I was listening to a client this morning as she described how she planned to manage her new team. She has a number of relatively new managers, people with great technical skill but, typically, little management expertise. As best as I can remember, she put it like this. 

“They avoid conversations. They let small things slide and then they grow into bigger things. When they realize they have to take some action, they come in heavy handed with accusations and warnings of discipline. Next thing everyone’s in my office asking me to sort out the mess! I’m not going to do it any more.

I’ve talked to them. I’ve told them that I have given them the

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As managers, many of us do indeed talk straight. We identify problems, decide on solutions, allocate responsibilities, communicate it all to our people with standards and deadlines … but the job doesn’t get done! Managing would be easy if only people would do what they have been told to do. And they have been told. Straight! 

We all know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of this style of management with managers who storm into our offices to tell us what’s

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