Managewich on the Run

Sep 3

Carolann Jacobs on September 3rd, 2009

“Stuck Inside These Four Walls, Sent Inside Forever, Never Seeing No One Nice Again Like You…”
Oops, sorry.  That’s “Band on the Run.”  But it could describe the managewich’s office, yes?
Whenever I hear about the “Fight or Flight” Response, I wonder….  is it really either or?
The answer is for the most part, yes.  According to [...]

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Tips For the Managewich: Don’t Kick the Dog

Sep 1

Carolann Jacobs on September 1st, 2009

Ever had that experience where your manager got reamed by a customer, peer or her manager and then turned around and took it out on you?  It gets the expression “kicking the dog” because it’s basically taking out frustration on the defenseless.
Those of us who aren’t that resilient have known for a while that [...]

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Middle Manager’s Dilemma: Differentiating Pushback from PITA

Jul 21

Carolann Jacobs on July 21st, 2009

Are you the gal who’s known for pushing back on every proposed change?  Do you know that gal?
Almost every one of us knows someone who sees the downside to every initiative, and one of the challenges that my client, Negative Nellie, reports is that it’s hard to get people to take her seriously.  She’s frustrated, [...]

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Practical Middle Management Tips: What to Do When Your Boss Thinks You Suck Like a Hoover

Jul 14

Carolann Jacobs on July 14th, 2009

Don’t you just love it when you think you’re working your fingers to the bone, you’re doing the best job you can and your boss lets you know that you are the Hoover Windtunnel of suckage?
If you’re more fortunate than I was for the vast majority of my career (and my clients and friends careers), [...]

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Brain Food For Middle Managers: How to Keep the Creativity Alive

Jul 9

Carolann Jacobs on July 9th, 2009

I just got back from vacation.  Sorry about the long stretch not posting on the blog, but the site was undergoing some changes.  And, when I go on vacation, I go offline.
That most middle managers can’t go on vacation without being tethered to the office by a laptop or other mobile device is not only [...]

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Solving the Middle Manager’s Constant Dilemma: More To Do’s Than Time

Jun 23

Carolann Jacobs on June 23rd, 2009

Ugh, it’s been longer than I wanted it to be since my last post.
Notice that?
I’m beating myself up over something that didn’t get done.
Not very helpful, is it?  True statement, but not helpful.
It also trains the brain to focus on what’s not happening.  We tend to get more of what we focus on.  If you [...]

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Stuck in the Middle? Unleash Your Inner Cool Cucumber

Jun 15

Carolann Jacobs on June 15th, 2009

Last post, we investigated our perceptions about truth-telling and perceived leadership maturity.  Today, we’re examining the role of emotion and maturity.
Why’s this important?  One of the many challenges for middle managers who are trying to move up or keep off the firing line is to be pereceived as someone who’s a “must” for the future [...]

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