Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know

That's the title I often use when I teach the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator in my leadership seminars.  It's a widely used instrument that helps us understand the fascinating range of personality differences among perfectly normal people.  I always use real-life management experiences to make it more than a theoretical exercise.  People often tell me it is among the most eye-opening session in a workshop. Why?  I think it's because I tee things up so they experience  surprises and discoveries throughout, but most important -- they find practical tools to use as managers. In my book "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW' I devote a chapter to the importance of managing different personality types -- and how to do it.  The most effective managers know that they can't treat everyone alike -- and know how to manage across and even leverage personality differences. I've written about the Myers-Briggs in my columns for Poynter.org.  Just click on this link if you'd like a peek.  It's a small taste of the kind of learning you'll gain in so many areas from "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW."  

It's always fun to receive an unexpected package from UPS -- and this one was fantastic!  My publisher sent review copies of "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW." It's the next step in the birth of the book, which will be published June 5th of this year.  I've had so many people ask me to suggest a book that would help them with many of the management and leadership subjects I teach.  So, I decided to write it! Now it goes to reviewers who will scrutinize it, and, I hope, give it their blessing. Meanwhile, the book is already listed on amazon.com, bn.com and other bookselling sites for pre-orders.  I'm working on a plan to produce customized bookplates to send to readers who would like to have a signed copy.  More on that, soon.

Great bosses grow great employees.  But it's not enough to "know 'em when you see 'em."  Managers need to be able to articulate just what sets the best apart from others. Boss should describe what they do differently -- and better.  Those words are invaluable in ongoing feedback and coaching, and can turn annual evaluations from ice cold report cards into detailed road maps to success. That's why I've developed a list of 12 employees -- the kind every boss wants on his or her team.  If you have these folks, salute them, celebrate them -- and make certain you help others learn how to emulate their success.  You can read my list of 12 top employees by clicking this link, which takes you directly to my "What Great Bosses Know" column and podcast on Poynter. org. I also share the special management challenges that great bosses address on behalf of each of those high performing staffers.  Hope you enjoy the list -- and have plenty of staffers who would qualify for inclusion. Just a reminder that you can also download my podcast of the "12 Great Employees" list and our complete free library of management lessons on iTunes U.  Here's the link.  

You're looking at just a few of the bookshelves in my home office.  I've filled them up with books I've collected and read on all sorts of management and leadership topics.  I prefer books that are research-based, rather than first-person accounts of "How I Did a Marvelous Management Thing" or parable-type books that use imaginary tales to teach leadership lessons.  I want to be able to state definitively that a certain idea, approach or concept is likely to work -- because there's been a rigorous test of the theory and someone is willing to stake an academic reputation on its validity. I drew upon lots of that research as I wrote "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW." I'm confident it will be one of the reasons people trust it to help guide them in the work they do as managers and leaders. "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" will be published in June of 2012.  Between writing and teaching, I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to devour more of other authors' works.  So, after submitting the manuscript, I finally had some time to read new books, too. In a recent column for Poynter.org, I listed recent publications I really like and would recommend for people who wanted to buy good books for bosses.  Here's a link to that column and podcast. By the way, if you'd like to listen to all of the "What Great Bosses Know" podcasts I developed over the past two years, you can download one or all of them, free of charge, on iTunes U. They've consistently ranked in the top ten most popular on the site, and we've had millions of downloads, according to Apple.  I think it's because they are short (3-5 minutes) and always practical.  I've heard from aspiring great bosses around the world who have turned to them as a form of training or to freshen their skills and challenge their thinking. I hope you enjoy the books I recommend, and perhaps you'll add "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" to your library when it hits the book stores in June.

The flowers in this photo were sent to me by a friend as a "thank you" for a favor. They were a wonderful, thoughtful gesture.  Appreciation can take the form of spoken words, written notes, or the occasional special gift.  Gratitude -- when it is genuine -- can have a real impact on employees.  It's also an untapped resource in some organizations, largely due to bosses who have a miserly approach to saying "thanks." That's why I wrote a recent "What Great Bosses Know" column for Poynter.org, entitled "A Paycheck is Not a 'Thank You'" and I hope you take a look at it.  It just might change your approach to recognizing your employees and not falling into the trap of thinking that a paycheck is thanks enough. Appreciation is one of the many forms of feedback I explore in  "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW." It's the focus of the chapter on performance management and how great bosses tie feedback to motivation and performance. The book comes out June 5, 2012, but is already available for preorder on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and a host of other locations which are listed on the website of the publisher, Hachette Book Group.

