There is an old saying that “management is easy, except for the people.” While that statement may be amusing, it definitely contains an element of truth because there is an art to effective management. But sadly, many individuals don't understand how to be good managers, and more often than not, companies don't spend the time to train people to become good managers.
Just think, how often have you been asked or even spent the time to consider:
• How long have you been the manager of a team or department?
• How would you describe your management style?
• How many employees are you directly responsible for?
• What is most important for you to see in the employees that work for you?
• How do you measure the success of your employees?
• Do you mentor your employees?
A quote from “Becoming a Successful Manager” by Jack H. Grossman says it all, “Now you’ve earned your reward: a staff to manage. [But] from now on, your success no longer depends on just your technical abilities and specialized knowledge. You will only prosper if other people do their jobs well.”
Here are some great management books to assist you as you build your management skills and become an effective and inspiring manager!
First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
By Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
c. 1999
Now, Discover Your Strengths
By Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
c. 2001
The First-Time Manager
By Loren B. Belker and Gary S. Topchik
c. 2005
What to Do When You Become the Boss: How New Managers Become Successful Managers
By Bob Selden
c. 2007
Becoming a Successful Manager: How to Make a Smooth Transition from Managing Yourself to Managing Others
By Jack H. Grossman and J. Robert Parkinson
c. 2001
The New Manager’s Handbook: 24 Lessons for Mastering Your New Role
By Morey Stettner
c. 2006
101 Biggest Mistakes Managers Make and How to Avoid Them
By Mary Albright and Clay Carr
c. 1997
Managing
By Henry Mintzberg
c. 2009
The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work
By Jon Gordon
c. 2008
The Disney Way: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company
By Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson
c. 2006
Lastly, if you would like to avoid new manager mistakes, check out this list of the top 10 common mistakes: http://bit.ly/df05Kk.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Top 10 Website Development and Design Resources
Everyone is online, and that’s great, but how often have you visited a website and thought, “WHAT were they thinking?” Either the company’s mission was hard to understand, the product display was disorganized, links didn’t work, contact details for customer service or tech support were missing, or the site was just ugly. How many times have you visited a website and wondered who created it (the marketing department, the tech department, or the second-cousin of the owner’s wife)?
To assist with your website development and design initiatives, here is a list of my top 10 resources. Enjoy!
70 Website Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By Raynay Valles
c. 2010
Letting Go of the Words – Writing Web Content that Works
By Janice (Ginny) Redish
c. 2007
Building Findable Websites – Web Standards, SEO, and Beyond
By Aarron Walter
c. 2008
http://buildingfindablewebsites.com/
Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites
By Kevin Potts
c. 2007
Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning
By Dan Brown
c. 2006
Neuro Web Design – What Makes Them Click?
By Susan M. Weinschenk, Ph.D.
c. 2009
Content Strategy for the Web
By Kristina Halvorson
c. 2009
The Complete Guide to Affiliate Marketing on the Web
By Bruce C. Brown
c. 2008
Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity
By Avinash Kaushik
c. 2009
Website Marketing Association & Annual WebAward Competition
http://www.webmarketingassociation.org/
http://www.webaward.org/
To assist with your website development and design initiatives, here is a list of my top 10 resources. Enjoy!
70 Website Marketing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
By Raynay Valles
c. 2010
Letting Go of the Words – Writing Web Content that Works
By Janice (Ginny) Redish
c. 2007
Building Findable Websites – Web Standards, SEO, and Beyond
By Aarron Walter
c. 2008
http://buildingfindablewebsites.com/
Web Design and Marketing Solutions for Business Websites
By Kevin Potts
c. 2007
Communicating Design: Developing Web Site Documentation for Design and Planning
By Dan Brown
c. 2006
Neuro Web Design – What Makes Them Click?
