October 2007

how should new managers be trained?

It’s practically cliche at this point to point out that new managers don’t get enough training in the art of management, but I haven’t seen a lot delineating exactly what topics new managers should be trained in. Here’s what I have on my outline for training new managers: 1. What exactly is a manager responsible […]

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offer never materialized

A reader writes: I have worked for the last five years as a non-traditional, part-time student assistant at a campus job while working on my “four year” undergraduate degree. The very unofficial title I’ve earned over the years is “media guy”; I transfer nearly century old films and audio items to digital, more accessible mediums […]

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getting the raise you’ve earned

A reader writes: So what happens after you explain and show the measurable amounts (just shy of $1 million savings in the current year) you have saved the company…..and you have it explained away as “you did your job” when a pay raise is discussed? As a leader I absolutely understand this statement, but as […]

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rejecting job candidates

In a post today, Penelope Trunk talks about the advantages of rejecting bad candidates on the spot — for instance, telling them at the end of the phone interview that they’re not among the strongest candidates and you’re going to be focusing on others. I will occasionally do this, but more often than not, even […]

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what are managers responsible for?

Later this week I will write about how I train new managers, but first let’s answer this question: What are managers responsible for? It sounds simple, but all too often people can’t give a comprehensive answer. Yes, managers are responsible for “getting stuff done,” but let’s break it down. Managers are responsible for ensuring the […]

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i love me some humility

I have a pet peeve: job applicants who tell me in their cover letter that they are without any doubt “the best” candidate for the job. This amazingly bold statement is often made by candidates who, in fact, match very few of the requirements of the job. But even if that weren’t the case, come […]

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do you conduct entry interviews?

Exit interviews of employees who are leaving are a great way to collect information about how the organization can do things better — but why not get that information before the employee is halfway out the door? Even better, why not get it early on in an employee’s tenure, so you can use the information […]

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reference requests when you can’t give a good one

I love to serve as a reference for most former employees. But I’ve also occasionally been asked to be a reference for employees who I can’t honestly recommend. Here are some ways to handle reference requests when you can’t recommend the candidate: 1. Whenever possible, warn the employee in advance that you won’t be able […]

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was I ready for a career leap?

A reader writes: After spending about a year in a post-college entry-level position, I was recently terminated from a new job that I’d hoped was going to be a major step forward in my career. (We’re talking a nearly 35 percent pay raise and an operation three or four times bigger than where I started.) […]

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