Pretty exciting. This week the galley proof of 'WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" arrived on my desk.  My task, of course, is to read through every page to make certain it is ready for publication.  The release date is June 5, 2012. It's been a thrill to see it already posted for pre-order on both Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's website as well. (If you see it elsewhere, please let me know!) I'll spend careful time going over each page, and I'm certain that like most writers, I'll keep thinking it could be better!  My goal is to make this workshop-in-a-book the most practical guide for managers who truly want to help others do their best work. I've had terrific feedback on the cover art for the book from folks who've read my columns over the years.  They think it captures the spirit of my teaching.  So, a special thanks to the design minds at the Hachette Book Group.  

Many, if not most, of the managers I work with today are dealing with downsized organizations.  For that, I give them great credit, because the aftermath of downsizing, especially the immediate aftermath, makes everything they do that much more difficult. It takes additional skill to guide people through the negative environment created by layoffs and resource cuts. Too often, leaders at the top of organizations simply want people to "get over it" and go about their business as usual.  Managers on the front lines know things don't fall into place that easily.  What do front line managers need to know and do?  I share information and advice in this column on Poynter.org: What Great Bosses Know about How to Manage Downsizing's Aftermath. The essential skills I talk about in the column are all part of the in-depth advice in my upcoming book, WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW. It will be released in June of 2012.  In the meantime, feel free to follow my columns on Poynter.org or my free podcasts on iTunes U. I also post links to useful stories, advice and research for managers on Twitter.  @jillgeisler

You're a manager who wants to deliver good feedback.  You know your employees want to know where they stand, so you try to provide a steady diet of positive as well as negative feedback. Why then, do employees -- yours and others -- often say they get too little feedback?  And why do they feel that when they get it, it's more negative than positive? It's possible that for all your good intentions as a manager, you're actually erasing your own praise.  That's right.  It's a common problem.  That's why I've outlined the five ways bosses erase their praise.  It's my latest column and podcast for Poynter.org.  If you click on these words, you'll go directly to the column and the podcast. I'm also happy to provide a link to the Amazon page for WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW, which will be released June 5 but is available for pre-orders now.

Delighted to discover this on Amazon today!  "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW"  is now available for pre-ordering, well in advance of the June 5 , 2012 publication date.  It's quite thrilling to see a book come to life before one's eyes.  To all of you who have been subscribing to the "Great Bosses" podcasts on iTunes U, I can now point you in the direction of the book that builds on those ideas.  We're calling it a workshop-in-a-book.  It's designed for bosses at any level of an organization -- and even those who aspire to become managers in the future. The cover designers did a wonderful job of adapting the color palette of the original "What Great Bosses Know" logo , while giving it a fresh look for its fresh content. You can find the Amazon pre-order page by clicking on these highlighted words, or by going to this web address: http://www.amazon.com/Work-Happy-What-Great-Bosses/dp/1455507431/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319403456&sr=8-1  

Just finished a remarkable week with 30 leaders from around the world at the annual Poynter Leadership Academy.  We covered the most important topics managers wrangle with -- from managing themselves to leading others, from strategic thinking to establishing priorities so they can manage their time effectively.  Each manager started the week with our ViewPoynt Feedback, which is 360 degree feedback from bosses, peers and direct reports.  We use a narrative form.  That means respondents are encouraged to write about, not give scores to, the person's leadership.  The specificity and detail of the feedback are really appreciated by the participants. Many tell us it is the most helpful part of their week. It's a process we administer very carefully, though.  Our faculty to participant ratio is about 1 to 3, so the managers get very personalized coaching for interpreting the feedback -- and throughout the week.  Commencement this week was delightful.  After receiving their certificates, they broke out into Michael Jackson's "Thriller" dance.  The perfect end to an intense week of challenge and discovery.