By Susan M. Weinschenk, Ph.D.
c. 2009
Content Strategy for the Web
By Kristina Halvorson
c. 2009
The Complete Guide to Affiliate Marketing on the Web
By Bruce C. Brown
c. 2008
Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity
By Avinash Kaushik
c. 2009
Website Marketing Association & Annual WebAward Competition
http://www.webmarketingassociation.org/
http://www.webaward.org/
Monday, March 15, 2010
Leaders Can Learn, Too
There are some leaders in CEO-land and senior management-land who are exceptional. They build professional environments where all employees are dedicated to their jobs, embrace the company mission, become brand ambassadors, and consistently go above and beyond performance expectations. These leaders communicate to their teams and share information, and their employees are given the tools and the space to do their jobs.
However, there is also another type of leader. Sadly, this type of leader operates behind closed doors. This type of leader creates an environment that is more of a dictatorship rather than a democracy. There may be a team of senior management types, but any authority that they might have is just an illusion – they have no say in major decisions. This type of leader does not allow senior management to lead their own departments, but instead, this type of leader micro-manages every aspect of a company, which eventually, leads to its demise – or limited existence. Employees will become disillusioned over time, and there will be no one to actually work.
However, there is help for the leader who is attitude-challenged and results-challenged. A recent article detailed an interesting experiment conducted by two inspiring CEOs who lead two companies from Fortune’s Best 100 Companies list: Maxine Clark of Build-A-Bear and Kip Tendell of Container Store. The two CEOs traded jobs for a day – I know, it sounds like a movie script – but what they learned was invaluable. Both CEOs stated that their one-day job switch provided them with incredible insights into employee training, customer interaction, and overall customer experience. Just think what would be possible if other leaders could gain this amount of insight in a single day!
Fortune article:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/21/news/companies/build_a_bear_container_store.fortune/
Kip Tendell’s blog post:
http://blog.nrf.com/2010/02/14/container-store-ceo-gives-inside-scoop-on-we-love-our-employees-day/
However, there is also another type of leader. Sadly, this type of leader operates behind closed doors. This type of leader creates an environment that is more of a dictatorship rather than a democracy. There may be a team of senior management types, but any authority that they might have is just an illusion – they have no say in major decisions. This type of leader does not allow senior management to lead their own departments, but instead, this type of leader micro-manages every aspect of a company, which eventually, leads to its demise – or limited existence. Employees will become disillusioned over time, and there will be no one to actually work.
However, there is help for the leader who is attitude-challenged and results-challenged. A recent article detailed an interesting experiment conducted by two inspiring CEOs who lead two companies from Fortune’s Best 100 Companies list: Maxine Clark of Build-A-Bear and Kip Tendell of Container Store. The two CEOs traded jobs for a day – I know, it sounds like a movie script – but what they learned was invaluable. Both CEOs stated that their one-day job switch provided them with incredible insights into employee training, customer interaction, and overall customer experience. Just think what would be possible if other leaders could gain this amount of insight in a single day!
Fortune article:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/01/21/news/companies/build_a_bear_container_store.fortune/
Kip Tendell’s blog post:
http://blog.nrf.com/2010/02/14/container-store-ceo-gives-inside-scoop-on-we-love-our-employees-day/
Monday, March 8, 2010
Top 10 Public Relations Books
According to The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook, The Digital Age, “The media that can cover your company’s story now include hundreds of niche cable channels, high-definition split-offs of radio stations, thousands of online publications, and millions of blogs. Neither a few well-placed advertisements nor even a comprehensive, multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in broadcast and print can dependably reach the majority of consumers these days. [So, as a result of] finding conventional advertising less effective, companies are increasingly turning to public relations for new ideas. [As a result,] public relations spending is growing at almost double the rate of advertising.”
To assist with your public relations and media outreach, here is a list of my top 10 public relations books. Enjoy!
