great article out.

[Phil Gerbyshak is a vice president of information technology who learned the hard way that the power of we is far more than the power of me.]

Do you speak management?

Perhaps you have been at a meeting where someone says, “growth share matrix is in decline because we are at the low end of the innovation adoption curve and we need to enhance instrinsic stakeholder commitment.” This is the kind of statement that makes you look up from the solitaire game on your blackberry to say, “huh?”

Guy Kawasaki pointed out the management methods, models and theories site on his post: MBA in a page. The management site shows all the “fine print” of a plethora of management methods, models, and theories. Before you learn what the growth share matrix is I encourge you to read the entertaining and eclectic dialogue of comments Kawasaki received by referring to this site as MBA In A Page!

After studying the management methods, models, and theories you will be able to speak management abstraction with the best of them. Here are the 5 categories of management areas listed:

1. Strategy - Value Creation
2. Valuation - Decision Making
3. Organization - Change - Culture
4. Communication - Marketing
5. Leadership - Management

Can you weave a concept or phrase from each management area into one sentence?

For example:

After studying the performance prism our impact value needs to be synchronized with our value reporting framework so let’s do a PEST analysis to transform our enterprise architecture. 

Go ahead, let’s see you communicate and obfuscate at the same time. Try posting a comment by integrating a concept from each category to create management buzz.

Leaders who laugh, last.

I see the abstract jargon thrown together as quite funny and I also believe the site is quite exceptional if you seriously need a brief understanding of some of the jargon that is tossed around in management meetings.

Management word power made easy, management work power made queasy — you make the call!

David Zinger

Are you asking the most important question about how to use your time in the present moment?

In the 1990’s, I conducted courses and groups at the University of Manitoba on overcoming procrastination. I used a variety of approaches to help people overcome procrastination, including time management.

This was before the age of Getting Things Done and was when the most popular time management book was How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein. This book is a classic, selling over 3 million copies. I highly recommend this short yet powerful book.

During the 8 session course I always showed a training film based on How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. One of the key principles voiced during the film was to ask yourself a number of times each day: “What is the best use of my time, right now?”

A group of 12 procrastinators were watching the training film. Just after the principle appeared one of the participants packed up his material and left the room. I chased after him and asked what was up. I loved his reply.

I was watching the video and the principle of what is the best use of your time right now came up. Suddenly I realized that I was using the procrastination course to actually procrastinate on studying for an exam. Please don’t take offence but I am off to study right now — that is the best use of my time!

Some course leaders may have been offended but I was thrilled at the instant and authentic application of the principle.

So I ask you:

What is the best use of your time, right now?

David Zinger

Kevin Eikenberry just released his second book, an amazing book called Remarkable Leadership. For TODAY ONLY you can get some amazing bonuses for buying Remarkable Leadership today. I love this book, and I know you will too. It’s a very complete handbook for managers and leaders of all shapes and sizes. You can see all the great bonuses at Kevin’s website.

Kevin gave me an unedited draft to provide an endorsement for the book, and here’s what I said then, and it’s even more true now that I’ve been through the completed version:

This book will equip you with all the skills you need to become a remarkable leader. Remarkable leaders can be made, if we choose to live and improve in our strength zones. Regardless of title, position, or station in life, each of us can become a remarkable leader. This book gives you all the tools you’ll need; the only question is, will you choose to use them all or will you settle for being mediocre?

So when Kevin told me he was trying, for 1 day, to unseat Harry Potter as the #1 best seller on Amazon, I knew the time was right to share this remarkable book with all of you.

As an added bonus for you the loyal readers of Slacker Manager, Kevin agreed to “Take 5″ and share his insights on remarkable leadership, above and beyond what’s in the book and the Remarkable Leadership blog.

Take 5 with Kevin Eikenberry

Phil: Define Remarkable Leadership.

Kevin: First, a remarkable leader as someone who is continually working to become more effective - continually learning and improving. Second, they recognize that remarkable leadership is not about the technical skills of forecasting, budgeting and technical knowledge of the work, but really about how they engender trust, build relationships, develop others, communicate more effectively—all of those other skills that we really think of when we think of great leaders that we’ve worked with in the past.

That’s a remarkable leader – a continual learner who focuses on the work of a leader and not just the technical aspects of the work.

Phil: Is Remarkable Leadership something we all can do, or is it something we have to be born with?

