Who is your favorite manager? I’ll bet you can name her or him in a heartbeat, and think of the qualities he or she had.

Was she a good listener?

Did he help stretch you to set greater goals?

Did she frequently recognize when you did great work?

Was he someone you could count on to pick you up when you were down?

What was it that made them so great?

Whatever it was, take some time today and give that manager a best manager award.

What is a best manager award?

No, it doesn’t have to be an academy award.

How about…

A handwritten thank you note from you, indicating how much you appreciate the way she made you feel.

A batch of hand-baked cookies with a half gallon of ice cold milk.

A phone call saying “Hey boss, thanks for all you did to improve my life and my career.”

It doesn’t have to be fancy. A little bit of recognition goes a LONG way.

A heartfelt thanks for a job well done would be great!

Though I’d still love some fresh cookies and cold milk

Best Actress Academy Awards courtesy of cliff1066

One of the books that changed the way I manage and live my life is Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders. It’s not a new book, but it’s a classic.

I’ve owned this book 5 or 6 times, I own it on audio, and I’ve seen Tim give a keynote about this book in the past.

It changed the way I think because it talks about being a “lovecat.” What’s a lovecat, you ask?

According to Tim, a lovecat is someone who is successful and happy about they got there.

Sounds like me…now Hasn’t always been this way, but I’m glad it’s me now.

3 ways to be a lovecat:

• Build a stronghold of knowledge – Tim recommends reading more books. I do too!
• Build a network of relationships – The more people you have in your life, the more people you can ask questions of, can learn from, and can share with!
• Share your passion – OK, I got ahead of myself. Sharing your passion is why I write this blog, and why I keep up my personal blog at http://philgerbyshak.com I LOVE people and so I share them every way I can, with as many other people as I can.

What follows is a little video Tim Sanders created to launch the book. It will give you a few of the highlights from the book…and it’ll make you want to buy Love is the Killer App.

Love Is The Killer App from Tim Sanders on Vimeo.

This is part 2 of my interview with super smart guy Rajesh Setty, author of the GREAT book Upbeat. I am very fortunate that because of the connecting power of blogging, I count Raj among my friends. Instead of just another boring interview, I thought it would be nice to ask about some of Raj’s insights about business. The insights are as applicable to managers as they are to entrepreneurs.

Phil: Switching gears: you’re what I call a serial entrepreneur. What do you look for in a company to create, to acquire or to invest in?

Rajesh: These are the few things that I think about:

1. People: Are these the people that I want to have a relationship until the end of my life?
2. People: Are these the people who think they want to have a relationship until the end of their life?
3. People: Are these the people who are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen?
4. People: Are these the people who are willing and open to learn from the experts on things where they need to learn.
5. People: Do they have the right skills and would they be willing to play the right roles (dropping their egos) to make this work
6. People: These are the people who can spot the difference between a "real opportunity" and an "also ran possibility."

Phil: You’ve told me you think of your companies as children, that you can’t pick a favorite. How does that affect the way you manage and lead these companies?

Rajesh: I play a lead role in a couple of companies but in most other companies I am in the lead supporting role. Whatever be that role, by treating them as my children, I get emotionally attached to making them grow to their full potential.

Until now, it has worked out great. I keep everything transparent with all the people involved in all the companies - first, because it is the right thing to do and second, it is for my memory efficiency - meaning I don’t have to remember two versions of the same thing.

Because of my speaking and writing, I get to network and connect with people all over the world and it opens up opportunities for multiple companies simultaneously.

Phil: What’s your best advice for folks trying to get their business off the ground?

Rajesh: At the risk of making it look very simple, here is one approach to consider - many of the things that I am saying below have to be done before you start your business to get the maximum benefit.

Things to do before you start building a business:

1. Identity why you want to build a business. If you try to build a business for the wrong reasons, you tend to quit when the going gets tough.
2. Go and help others who are building businesses without expecting anything back. The reason for this is that you will get to know what it really takes to build a business and you will start establishing your network
3. Connect people to create mutually beneficial opportunities. It costs less than you think and it pays back more than you think.
4. Invest in yourself to learn and grow. When it comes to investing in yourself, the cost of NOT investing is usually way higher than the investment itself.
5. Build a powerful personal brand and it will open new opportunities.