The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook: The Digital Age
c. 2007
By Merry Aronson, Don Spetner, and Carol Ames
Strategic Planning for Public Relations
c. 2009
By Ronald D. Smith
The Associated Press Stylebook 2009
c. 2009
Edited by the Associated Press
Making News: A Straight-Shooting Guide to Media Relations
c. 2006
By David Henderson
Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy
c. 2007 (second edition)
By Linda B. VandeVrede
Media Training 101: A Guide to Meeting the Press
c. 2003
By Sally Stewart
Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR
c. 2009
By Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly
c. 2010 (second edition)
By David Meerman Scott
Never Say “No Comment”
c. 2003
By Ian Taylor and George Olds
How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less
c. 1990
By Milo O. Frank
To assist with your public relations and media outreach, here is a list of my top 10 public relations books. Enjoy!
The Public Relations Writer’s Handbook: The Digital Age
c. 2007
By Merry Aronson, Don Spetner, and Carol Ames
Strategic Planning for Public Relations
c. 2009
By Ronald D. Smith
The Associated Press Stylebook 2009
c. 2009
Edited by the Associated Press
Making News: A Straight-Shooting Guide to Media Relations
c. 2006
By David Henderson
Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy
c. 2007 (second edition)
By Linda B. VandeVrede
Media Training 101: A Guide to Meeting the Press
c. 2003
By Sally Stewart
Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR
c. 2009
By Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge
The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly
c. 2010 (second edition)
By David Meerman Scott
Never Say “No Comment”
c. 2003
By Ian Taylor and George Olds
How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less
c. 1990
By Milo O. Frank
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
How to Avoid Death by Meetings
Have you ever fallen asleep during a meeting? You know the type of meeting I’m talking about. Someone talks for what seems like hours about a topic that has nothing to do with the project that needs discussing. Or, the meeting was progressing well and then somehow takes a detour and never gets back on track. Or, there is no agenda for the meeting. Did you know that these unpleasant meetings can be avoided? The solution can be simple: determine the meeting’s objective, assign a meeting organizer, create an agenda, and set start and end times for the meeting.
When someone has the task of organizing or coordinating a meeting, all of a sudden, there is meeting ownership. With ownership, the meeting assumes importance – it is not just a weekly meeting where people gather for coffee and conversation. With importance, there is an objective for the meeting. Something needs to be accomplished, and the management team or project team has determined that a gathering of a project’s contributors is the best way to accomplish the objective.
As a meeting organizer, know the purpose of your meeting. Have you assembled attendees to brainstorm and debate or just sit and listen? Is the meeting’s purpose to solve a tactical problem or a more significant strategic issue? Or share schedules or review weekly activities? Or discuss the competitive landscape or team development? Have you planned how to engage attendees in the first 5 or 10 minutes so that they understand the meeting’s objective and how they can best contribute? Don’t allow people to cause strife in the name of being a “devil’s advocate” – if challenging perspectives are discussed, make sure that there are reasons behind the perspectives. If time is not being spent wisely during the meeting, it is the organizer’s job to re-focus (e.g., someone talks and talks and talks – but not on point). While everyone may think a meeting is successful if it ends early, the true sign of a successful meeting is if it ends with clarity and commitment from attendees. Of course, if you want the meeting to end really quickly, you could remove all of the chairs from the room – just kidding. Lastly, keep track of commitments and next steps – don’t let people leave the meeting without stating the next steps.
As a meeting attendee, here are some ways to be more productive and engaged. Review the meeting agenda in advance and prepare questions at the beginning of the meeting. Make sure that administrative, tactical, and strategic aspects of a project are all discussed. Don’t assume any aspects of a project – this is when errors and miscommunication can occur. If time constraints end a meeting early, follow up with the meeting organizer or project leader with any unanswered questions.
While meetings are part of everyone’s business life, perhaps, we should think of them as adventures. Sometimes, we encounter something new and learn, but in the process, we are fully awake and engaged.
When someone has the task of organizing or coordinating a meeting, all of a sudden, there is meeting ownership. With ownership, the meeting assumes importance – it is not just a weekly meeting where people gather for coffee and conversation. With importance, there is an objective for the meeting. Something needs to be accomplished, and the management team or project team has determined that a gathering of a project’s contributors is the best way to accomplish the objective.
