So what can you do? I have no idea…but I know someone who does.

Founder of Great Web Meetings and friend of The Management Expert Wayne Turmel wrote a nifty white paper that addresses this, and more.

3 Reasons Virtual Teams Fail – and how to see it coming, addresses:

• Why are virtual teams different and why does it matter?
• Can you do great work and still fail?
• What are the three reasons virtual teams fail?
• What should you watch out for?

Download the free whitepaper (no e-mail address needed even) over at Great Web Meetings.

Taking 5 with Nick McCormick

Phil: What is management to you?

Nick: Management is all about achieving goals with the resources in your charge. It’s that simple. Unfortunately, it’s not easy.

Phil: Why is management important?

Nick: Achieving goals typically requires numerous resources – a combination of people, plants, equipment, etc. The resources need to be aligned to the goal. They need to be taught their roles. They need to be cared for and maintained. That’s the job of a manager. If any of these things are ignored, reaching the goals is jeopardized.

Phil: What’s the one thing all managers must do to be most effective?

Nick: I don’t know that there is any single most important thing, but one very important thing I’ve already mentioned – to take care of the resources, especially the people. People will not perform at their best; They will not use their discretionary effort toward achieving the desired goals of the organization unless they are treated well. 

Phil: What’s your best advice for new managers?

Nick: Keep learning and keep practicing what you learn. Use your knowledge to improve your team members, your team, and your organization. You will make some mistakes, but that’s OK. Also, please realize that management is not a part time job. If you are to be a successful manager, you can’t be an individual performer by day and a manager in your spare time. Further, if you don’t like dealing with people and you have no interest spending most of your time tending to them, then get out. It’s just not worth it – not to you, not to the organization, and not to those reporting to you.

Phil: Besides your blog and your book, what are 5 of your favorite resources
for new managers (books, blogs, podcasts or even magazines)?

Nick: I check out some blogs (like yours – the former Slacker Manager, now the Management Expert). I also really enjoy The Cranky Middle Manager’s podcasts. Our friend Wayne Turmel does a tremendous job. I’m a member of a couple social networks. I get out to Phil Dourado’s Leadership Hub a couple of times each month.

Most of my learning time is spent reading good old fashion books. I try to read at least one book on management and/or leadership each month. There are so many good books out there. I’ve reviewed about 70 books on my website.

2 good books for new managers are:

What Were They Thinking? Unconventional Wisdom about Management
Author: Jeffrey Pfeffer

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job
Author:  Patrick Lencioni

To learn more from Nick McCormick, check out his book Lead Well and Prosper: 15 Successful Strategies for Becoming a Good Manager, or visit the Joe and Wanda blog based on the 2 characters in his book.

According to Gallup, only 29% of employees in the U.S. care about their work. If this were a college exam, 29% would equate to an “F.” I can therefore state with some confidence that modern “best practices” earn failing grades in “Employee Motivation 101.”

To better understand the roots of the disengagement epidemic, let’s compare how companies treat their manufacturing equipment to how they treat their employees—their human capital. The difference is enlightening.

Imagine that we are standing in a factory manager’s office. Now let’s ask the manager a basic question, “Is your machinery operating at its rated capacity or is it malfunctioning?” The manager would calmly turn to his computer, pull up a few graphs, and answer confidently, “Everything is functioning according to specifications.”

Now let’s ask the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of a service business the same question, “How Is your human-capital functioning?” The startled COO would answer, “Huh?” The sad fact is, we treat our manufacturing equipment far better than we treat our employees. According to Gallup, the financial fallout from this oversight is measured in legions of disengaged employees and in trillions of dollars of lost productivity.

The factory manager has an advantage over the COO. Skilled technicians are assigned to monitor and maintain the plant’s machinery. The machines themselves are outfitted with sensors that track key operating parameters. These parameters are plotted second-by-second on control charts to monitor whether the machinery is operating as expected. Whenever these parameters drift outside of their normal ranges, the machines are stopped, and preventative maintenance is performed. The factory manager, in other words, has far more diagnostic information than the COO.

Let’s dig a little deeper into this disparity between the way our manufacturing equipment is treated and the way our employees are treated, because it leads to a startling conclusion—modern corporations don’t understand human nature, don’t understand the motivational engine that drives high performance, fail to monitor the motivational engine, and fail to perform preventative-maintenance to keep employees operating at their best.
Just as manufacturing equipment is powered by engines, so are human beings. I’ve studied the human motivational engine for 30 years, and I’ve developed a clear conception of what it looks like. This engine has ten “cylinders”—five that regulate our biological survival (biologic appetites like hunger and thirst) and five that regulate our primal social needs to innovate, master the survival skills of our tribe, achieve goals, work cooperatively as a team and feel safe and secure (the motivational cylinder dealing with cooperation equates directly to employee engagement). In my book, Primal Management, I show where these motivational “cylinders” reside in the brain, which neurotransmitters regulate them, and how human beings malfunction if any of these vital survival mechanisms are damaged by disease or injury. I also explain how to get the motivational horsepower to go up by working harmoniously with the engine.

