Complimenting 2 employees at her bank. It's possible that banks are great...because their people are. Where else can I see 'the good' today?

The cost of an MBA program

Is a management course necessary to climb the corporate ladder? That depends on your current skill set, time and ambition. A Masters of Business Administration is a coveted postgraduate degree sought after by ambitious managers. But starting at over $40,000 per year, with a minimum of two years, do you have the time or the money?:

Finance MBA: The cost of an MBA program: "How much does an MBA costs?
The cost of an MBA course at a really good business school is actually more than the average wage in the UK or USA.
However, when you think about the cost of the MBA you must simultaneously think about the benefit from it – because these amounts are inseparable from each other, and cutting down on the cost could produce a disproportionately high drop in the benefits of the MBA."

Click the link to discover the management fundamentals that will assist you in determining what education you may need for this time in your life.

Meeting Management

I recently attended a meeting which was equivalent to a gathering of the "all mouth and no ears" brigade. Everyone was talking over one another, we were off topic and I was becoming impatient because I felt like I was wasting my time.

And then to top it off, the person who called the meeting said, "We didn't get through what we needed to today so I'll set another meeting for next week."

Kill me now.

Good managers know how to maximize everyone's time. They know when to call a meeting vs when to have one-on-ones, they are focused on the meeting's outcome and drive discussion in a direction that achieves outcomes.

Check out the following article on how to keep your meetings on track.

Meeting Management: "Meetings can be very productive. They can also be a waste of time. Here are some ways to improve your meeting management skill.
Meeting Management Key - Stand PAT
I use a 'PAT' approach to meetings. A meeting has to have: a Purpose, an Agenda, and a Timeframe or I don't do it."

Sometimes even the best laid plans can go astray, especially if you're dealing with difficult people. Click on the link to discover how to become a manager and handle the Liam the Liars and Whining Wendy's in the office.

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Become An Effective Executive

Peter Drucker is the management master. Check out the following article which removes the focus off the individual and onto their contribution.

What Every Manager Should Know About How to Become An Effective Executive: "In his book, The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker pointed out that the effective executive is the person who focuses on making a contribution.

This focus on the making of a contribution is the key. And the key to effectiveness comes in three areas:

1. in a person's work, its content, its level, its standards, and its impacts;

2. in his relationships with others, his superiors, his associates, and his subordinates; and

3. in his use of the tools of the executive, such as meetings and reports."

Click on the link if you want to become a manager that makes a difference.

I'm a new manager (and being taken advantage of)

Some new managers who receive an internal promotion find the new relationship dynamics challenging. Co-workers may find it difficult to adjust to your new role and may not give you respect (which has to be earned) or treat you like you're still in your previous position. Check out the following Q&A of a new manager who feels like he's being taken advantage of:

I'm a new manager (and being taken advantage of)... | JobDig Career Search and Employment Guide - Because everyone should dig their job!: "I'm a new manager (and being taken advantage of)..."

Click the following link to discover 7 Super Success Secrets to Become a Manager and learn top management characteristics to help you in your new job, strategies to move you forward and how to make your first week a success.

So You’ve Become a Manager – Now What?

Becoming a new manager can be overwhelming, check out the following article on tips for newcomer success.

So You’ve Just Become a Manager – Now What? « DrivenLeaders.com - Anthony Portuesi: "Monitor your work hours.
Set time limits to your work hours and stick to them. When you’re in a new position it’s very easy to get sucked into working longer and longer hours because you feel you have to. Resist the urge to consistently stay late. One of the worst things that can happen is burning out too early, if this happens, it will be hard to jump start your passion for the role, not to mention your employees will take notice."

Now that you've become a manager, discover how you can make your first week as a new manager, and the following months, successful. Click the links to discover the 7 super secrets to becoming a new manager.

What Makes a Good Manager? Not Tacky Timing!

How’s this for timing? On Thursday, five percent of a company are told they are being retrenched. The very next day the CEO sends out an email reminding everybody they are required to attend the company’s strategy day. She signs off by saying, “Please bring your positive attitude and good ideas.”

This is a perfect example of what not to do if you want to become an effective manager.

One of the biggest assets of a good manager is empathy and this CEO has none!

If you're on the end of tacky timing let the person know their timing isn't working for you. “Jonathan, I really appreciate what you’re trying to get across, but I’m in the middle of a tight deadline. Let’s talk tomorrow.” Or in the case of the insensitive CEO, “I understand the strategy meeting was scheduled for today and you want it to go well, but in light of what happened yesterday, I think you’ll understand that we are feeling uncertain about our own positions and sad for our colleagues who are leaving.”

Click here if you want to know what makes an effective manager.

Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh