Would you rather work for a MAN or WOMAN boss?

 What is your strategy for working with a man or woman boss?
Your Rant: I really struggle to understand how men think at work. Can you give me some insight so I can do a better job of working with them?

911 Repair:
Whenever I think of the workplace battle of the sexes, I think of Michael [...]

What bosses wish their employees knew

What would you like to tell your employees? 
Your Rant: I am frustrated by the people that I manage. They are always willing to blame the boss for problems, but they never seem to acknowledge how they’ve contributed to the mess.
911 Repair:
Whenever I think of what it is like to be a boss today, [...]

Directing the change initiative at work sucks!

 What’s your strategy for a leading change initiative?
Your Rant: I’ve been asked to lead a change effort in my department. How do I even begin?
911 Repair:
In high school, I was captivated by e.e. cummings, the poet who wrote all of his works in lowercase. I liked that he was breaking the rules, so I [...]

I’m a Blind Man Leading-HELP

What’s your strategy for new leaders?
Your Rant: I’m new in a leadership position in my company. The guy who had the job before me was let go. What can I do to be a more effective leader?
911 Repair:
Travis Williams can teach us everything we need to know about leadership. He isn’t a professor, [...]

Real talk. Improving your workplace conversations

What’s your strategy for improving your workplace conversation? 
Your Rant: I’m a new supervisor and I get the sense that people only tell me what they think I want to hear. What can I do to hear what they really think?
911 Repair:
I was traveling in France and needed a cash machine. I stopped one [...]

I’m a rotten boss-I want to be a great boss

What’s your strategy for being a great boss? 
Your Rant: According to a recent 360 evaluation, a number of my people said they don’t feel comfortable talking with me about their problems. My boss just dropped this in my lap without offering any advice on how to fix it.
911 Repair:
Your e-mail reminded me of how [...]

Is it poor performance or a personal problem?

What’s your strategy for talking with employees about poor performance? 
Your Rant: I’ve got an employee who is performing very poorly. I’ve talked to him, but I have no idea what is going on.
911 Repair:
My undergraduate degree is in Occupational Therapy and I’ve worked in a number of psychiatric hospitals along the way. I wish I [...]

Leadership lessons from a dog and a cat

I’m in the process of founding my fourth corporation (two non-profits and two for-profits). So I’m not just another of those annoying pontificating journalists. No, I’m an annoying pontificating journalist who got bit early by the entrepreneurship bug.I’m not embarrassed to say that I didn’t learn the most about running my business from my MBA, [...]

How to spot obstacles in your organization

Dear WW: I’m a new manager. I’d like to do a better job of removing obstacles for my people than the bosses I’ve had have done for me. Any advice? ANTICIPATION
Dear ANTICIPATION,
I’ll be the first to admit, there is nothing I like better than a dumb criminal story. Recently I came across what could be [...]

How to survive a micromanager

Dear WW: My boss is a micromanager and is driving me totally nuts. How can you deal with someone who is constantly looking over your shoulder? HENPECKED
Dear HENPECKED,
According to a recent study of the National Association of Home Builders, builders and architects predict that more than 60 percent of custom houses will have dual master [...]