Things to do when you start building a business:

1. Don’t get attached to the idea. Get attached to the cause. Your first idea may not be the best but that does not mean that you shouldn’t start getting into the ring.
2. Get the right people on the bus. Half the job is done. If you don’t get the right people in the bus, you don’t start at zero - you start at negative.
3. Get the right people in the ecosystem - vendors, partners, board members, coaches - whoever you think will help the business.
4. Fail. Forward. Fast! - This is the mantra from one of my heroes Tom Peters. Works like magic.
5. Take your ego. Pack it nicely and throw it away. You won’t need it on this journey. In fact, it is extra baggage.

Phil: Social media is becoming more and more commonplace. You even wrote an awesome book by using Twitter. Why have you embraced this medium, and
why should we embrace it?

Rajesh: Social media for me is a great amplifier of what you are doing outside the social media. Unless you are a "social media consultant," my suggestion is to continuously build accomplishments outside of the social media and use social media to contribute and spread great ideas.

For me it helps to stitch everything that I am doing and to initiate and build new relationships and enhance the old relationships.

Phil: How important is blogging for your business, and how has it benefited you personally?

Rajesh: I have been blogging for more than four years now. I can easily say that I wouldn’t be where I am if I had not started blogging. Remember Phil - it was a few years ago but we both met first when we started talking because of our blogs. Of course, over the years we have built a relationship beyond the blogs but it started there. (NOTE: This is why I love blogging. Meeting cool people like Raj!)

I am fortunate to have met so many cool people that has opened so many new possibilities. The world is really a small place with a blog.

Phil: You’re one of the most genuine people on the planet. I know it’s something you either have or you don’t, but what do you recommend for folks looking for people they can trust, when many are so untrustworthy?

Rajesh: Wow.. that is so kind of you Phil.

There are a few things you can do:

1. Ask for referrals from people you trust. Referrals from trusted people are great filters and usually they are implied endorsements.
2. There is no way you can get this right every time. So when you get this wrong, please stop blaming yourself and move on.
3. Listen. Most often if you listen long enough, you will already discover the "real" person.
4. Read. In the world of social media, everybody has a "zeroth impression" via their blogs, tweets and comments on other blogs. Follow them for a while and you know "who they are" (well, almost) even before we meet them.
5. Walk before you run. That way if you fall down, it hurts less.

Phil: You always surprise me with all the cool stuff you are working on. Please tell us: What’s next for Raj Setty?

Rajesh: The very next thing (in the next couple of weeks) Phil is publishing the eBook Defiant: Practical Tips to Thrive in Tough Times. It has contributions from more than 50 people (including you.)  It is an eBook that is more than 80 pages filled with tips that people can benefit from during these tough times.

My friends Bill Sherman and James Wondrack are putting the final touches on it and I am totally thrilled about it.

Phil: Thanks so much to you Raj for sharing your time and your insights with the Slacker Manager readers…and with me.

For more from Rajesh Setty:

• Pick up a copy of his book Upbeat
• Read the Life Beyond Code blog
• Power of Questions – One of Raj’s Squidoo lens
• 25 Ways to Distinguish Yourself – Free ebook from Raj about personally branding
• How to get ahead without an MBA

A few weeks back I gave away a few copies of Raj Setty’s latest book Upbeat. The response for this book was very strong. Folks really liked the ideas presented in the book, so much so that I asked Raj to do an interview with me to talk about the book and about his take an being an entrepreneur. Raj has a very interesting take on how to remain upbeat in these challenging times, and it is my pleasure to share a little more of him with you.

Phil: Upbeat is the perfect book for these crazy times. How long did it take you to write it and what gave you the inspiration for it?

Rajesh: Thank you Phil for the opportunity to have this conversation.

I had an opportunity to build my first startup during the previous recession. It was not easy. The easiest way to define what was happening then was that "nobody was buying anything from anyone and everybody was trying selling something to everyone." If we loved bad news, then we were in luck. There was bad news everyday - on the TV, in the newspapers, on the radio and there was generally some bad news shared during any interaction with anyone - online or offline.

We learned a lot during that period as the only way to have survived running a "bootstrapped" startup was to stay Upbeat. So I wrote most of it during that journey but by the time I completed the book, that recession was over. So I packed it up and and kept it aside.  I didn’t have to wait for long as there was a another recession very soon. I unpacked the book, updated it and got it published.

