To-Do List Battle Royale; Be An Original; The 10 Rs Of Leadership

by John Walston March 26, 2016

It was a great week! OK, we didn’t sell as many Blueprints as we’d like, but I personally had email exchanges with 81 of you who told me why you didn’t buy (more on that later). And that was the great part. I really appreciate it and our marketing team is poring over your comments.

Yep, I know you’re busy. Who’s got time to read? But there is a lot of valuable and helpful information being published each week that can make your life easier.

And we can help you with that. The ResourcefulManager team scours the ‘Net daily researching our reports, and we turn up some really interesting stuff.

So we thought we’d start sharing the best of it.

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Professional Development

Paralyzed By Public Speaking? 19 Tips From Someone Like You

by Renee Cocchi March 20, 2016

What’s the one thing people fear most?

Public speaking!!!!

It takes the No. 1 spot on my list! I’ll do just about anything to get out of doing a presentation.

So why are so many people afraid of public speaking?

Basically it comes down to: There’s safety in numbers – and vulnerability in standing alone.

Makes sense to me. When giving a presentation, my face turns red, I start to sweat, my mouth dries out and my mind goes blank. Yeah, I would say I’m feeling vulnerable!

But the good news is there’s hope.

Following this 19-step guide can help conquer your public speaking fears:

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Hiring

Top 7 Phrases That Say You’ve Found The Right Person For The Job

by Renee Cocchi March 13, 2016

You have a position open on your staff, and now you need to start the interview process.

Love it or hate it, it’s part of being a manager.

So you sit down with the stack of resumes you received. Right off the bat, you weed out the ones that don’t have the qualifications to do the job. Then you ask HR to set up interviews with the folks you’ve earmarked as “potential candidates.”

You know all the right questons. After all, you’ve been doing this for years, you’ve been coached by people who’ve been doing it for years or you’ve read extensively about the process.

And you’re a darn good listener. You can spot the “preplanned” typical bull, like “My biggest weakness is I’m a workaholic who loses track of time and ends up working late almost every night.”

I never buy that one.

So what key phrases do job candidates utter during interviews that do tell you this person is YOUR man or woman for the job?

Here are seven examples that should be music to your ears:

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Performance Management

6 Things Employees Want To Hear Most From Their Managers

by Lisa McKale February 28, 2016

Do you consider yourself an open-door manager?

Well, when you swing your door open wide, you’re bound to encounter some sticky situations.

How you respond to employees in those first moments when they walk through your door says a lot.

Say the wrong thing and, instead of building confidence, you can leave a person feeling shattered and alone.

So when the moment calls for aplomb and a deft touch, how do you respond?

Here are six things employees want to hear most when they come to you for help.

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Leadership

Are You A Micromanager? Take The Quiz And Find Out

by John Walston February 21, 2016

Are you a micromanager? Odds are, if you manage other people you have at least some micromanaging traits. It’s hard to avoid.

The problem is, it hurts your team. Your employees are looking to grow and develop, and micromanaging stunts their growth. Stunt them long enough, and they’ll leave.

And to replace them can cost you 50% to 200% of the employee’s salary. Yikes!

So take the quiz and find out how much of a micromanager you are. Hopefully, you’ll discover that you’re a star.

Of course, there’s the other side, too. You may find out you’re a completely over-the-top Control Freak.

Good luck!

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Professional Development

17 Writing Mistakes That Make Smart People Look Dumb

by Renee Cocchi February 14, 2016

You probably became a manager because you were good at your job and good with people. Right?

But you probably never said, “I should become a manager because I’m a great writer.”

Unfortunately, writing is a part of just about any job, especially if you’re a manager. You have to write emails, memos, reports, reviews and so on.

And while you don’t have to be Mark Twain or J.K. Rowling, knowing how to write a complete sentence that makes sense is important in the business world.

Reason: Bad writing makes it look as if you lack intelligence!

And while you might get away with using the wrong word in a conversation because once it’s spoken it’s gone, that’s not the way it works with the written word. It’s there for everyone to pick apart – forever.

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Leadership

10 Empowering Quotes from Inspiring Women Leaders [Infographic]

by John Walston February 7, 2016

Need some additional inspiration to help you become successful?

These empowering quotes from inspiring women leaders might help motivate you to reach the next level. They come from different walks of life – business, politics and entertainment – but their messages resonate with all of us.

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Leadership

11 Highly Successful People And How They Stay Motivated

by Lisa McKale January 31, 2016

The late comedy legend George Burns described motivation this way:

“I wake up every morning, get out of bed, read the newspaper, and if I don’t see my obituary, I go downstairs and have breakfast.”

Funny! But what makes successful people tick? Money? Pride? Attention and fame?

Actually, enduring motivation has deeper roots. The money and the rest of it, that’s just gravy – the extras that result from being motivated.

Don’t think so? Then take a look at how these 11 very successful people motivate themselves – in their own words.

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Performance Management

The 9 Difficult Employees Who Give Me Ulcers

by Rich Henson January 24, 2016

Face it, we all have them – unreasonable and difficult people we have to work with.

They burp. They yell. They spread rumors. They take NO accountability..

And as a manager you know you’re going to have to do something about it — eventually.

You’ve probably gotten plenty of advice:

Keep your cool.
Be proactive.
Pick your battles.

But somehow, like the spaceships in an old Galaga arcade game, they just keep coming at you – in droves.

Here are the nine difficult people that give me ulcers:

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Professional Development

7 Little-Known Traits That Make Leaders Great Communicators

by Renee Cocchi January 17, 2016

Know what all great leaders have in common?

They’re great communicators.

Notice I didn’t say great talkers. Just because someone can talk a good game doesn’t mean he or she is a great communicator (even though everyone pictured above are or were masters of both).

Often it’s the opposite!

I know a ton of great talkers, but virtually none of them are great leaders – heck, most aren’t even mediocre leaders.

But listen, I won’t bore you with the typical characteristics or qualities (great listener, personable, passionate, clear and concise, attentive to nonverbal cues, etc.) that make great leaders great communicators.

Instead let’s look at the not-so-obvious characteristics and qualities that make a difference.

Great leaders are great communicators because they:

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