Kevin: We can all be remarkable leaders. Each of us was given a unique bundle of DNA – the genetic code that makes us uniquely us! There are skills that each of us possess that may predispose us to certain strengths as a leader and that is what we need to build from. There are no born leaders, any more than there are born mathematicians. We take the skills we have been given and develop our potential from there. That is why I wrote this book.

Phil: What’s one tip we can do right now to be a more Remarkable Leader?

Kevin: Take action. Identify one thing that you would like to improve on. It could be something you are already good at, or something that you struggle with. Either way, take some action to improve your effectiveness in some way. Remarkable leaders are always on the path towards learning and improvement, and that all starts with action.

Phil: Who is the most Remarkable Leader you know, and why?

Kevin: I get asked this question often and it isn’t really my favorite. I see remarkable leadership in everyone and it is hard to pick a favorite. Force me to and from history, for a variety of reasons, I think of Lincoln, Gandhi and Winston Churchill, again because of the continual focus on learning and growth. These are just three – and I could have just as easily picked people you have never heard of. I could certainly have picked you Phil.

Phil: What are other resources I can have to be a more Remarkable Leader?

Kevin: You mean besides the book and all of the resources we’ve offered readers on our website? Seriously, there are thousands of great resources available. Pick an area to focus on (And focus is VERY important), find a mentor who excels in that area and use my favorite bibliography – Google.

Thanks Kevin! GREAT stuff!

So take 5 minutes RIGHT NOW, and pick up a copy of Remarkable Leadership for you and a friend, and any of your other managers that could benefit from being a more remarkable leader.

What does remarkable leadership mean to you? Do you agree with Kevin that remarkable leadership can be learned?

Stay tuned for more about this great book as the days go by!

I’m proud to introduce my new partner-in-crime here at Slacker Manager, David Zinger. David, you have a very unique take on management and leadership, and I can’t wait to collaborate with you here at Slacker Manager. His Strength Based Leadership blog is a favorite of mine, and we’ve collaborated a bit before over at Joyful Jubilant Learning. He’s one of the best people I know at sharing feedback, and I am super excited to see how we work together to take 2 very different points of view and combine them into The Slacker Manager.

A Six-Pack with David Zinger

1) David, why do you consider yourself a Slacker Manager, and what perspective will you bring to this whole “Slacking is good” philosophy?
I think I qualify because I started this blog with a 2 week vacation. I believe I have perspective based on age and experience. I have been blogging for 3 years. My perspective will be to really build upon what Bren has already done and to work in conjunction with you to go further and funnier.

2) Why did you get on the Slacker Manager bus?
I was waiting for the uptown bus and this one came along! I hope we are going with more than a bus here Phil. How about a helicopter that we can hover, go straight up, and help readers get airborne with management and leadership.

3) You often take a humorous approach to management and leadership. Why is that so important to you?
Humor and playfulness is my number 1 signature strength. I believe when we laugh as leaders we last as leaders and that mirth makes for good management. I think when you can see and express the humor of something you have a richer understanding of it. I am fascinated by people’s responses to humor. I have been writing a humor spoof blog called Dr. Z’s Leadership Institute and it is amazing some of the puzzled responses I get to it. Some love it and others don’t “get it.” We need to “get it” as managers. I don’t want to go much further with this as I wrote a Master’s Thesis on humor in counselling and I always appreciated the line, “explaining humor is like dissecting a frog, it is interesting what you find but it is no longer full of life.” rib-bet rib-bet.

4) What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten that you can share as encouragement for our aspiring Slacker Managers?
I was travelling with two Australian beer guzzling bikers through New Zealand about 28 years ago and they always said: Go for it and Give it Heaps, Mate. I think we need to “go for” things that are important, give it our best, and know that we are doing it with our “mates.”

5) Managers and leaders need vision and foresight. How do you “get that” if you don’t have it?
By reading this blog, going for an eye test, and wearing glasses. I think you first want to have vision and then you need to devote time and energy to it and make it a priority.

6) Speaking of vision and foresight, where do you see Slacker Manager going now that you’re co-driving the bus?
I am not sure as I think reader response will have a huge impact on our direction. I would like to make this the leading site for management and leadership and I would like Bren to say in 1 year that he is glad we are doing this. Phil, I have rung the bell, gotten off of the bus, and I want to hover above the information highway to bring our readers perspectives, off the road ideas, traffic reports and help them find the “path of least resistance so they don’t trip and fall.”

So now you know both the Slackers here at Slacker Manager.

Back to your regularly scheduled programming of Slacking and Managing, brought to you by David Zinger and Phil Gerbyshak.