Phil: What’s your biggest tip for remaining upbeat?

Rajesh: Biggest tip: You have only so much time in your day. So please focus on things that will add capacity to you and others around you to contribute more. This means you will automatically avoid focusing on bad news, gossip and unnecessary "sympathy exchanges" as that will neither add capacity to you or people around you to contribute more.

Phil: Who are some of your attitude role models, and why?

Rajesh: Not trying to avoid the question but I really can’t do justice by listing only a few names. It is just not fair
I learn from a lot of people and I am fortunate to be surrounded by many of them.

Phil: Have you always been this upbeat?

Rajesh: I have my down days, yes but I don’t remember many of them. I have sort of selective memory - I end up remembering all the good things and automatically the things that bring me down fade away.

So, in summary I have chosen to be Upbeat. I don’t succeed all the time but mostly I win.

For more from Raj right now, you can download Beyond Code for free, or read his Beyond Code blog.

Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow with Raj, where he talks about being an entrepreneur and how we can be more entrepreneurial in our lives as managers.

Photo of Raj courtesy of Karthik Sundaram at Purplepatch Services

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 be more targeted and improve our odds of being delighted. This is where going with the energy comes in.

This is how I live my life and my job: targeted, yet half-full and open to the possibilities that I can, and my team can, achieve more. Admittedly, this frustrates me sometimes because I know we can do more, I know we can BE more…but I don’t know how to crack into that nut. It’s one of the reasons I keep writing here on Slacker Manager, even when I’m not sure I have much more to explore in the management arena. I try to share what I see with the eyes of someone who hasn’t seen it before, instead of writing as a jaded manager who’s been there, done that.

I still have a LOT to learn about being a better manager, and I still have a LOT to share with you.

I’m going to go where the energy is, and keep writing about the half-full side of management. If you came here looking for an old grizzled manager who wants to whine about all that’s wrong with Generation Y or about how a lack of resources is miserable, keep on going somewhere else. I’m going to stay where the energy is, in the sweet spot of half-full management.

What about you?

Are you managing half-full or half-empty?

Glass half full or half empty photo credit to Misserion

Today is Independence Day in the United States. It’s a day we celebrate our freedom from the tyranny of the British, dating all the way back to 1776.

I am thankful for those who came long before me, who paid a VERY high price for the freedoms I now take for granted every day.

Specifically, I am thankful for:

• Freedom of religion, press and expression – I am thankful for this freedom more than any. It allows me to write this blog and not worry about being out of bounds. I am thankful for this because it allows me to explore my religion, and it allows me to express myself in any way I feel best.
• Freedom to vote – If I don’t like the folks in office, I can work to get someone else elected and place my vote for whomever I wish.
• Freedom for cruel and unusual punishment – I am thankful if I commit a crime, I can’t be hung up by my thumbs in the town square.

Check out the whole constitution and think about what you are thankful for.

US Constitution No. 1 photo credit to Caveman_92223

Friend of Slacker Manager Scot Herrick is on vacation this week, so he asked some of his favorite Cubicle Warriors to share their insights with his readers. I was one of the contributors, with an article titled Managing from the Corner Cubicle.

I shared 4 reasons why it’s better to work in the corner cubicle than the corner office.

• Visibility
• Accessibility
• Knowledge gathering
• Dive in when needed

Read the details of Managing from the Corner Cubicle and leave a comment with your thoughts about cube life.

Cubicle Left photo credit to Kenner

Kevin Eikenberry is holding a fantastic contest to select the best leadership blogs of 2009. He’s picked the best of the best, and though I don’t agree that all blogs are leadership blogs, the ones selected are outstanding.

Without further ado, the nominees are:

• Leading Blog by Michael McKinney
• Great Leadership by Dan McCarthy
• Seth Godin’s Blog by Seth Godin
• Jon Gordon’s Blog by Jon Gordon
• Leadership is a Verb by John Bishop
• All Things Workplace by Steve Roesler
• Work Matters by Bob Sutton
• Leader Talk by Becky Robinson
• Next Level Blog by Scott Eblin
• Leadership At Work by John Baldoni

Vote for the best leadership blogs of 2009 today! Kevin is giving away 4 prizes worth $199!