As a meeting organizer, know the purpose of your meeting. Have you assembled attendees to brainstorm and debate or just sit and listen? Is the meeting’s purpose to solve a tactical problem or a more significant strategic issue? Or share schedules or review weekly activities? Or discuss the competitive landscape or team development? Have you planned how to engage attendees in the first 5 or 10 minutes so that they understand the meeting’s objective and how they can best contribute? Don’t allow people to cause strife in the name of being a “devil’s advocate” – if challenging perspectives are discussed, make sure that there are reasons behind the perspectives. If time is not being spent wisely during the meeting, it is the organizer’s job to re-focus (e.g., someone talks and talks and talks – but not on point). While everyone may think a meeting is successful if it ends early, the true sign of a successful meeting is if it ends with clarity and commitment from attendees. Of course, if you want the meeting to end really quickly, you could remove all of the chairs from the room – just kidding. Lastly, keep track of commitments and next steps – don’t let people leave the meeting without stating the next steps.
As a meeting attendee, here are some ways to be more productive and engaged. Review the meeting agenda in advance and prepare questions at the beginning of the meeting. Make sure that administrative, tactical, and strategic aspects of a project are all discussed. Don’t assume any aspects of a project – this is when errors and miscommunication can occur. If time constraints end a meeting early, follow up with the meeting organizer or project leader with any unanswered questions.
While meetings are part of everyone’s business life, perhaps, we should think of them as adventures. Sometimes, we encounter something new and learn, but in the process, we are fully awake and engaged.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Top 10 Brand Equity Books
A brand book, Achieve Brand Integrity, began, “A brand strategy is the ultimate business strategy and often the least understood.” How many corporate and non-profit leaders understand the essence of both marketing and branding? Strong brands take time to build, and their messaging, positioning, and core values must be consistent. I have a list of helpful brand equity books, but to set the stage, here are some great quotes about brands:
Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind. ~Walter Landor
A brand is a living entity – and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures. ~Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney
If this business were split up, I would give you the land and bricks and mortar, and I would take the brands and trademarks, and I would fare better than you. ~John Stuart, former CEO of Quaker Oats
Here is the list of my top 10 brand equity books. Enjoy!
Achieve Brand Integrity: Ten Truths You Must Know to Enhance Employee Performance and Increase Company Profits
c. 2007
By Gregg Lederman
Managing Brand Equity
c. 1991
By David A. Aaker
Brand Leadership: Building Assets in an Information Economy
c. 2009
By David A. Aaker and Erich Joachimsthaler
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
c. 2002
By Al Ries and Laura Ries
The Origin of Brands: How Product Evolution Creates Endless Possibilities for New Brands
c. 2005
By Al Ries and Laura Ries
Secret Formula: How Brilliant Marketing and Relentless Salesmanship Made Coca-Cola the Best-Known Product in the World
c. 1995
by Frederick Allen
ESPN the Company: The Story and Lessons behind the Most Fanatical Brand in Sports (c. 2009)
By Anthony Smith and Keith Hollihan
Driven: Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World
c. 2004
By David Kiley
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney
c. 2008
By Lee Cockerell
The Power of Retail Branding: Reinvention Strategies for Empowering the Brand
c. 2006
By Arthur Winters, Peggy Fincher Winters, Carole Paul
Products are made in the factory, but brands are created in the mind. ~Walter Landor
A brand is a living entity – and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures. ~Michael Eisner, former CEO of Disney
If this business were split up, I would give you the land and bricks and mortar, and I would take the brands and trademarks, and I would fare better than you. ~John Stuart, former CEO of Quaker Oats
Here is the list of my top 10 brand equity books. Enjoy!
