It's Okay to Be the Boss: Participant Workbook

YOUR OBJECTIVES 3

WORKSHOP OBJECTIVES 4

THE BASICS OF MANAGING PEOPLE 5

The Consequences of Under-Management 6

Fight the Under-Management Epidemic: Be a Great Boss! 7

Real-World Obstacles 8

The Top Seven Management Myths 9

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 1

GET IN THE HABIT OF MANAGING EVERY DAY 11

One-on-One Conversations with the People You Manage 12

Getting Started 13

How to Make Time Available 14

Worksheet: Making Time for Managing Every Day 15

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 2

LEARN TO TALK LIKE A PERFORMANCE COACH 17

How a Coach Talks 18

Discussion Questions for Coaching Conversations 19

Coaching Script 21

Questions to Ask During a Coaching Conversation 22

For Useful Coaching Conversations 23

Worksheet: Coaching Script 24

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 3

TAKE IT ONE PERSON AT A TIME 25

Six Questions for Tuning In to Each Person You Manage 26

Tuning-In Tool 28

Worksheet: Manager’s Landscape 29

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 4

MAKE ACCOUNTABILITY A PROCESS, NOT A SLOGAN 31

Top Seven Complications to Accountability 32

Key Actions for Holding People Accountable 33

Worksheet: Strategies for Holding People Accountable 34

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 5

MAKE EXPECTATIONS CLEAR EVERY STEP OF THE WAY 35

Make Expectations Clear Every Step of the Way 36

Turn Best Practices into Checklists  37

To Delegate Successfully 38

Circles of Empowerment 39

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 6

TRACK PERFORMANCE IN WRITING 41

To Evaluate Performance 42

Reasons for Writing Things Down 43

Systems for Tracking Performance in Writing 44

Describe, Describe, Describe 45

Worksheet: Tracking Performance in Writing 46

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 7

SOLVE SMALL PROBLEMS EARLY BEFORE THEY TURN INTO BIG ONES 47

Diagnosing Performance Problems 48

Worksheet: Diagnosing a Persistent Performance Problem 49

BACK-TO-BASICS TECHNIQUE 8

DO MORE FOR SOME PEOPLE, LESS FOR OTHERS 51

Three Trends in Rewards 52

Using Rewards as Incentives and Quid Pro Quos 53

Worksheet: "What Can You Do to Earn That?" 54

MANAGER'S CHECKLIST 59

ACTIONS FOR BECOMING A BETTER BOSS 60

WORKSHEET: ACTION PLANNING 61

APPENDIX 63

Coaching Script 65

Tuning-In Tool 66

Manager's Landscape 67

"What Can You Do to Earn That?" 68

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 71