Resource Notes

As I’m doing research for articles here on MyManagementMentor, I find lots of useful material. Sometimes its more than I can use. Other times the topics are ones I have not yet written about.

I created this page as a place to organize that information and make it available to you.

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Here is a list of topics:

• The latest things I’ve found
• COVID-19 Guidance
• Career Development
• Communication
• Establishing Relationships
• Managing Conflict
• Managing Performance
• Managing Projects
• Managing Remote Teams
• Not Management, But Useful Anyway

The list will grow over time as I add more to it. If you have recently read something that you think would fit here, please send me a link via the Contact Form.

To your success,

Mike

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The latest things I’ve found

These are the newest items I’ve added to the page. This group will change frequently.

• To complement the article “Preparing for A Management Job: 3 Ways to Get Started”, I have added two new sections below:
  • Career Development – This will contain links to articles and resources to help you prepare for a management job or advance your career in management.
  • Communication – Links to articles, books and other material to help you improve your communication skills.
• Also added – a section called “Not Management, But Useful Anyway”, which will contain items that don’t directly relate to management, but that I found interesting and thought you might enjoy.

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COVID-19 Guidance

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Index page – This is the top level page for the CDC. It provides guidance on many topics including identifying symptoms, how to protect yourself and practical matters like travel in the US.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – COVID-19 – Businesses and Workplaces – This is sub-page off the main index that provides information for businesses, including guidance on deciding to reopen, cleaning and disinfection and ensuring worker safety. It also has several posters and graphics that managers may find useful.
• As Cities Move Toward Reopening, How to Manage Risks – This article, written by two doctors, outlines a “risk-stratification” approach that managers could use to aid in decisions about reopening workplaces.

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Career Development

Here are several articles I’ve found that provide expert guidance for new managers. (Hint: Experienced managers can learn some things, too!)

• “Ten Things New Managers Need to Know” – This is an excellent article by Dr. Karlyn Borysenko The list begins with “Being a manager is to an elevated version of being an individual contributor” and concludes with “Your job is to make your people successful”.
• “Becoming the Boss” – Linda Hill, the co-founder of Paradox Strategies and a professor at Harvard Business School, draws on over 15 years of research into the personal transformations people make when they become a boss.
• “You’re a Brand-New Manager.  Now What?” – more commentary on new manager anxieties, learning the role, and dealing with changing relationships with former peers.
• “You’re the Boss-Now What? 7 To-Dos as a First-Time Manager” – a short list of good suggestions for dealing with the transition into a management role.

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Communication

• “On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction”* by William Zinsser. I have a shelf full of books on writing. This is the one I consult most often. I gave copies to every member of the IT Communications team I led at Cummins. My instruction to them was “Read the first 91 pages and practice what he says. You’ll be a better writer.” Zinsser promotes using simple language, avoiding long phrases when a single word will do, and being precise in selecting words.
• “A Founder’s Guide to Writing Well” – This article by Dave Girouard, the CEO of Upstart, an online lending platform, and former President of Google Apps, is one I wish I had written. Much like William Zinsser, he advocates using simple language, eliminating unnecessary words, and other simple rules to make your writing more effective.
• If you struggle with speaking in public, consider joining Toastmasters, “a nonprofit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs”. I’ve known several people who have joined a club, improved their speaking skills, and advanced their careers. It costs about $110 USD to join.

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Establishing Relationships

• “10 Ways to have a better conversation” – This is a TED Talk by Celeste Headlee, an award-winning journalist and author. This talk has been viewed more than 30 million times. She mixes straightforward advice and humor to make a point. As we consider how to develop better relationships at work or at home, Celeste’s advice is worth listening to.

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Managing Conflict

• Are you having problems making decisions within your team? Then spend 25 minutes and listen to “Problem Solving and Pop Tarts”. This is episode #46 of the “At The Table” podcast with Patrick Lencioni, the author of “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” and other books on organizational improvement. In this episode, he talks with two colleagues about the Issue Resolution Model that they developed. I wish I’d found this years ago, but I’m glad to know about it now.
  
  Tip: Download a copy of the model before you listen.

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Managing Performance

• The Benefits of Writing Your Own Weekly, Monthly and Annual Reviews – If you, or a member of your team, struggle with the annual self-evaluation, take a few minutes to read this article. The author advocates writing short reviews every week, every month and then annually as a way to improve personal performance.

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Managing Projects

Here are some good resources on project management.

• What is Project Management? A great starting point from the Project Management Institute (PMI).
• ProjectManagement.com. Another site from PMI. This is a large repository of how-to articles, templates, plans and other tools to help project managers do their jobs.

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Managing Remote Teams

Several items in this list were referenced in the article “Managing Newly Remote Teams”.

• Notion – Remote work wiki – An extensive collection of links to articles, company policies and other resources for individuals and teams working remote.
• GitLab’s Guide to All-Remote – GitLab is the world’s largest all-remote company with over 1,200 team members located in more than 65 countries around the world. The guide describes their approach to all-remote and provides links to their policies and procedures.
• Quick, work remote! A guide on how to set up your remote working strategy – An excellent article by Erin Casali from Automattic that covers many of the tactical aspects of working remote for managers and individuals.
• Manager Guide for Full Remote Working in Quarantine – Snyk is a software company providing developer tools and security solutions. This short document offers practical tips in several areas, including managing remote teams, collaboration, maintaining company culture and onboarding new employees.

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Not Management, But Useful Anyway

• Laughter May Be Effective Medicine for These Trying Times – In this New York Times article, we learn that one doctor prescribes “one good belly laugh a day” for his patients. Several studies show the beneficial effects of laughter for reducing stress, increasing endorphins and improving cognitive functions. (I wonder if I can deduct my Netflix subscription as a medical expense?)

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* This link is direct to Amazon.com. At the time of this writing (November, 2020), I receive no affiliate payment if you buy a copy. If that changes in the future, I’ll let you know.