Whether you’re an aspiring manager, a new manager, or a manager in mid-career, you know that being a successful manager means you can juggle a dozen different tasks like coaching and developing your staff, overseeing projects, communicating with your leadership and stakeholders, and negotiating with vendors … all while making time to clarify your objectives, measure your progress and plan for the future.
Being a successful manager means that you deliver the results expected by your organization … and then some.
Hello!
I’m Mike Johnston and I want you to be a successful manager.
I’ve been managing people, projects, budgets and businesses for over 40 years. My batting average has been pretty good, and I’m drawing on that experience to provide actionable ideas that you can put to work today to achieve measurable results and advance your career.
- Articles that offer practical guidance for managers at all levels. They cover different aspects of the manager’s role and include actionable ideas that you can start using today. I’m not trying to be the “One Minute Manager”, but I also don’t think you need a full MBA curriculum to be more successful.
- Tools and Templates that complement many of the articles. You can use these to get a jump-start on implementing the ideas from the articles. These are free to download, like everything else on this site.
- Resource Notes – links to books, articles and other resources that address specific management topics. These are items that I’ve found during my research. Some of the topics are covered here, others I haven’t written about yet.
I’m happy you found your way here and hope you’ll return often. I am currently (Summer, 2023) revising and updating the content, so things may look a bit different the next time you visit. You can subscribe using the form below to receive an email notification with a new article is published.
If you have comments, questions or feedback, please let me know by using the Contact Form. I look forward to hearing from you.
To your success,
Here are a few of the most recent articles I’ve published. You can see more on the Articles page.
- My Definition of Success
What is success for a manager? Here is my simple definition. - Managing by Influence: Getting Results Through Others
Managing by influence is a fundamental skill used by successful managers. Here are some actionable ideas on how to do it well. - Cascading Your Objectives: 6 Tips to Align Your Team
Cascading your objectives to your team helps get them aligned with you and the overall objectives of the company. - Clarifying Your Objectives: 4 Ways To Set Yourself Up for Success This Year
Clarifying your objectives sets you up for success by providing a solid foundation for delivering results. - First-Time Manager: Guidance from 5 Professionals
Five experienced managers talk about the challenges and opportunities in their first jobs. They also offer guidance for first-time managers. - Preparing for A Management Job: 3 Ways to Get Started
Preparing for a management job is something you can start doing today! Begin with some homework. Then do a self-assessment. Finally, practice skills.