FOR THOSE WHO DON'T BELIEVE THIS IS FOR THEM

"Drop the idea that you are Atlas carrying the world on your shoulders. The world would go on even without you. Don't take yourself so seriously."

Norman Vincent Peale (1898-1993) Protestant preacher/author

There's an excellent chance you are not the only person who can get things done if you think you are the only person who can get things done.

AND ANOTHER THING!

"I find the pain of a little censure, even when it is unfounded, is more acute than the pleasure of much praise."

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) Third president of the United States

It's like that for most of us.

Note to management: You do need to criticize employees who are not performing as expected, but do so carefully with much consideration.

The effects on them and their work may be exactly the opposite of what you hope for and expect.

MY WAY OR . . .

"Extreme positions are not succeeded by moderate ones, but by contrary extreme positions."

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) German-Swiss philosopher/writer

You've taken an extreme position at work, one you'll either totally win or lose.

Doing so you leave little choice to those not willing to accept your views.

Are you ready to completely lose or might some compromise serve you, and the other side, better?

LEAST OF ALL BECAUSE I SAID SO

"Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true."

Honore de Balzac (1799-1850) French novelist

"Striking true"; a euphemism for doing and saying what is right.

Making sure you are before you speak or act is the optimum expression of management power.

(TEMPORARILY) IN CHARGE

"One leader, one people, signifies one master and millions of slaves."

Albert Camus (1913-1960) French novelist/essayist/dramatist

Dramatists, such as Mr. Camas, are expected to be dramatic; it's what they do.

But his sentiment is not overly dramatic.

You may be the CEO, however if you lead as though you are the sole power, you won't be for long.

WHEN TO, WHEN NOT TO

"Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forego an advantage."

Benjamin Disraeli

19th century British politician/author

Particularly for managers who almost always have the advantage but often not the sense to leave it be.

THE ANSWER IS OFTEN NEAR, NOT IN YOU

"Who is so deaf or so blind as he that willfully will neither hear nor see?"

English proverb

Unfortunately, way too many with a wide range of consequences the result.

And this is particularly bad if you are a manager; the one who supposedly knows what to do.

No doubt you sometimes do but often enough?

As yesterday's post suggested, there is much more to be learned from others assuming you take the time to hear what they have to say.

IF YOU DON'T I SWEAR I WILL . .

"What you cannot enforce, do not command."

Sophocles 

5th century BC Greek tragic poet

"Enforcement" takes many forms.

The best is when you gain willing participation from others for what you hope they will do.

YOUR FAILURE IS NOT MY SUCCESS

"The unhappy derive comfort from the misfortunes of others."

Aesop

6th century BC Greek fabulist

Possibly excluding those misfortunes that fall on your competitors ("possibly" because their failure does not mean you've succeeded.)

True class does not require someone else to fail.

OF THIS I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN

"The most learned are often the most narrow minded."

William Hazlitt

Late 18th/early 19th century British essayist

Certainly so the more we view our "knowledge" as irrefutable.

Be proud of what you know but do all you can to make sure you really do know it.

And even then, when you are certain, don't always attempt to force it on others.

IT'S ON (ME) YOU!

"Weakness on both sides is the motto of all quarrels."

Voltaire 

18th century French writer/historian

As easy as as this is to understand it is that difficult not to be guilty of in practice.

THE BEST YOU CAN BE . . . ON TIME!

"Tomorrow do thy worst, I have lived today."

John Dryden

17th century British poet, dramatist and critic

Substitute "done all I could" for "lived" and this is the essence of time management.

THOSE CHICKENS WILL COME HOME TO ROOST

"To achieve great things we must live as though we were never going to die."

Marquis de Vauvenargues

18th century French moralist, essayist, and writer

And manage that way as well.

Because if you were to live forever you would have to face the consequences of your management decisions.

If you don't want to do that manage as though you could.

A LAUGHING MATTER

"If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there."

Martin Luther 

15th century German priest and scholar

Nor work for that matter.

Memo to the boss: Lighten up! 

There's nothing wrong and plenty good about having fun at work.

MANAGEMENT ESSENCE

"It is a fine thing to have ability, but the ability to discover ability in others is the true test."

Elbert Hubbard 

19th century American editor, publisher, author 

If you find yourself doing more than managing others doing, you're not managing.

Crazy Or Eccentric: A Very Thin Line Of Difference

"The world thinks eccentricity in great things is genius, but in small things, only crazy."

Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

19th century British politician

And since most great things begin as small things, the task of every manager is to determine which they are dealing with before it is apparent.

Management Mantra

"Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depends on simplicity."

Plato

4th century BC Greek philosopher

This first made me think of product development where simplicity is almost always a virtue.

Then I thought about it in the context of management.

There too, even more so. Simple is better.

Listen To That

"Two great talkers will not travel far together."

Spanish proverb

Sometimes the best you can say is nothing at all.

Foolish Business

"Many talked like philosophers yet lived like fools."

Unknown

And this doesn't just apply to philosophy either.

A business plan, or management managing without one, are expressions of a philosophy.

First You Have To Belong

"To be no part of any body is to be nothing."

John Donne

16th century English poet

The best manager attempting to manage outside of the group manages nothing.