Archive for the ‘management’ tag
Why I like the Manager Tools Podcast
I’ve been listening to Manager Tools Podcast for a couple years now. I really enjoy it, because the direction is specific, yet one can generalize the specifics to form concrete principles.
The podcast presents everything in very basic steps. If the topic is hosting a meeting, they tell you (in a dozen or so steps) exactly what to do. I mean exactly.
It occurred to me a week or so ago that I’m an unlikely fan since I’m not in a role to execute any of their detailed steps.
I realized early this week why I like it so much: by being presented with these basic steps so often, one can generalize on them and gain very insightful principles.
For example, while detailing a discussion about feedback, they tell the story of Shamu–and how Shamu only gets positive feedback yet learns to jump over a rope suspended above the water.
I realized immediately that I don’t give enough positive feedback to my peers nor my children (nor do I receive enough from my bosses). After realizing this deficiency, it became very easy to compensate for it–both at home and at work.