Achieve Brand Integrity: Ten Truths You Must Know to Enhance Employee Performance and Increase Company Profits
c. 2007
By Gregg Lederman
Managing Brand Equity
c. 1991
By David A. Aaker
Brand Leadership: Building Assets in an Information Economy
c. 2009
By David A. Aaker and Erich Joachimsthaler
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
c. 2002
By Al Ries and Laura Ries
The Origin of Brands: How Product Evolution Creates Endless Possibilities for New Brands
c. 2005
By Al Ries and Laura Ries
Secret Formula: How Brilliant Marketing and Relentless Salesmanship Made Coca-Cola the Best-Known Product in the World
c. 1995
by Frederick Allen
ESPN the Company: The Story and Lessons behind the Most Fanatical Brand in Sports (c. 2009)
By Anthony Smith and Keith Hollihan
Driven: Inside BMW, the Most Admired Car Company in the World
c. 2004
By David Kiley
Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney
c. 2008
By Lee Cockerell
The Power of Retail Branding: Reinvention Strategies for Empowering the Brand
c. 2006
By Arthur Winters, Peggy Fincher Winters, Carole Paul
Monday, February 1, 2010
Top 10 Leadership Blogs
Thanks to the Internet, there are many great leadership minds, so how do you find the best leadership experts amidst all the clutter and never-ending conversations? I have assembled my “Top 10” list with names, descriptions, blog links, and Twitter handles. Now, the next time you need some leadership advice or just want to see how the experts would handle your leadership challenge, the answer is just a click away. Enjoy!
John Baldoni
Leadership author, coach, speaker, and Harvard Business Publishing columnist.
http://www.johnbaldoni.com/blog/
Twitter: @JohnBaldoni
Michael McKinney
President of M2 Communications and leadership expert.
http://www.leadershipnow.com/index.html
Twitter: @LeadershipNow
Wally Bock
Leadership behavior expert, business writer, coach, and consultant.
http://blog.threestarleadership.com/
Twitter: @wallybock
Mike Myatt
CEO coach, leadership consultant, and author.
http://www.n2growth.com/blog/
Twitter: @mikemyatt
David C. J. Cameron
Communications strategist.
http://onbrands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @dcjcameron
John Ikeda
Leadership, project management, and organizational development consultant.
http://www.leadwithhonor.com/blog/
Twitter: @LeadWithHonor
Sam Silverstein
Author and Past-President of the National Speakers Association.
http://samsilverstein.com/category/articles/
Twitter: @SamSilverstein
Stephen J. Gill, Ph.D.
Leadership and management consultant.
http://stephenjgill.typepad.com/performance_improvement_b/
Twitter: @sjgill
Scott Eblin
Leadership coach, speaker, and author.
http://www.scotteblin.typepad.com/
Twitter: @ScottEblin
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Harvard Business School professor and author.
http://blogs.hbr.org/kanter/
Twitter: @rosabethkanter
John Baldoni
Leadership author, coach, speaker, and Harvard Business Publishing columnist.
http://www.johnbaldoni.com/blog/
Twitter: @JohnBaldoni
Michael McKinney
President of M2 Communications and leadership expert.
http://www.leadershipnow.com/index.html
Twitter: @LeadershipNow
Wally Bock
Leadership behavior expert, business writer, coach, and consultant.
http://blog.threestarleadership.com/
Twitter: @wallybock
Mike Myatt
CEO coach, leadership consultant, and author.
http://www.n2growth.com/blog/
Twitter: @mikemyatt
David C. J. Cameron
Communications strategist.
http://onbrands.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @dcjcameron
John Ikeda
Leadership, project management, and organizational development consultant.
http://www.leadwithhonor.com/blog/
Twitter: @LeadWithHonor
Sam Silverstein
Author and Past-President of the National Speakers Association.
http://samsilverstein.com/category/articles/
Twitter: @SamSilverstein
Stephen J. Gill, Ph.D.
Leadership and management consultant.
http://stephenjgill.typepad.com/performance_improvement_b/
Twitter: @sjgill
Scott Eblin
Leadership coach, speaker, and author.
http://www.scotteblin.typepad.com/
Twitter: @ScottEblin
Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Harvard Business School professor and author.
http://blogs.hbr.org/kanter/
Twitter: @rosabethkanter
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