Question: Which blogs would YOU nominate that aren’t on this list?

Image courtesy of Kevin Eikenberry

I recently had a webinar about my new book Help Desk Manager’s Crash course, and many of the participants wanted to know more about teambuilding. I thought it’d be nice to share my primer here, and then dive a little deeper into activities that work, and finally into how to teambuild with peers and up the organization.

Go first - As manager, you have to go first, show that you’re vulnerable, that you’re human, and that your team can trust you. If you aren’t willing to go first, why would anyone else want to contribute?

Share something folks don’t already know - Sure, it’s great to share the adversity story your team has heard 100 times…but not if you really want to build a team. Share something new, something surprising, that folks don’t know.

Let folks not participate - Some folks won’t participate in your team building activities. So WHAT! Make it safe for those who want to participate, and perhaps you can leave your non-players back to watch the phones or to do work while the rest of the team has fun.

Don’t play YOUR favorite game - Everyone wants to win, and everyone knows what the boss’ favorite game is. If you play your favorite game, you risk the trust of the whole team because folks either won’t play with you because they don’t want to risk beating you, won’t play as hard (and then will complain behind your back) or they’ll see that it’s your favorite game and try to ruin it for you. Not good outcomes. Instead…

Find out what your team enjoys (and play that instead) - Ask your team what THEY want to play–and then play their games. Let them set the rules, let them organize things, back them up so it’s safe to fail–and give them all the kudos if it’s a huge success.

Make it fun – Fun stuff is more apt to build teamwork than more work stuff. Make it fun, and folks will play. Just remember that everyone’s definition of fun is a little different.

Keep it simple – Simple stuff is more likely to get done than complicated stuff. Make it as simple as possible for folks to participate, and they will be more likely to do so.

Pizza is NOT teambuilding - Just because you bring in a pizza does NOT make it a team building exercise. Unless you’re making a pizza, or you’re eating pizza at Dave & Busters, pizza doesn’t equal teambuilding.

What are YOUR best teambuilding suggestions?

soccer practice photo credit to woodleywonderworks

If you were someone who won a copy of Rajesh Setty’s new book Upbeat, please send me a note at phil.gerbyshak @ b5media.com with your address. If you sent it already, I lost it. I tried to contact you, but I failed and it bounced back.

Thanks again to Raj for sharing your book!

Helen, who commented on Justin’s suggestion (in addition to another entry later in the contest): “It’s the GRATITUDE ATTITUDE — I LIKE IT Justin !!!”

Angela Marasco, who shared 3 tips: “I have three top ways of staying upbeat! 1. I have a “no negativity” office policy! Only positive thoughts and attitudes are brought through the door. Now…understanding that everyone can feel a bit negative at times, those negative thoughts must be channeled into a solution and voiced as a positive. This is sort of like the old interview question, “what are your weaknesses”! Everyone knows that you never voice a true negative…you take a negative and turn it into a positive! 2. Rid yourself of negativity and stay upbeat through proper diet and stress relieving exercise! This is considered a daily ritual. It’s amazing how much more positive you are when your body feels physically healthy. 3. Start to feel negative…take a moment…turn on some good music…and dance like nobody’s watching! This works for me every time!”

Scott C Griffin who offered this great tip, and a tale to help us remember it:: “One thing I do is to write it out - get it OUT of your system. It is more like self-therapy than anything else but you can then let it go and get on with your life. I also keep a poster that I made with some words of wisdom. The ‘words of wisdom’ came from my mother-in-law to my wife - a passing of a Native-American tradition for centuries. This is what my MIL passed on to the family - I read these words to make me think and re-focus …

Cherokee Wisdom

An elder Cherokee was teaching his grand-children about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me, a terrible fight between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf represents joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, security, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generos-ity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.” The children thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.””

Jeannette shared this tip: “I bought a puppy. She is my inspiration, she is always happy to see me, she always wags her tail. She doesn’t know there is a recession and it’s my responsibility to give her the best life I can! My drive comes from that, my positivity comes from that - I am invincible making sure she is well looked after. Know that what you do is for yourself and your loved ones! (Even though I have wet patches on the carpet sometimes!)” There were 15 more GREAT tips on how to remain upbeat as well. I’d encourage you to read them all, and go buy yourself a copy of Upbeat Now for yourself and a co-worker today!