The Show About Us
July 25th, 2005For our 6th podcast, and in light of some questions we’ve received, we thought it would be helpful for our subscribers to know a little more about Manager Tools. We already have several hundred subscribers in just 3 weeks of operation, so thought many of you would want to know from whom you’re getting these recommendations.
The fact is, we don’t see ourselves as “podcasters”. We love the medium, don’t get us wrong, but as Mike says during this ‘cast, we may be the only folks who have yet to talk about the equipment they’re using to do the casting. We’re business professionals, and we care about leadership and management. That’s why we do this.
In this cast, we talk about our backgrounds a little, and how the concept for Manager Tools was born, and how it progressed. We have seen great and terrible managers, and sadly, far too many of the latter. We want to use this medium, and the web more broadly as well, to “democratize management training”. We want to help you become a better manager. Listen in, and let us know what you think ( at show@manager-tools.com).
Stumble it!Trackback URL for this post: http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/07/the-show-about-us/trackback/
July 27th, 2005 at 11:33 am
I was on the web looking for updates on Mark’s company and found your Podcast. How great to hear both Mark & Mike talking about your backgrounds and concepts of behavior! You have to know that I’m a believer in these concepts! I would like to find out more about getting started and using these tools to help management to get past a significant culture change in our business environment.
July 27th, 2005 at 9:27 pm
Hopefully by now you’ve received Mark’s voicemail … but wanted to pass on my best wishes personally! Looking forward to catching up … and please do give us some feedback on the podcasts! We’re really going to have to watch what we say now; there’s someone listening who *really* knows us!
July 28th, 2005 at 12:48 pm
Thanks for the info about yourselves. I was particularly intrigued by your military backgrounds. Not having been in the military, but having spent several years working closely with the Army as a contractor, I think of a lot of IT Infrastructure work as being similar. You spend a lot of time maintaining and enhancing equipment in preparation for an event that hopefully doesn’t come (e.g. a security breach or hard drive failure), but when it does come you need to be totally prepared to handle it. And you need to do exercises to prove that you are going to be prepared when the time comes.
I’d love to hear a show where you talk about whether you believe a military background helps prepare you for this sort of thing in a unique way that might be harder for others to acquire. Is it only officers that acquire this viewpoint? Do all officers have this viewpoint? What about NCOs? Does it vary from service to service (e.g. Army vs. Air Force)? (Someone close to me, who served and at one point served in a unit with personnel from all services, believes it does.)
July 29th, 2005 at 9:26 am
Manager Tools Blog
Are you a new manager? Trying to figure out how to deal with employee issues, as well as project issues? Check out Manager Tools, a new(ish) blog and podcaster that focuses on tools for new managers. It’s a neat little…
July 29th, 2005 at 4:21 pm
lambertw,
Are you trying to get me in trouble with all my business partners (besides Mark, they’re former Air Force, Navy, and Marines)?? Of course, Army officers are better prepared!
Seriously though, I think the differences are less about the particular service, and more about the ROLE they played while serving. For example, in my experience, former fighter pilots seem to be particularly adept in rapid changing, quick paced environments (bordering on chaos) that require split-second decisions. On the other hand, although they are capable of longer term strategic planning, many of them have a preference for the former. A logistics officer is going to have a very different view of longer term planning and execution. He or she will, in general, be more comfortable with longer term strategic planning.
Now, I’m only talking about preferred or “default” behaviors. One can choose to operate in a different mode than their default mode; it’s just harder. In my career I’ve found it just as important to *avoid* positions that require me to consistently operate in something other than my natural leadership style. I’ve done it and been successful in those situations, but hated just about every minute! And in business, I’ve focused on partnering (or hiring) folks that cover those areas in which I’m weak.
So, does everyone reading this know what environment they flourish in … and do you actively pursue finding those opportunities? Or do you just take what is given you? Food for thought …
I’ll add this to our list of podcast topics (where we can discuss some of your other questions as well) … this would be a fun one!
October 26th, 2005 at 8:22 pm
Hi!
1st off… GREAT PODCAST!!! I’ve done my duty and voted. I really like the stuff you present and how you present it. This Podcast was nice because it gave me the needed information to know where you’re coming from.
Thank you again for sharing your know-how with us.
Oliver