What’s the Horsepower of Your Engine?

The output signals from the motivational engine are motivating feelings of pleasure and pain. An engine metaphor is appropriate because these rewarding and painful feelings move us. They get us up in the morning, move us from Point-A to Point-B during the course of our day, and put us to bed at night. The truth is, we are pleasure-driven creatures and companies need to come to grips with this basic fact.

It should be self-evident that humans are motivated to seek rewarding experiences and to avoid painful ones. If employees cannot find these rewarding feelings in their work, then they will focus their energies outside of work in rewarding activities like sports and hobbies. If employees can’t find pleasure naturally in their lives, then they will often turn to addictive drugs to find these pleasures unnaturally.

In my book, Primal Management, I describe a technology for harnessing human-nature’s pleasure-fueled engine. This technology consists of an advanced theory of human motivation based upon the latest science, a survey based on the theory to measure motivational horsepower (The Horsepower SurveyTM), and a leadership methodology to get the motivational horsepower to go up.

Human beings, just like factory machines, are equipped with sensors that measure our state-of-repair. The output signals from these sensors are motivating feelings of pleasure and pain. When we feel good, we are operating at our rated capacity, and when we feel bad, we are malfunctioning. The Horsepower Survey captures these pleasurable and painful feelings and summarizes them as motivational horsepower. I recommend that companies measure their motivational horsepower monthly and plot the results on a control chart to determine whether their employees are functioning optimally or malfunctioning.

If the motivational horsepower is positive, it means that employees experience intrinsic pleasure in their work that is equivalent to a monetary bonus that enhances motivation and productivity. If the horsepower is negative, employees find it painful coming to work, which is equivalent to a reduction in their monetary pay. I propose that motivational horsepower is the single most important parameter a company can measure, yet nobody does so. If companies can get their horsepower to go up, I argue, then every other desirable operational, financial and HR metric should go up with it. The logic behind this bold statement is simple—rewarding feelings drive behavior and behavior determines organizational performance.

Screen Shot of Final Question of the Horsepower Survey

At this point our hypothetical COO might protest, “I’m not as clueless as you suggest. I measure the horsepower of my motivational engine with a yearly employee-engagement survey.” To this I would respond, “Measuring motivation annually just doesn’t cut it. If your engine is malfunctioning, do you really want to wait a year to find out? Measuring motivation annually is like measuring cash-flow annually. It is downright un-businesslike.”

To be honest, we shouldn’t be too critical of our COO. Motivation is a murky and complex subject. Even the scientific community had a muddled understanding of the motivational engine until the advent of powerful brain imaging devices like PET scanners and functional MRIs that allowed us to peer into the brain and see the motivational engine in action. The bottom line however is clear—if you want to improve productivity and reduce costs, you need to tap into human nature’s pleasure-fueled engine.

3 words explain exactly what I will focus on in 2010:

Less

More

People

Over the coming months, I’ll try to tie everything into these 3 big words as I offer articles to help you become a better, more effective manager.

Stay tuned, and thanks for your attention!

Inspired by Chris Brogan

So how do you do it?  How do you fire someone the RIGHT WAY?

Rather than just write it down for you, I encourage you to listen in to this interview between my buddy Wayne Turmel and I over at the Cranky Middle Manager Show where we talk about how to fire someone. The interview goes 28 minutes, and it’s worth listening to all the way to the end.

After you check it out, what do you think, do my suggestions work for you?

What are YOUR best tips for firing someone?

I clicked
I explored
I read
I learned
I commented
Phil responded
and a conversation started

Synergy was explored
The conversation continued

A Help Desk Institute meeting brought Phil to MA so we took the “blog off the blog” and met in person.
We discovered in the course of the conversation that we shared many interests.

SOBCon was held in Chicago and I missed the first one, but not the second or third.

Phil was there for all three and the conversation continued.

Joyful Jubilant Learning is being explored. It is one of my personal learning networks (PLN).
Phil is also amongst the core group contributing, sharing and learning.

One of the items we found we had in common is our birthday.
Yes, both Phil and I came into the world on the same date (albeit years apart).

Phil, for your birthday I have a limerick to share:

There is a relationship geek named Phil
who lives on top of the hill
he’ll use his blue book
or tweet with a hook
for your need he will fulfill

On this, our joint birthday Phil,  I wish you the most happy of days. I know you’ll make it great!

——

When not lost reading or writing, Steve Sherlock can be founding writing his 2 cents revealing the good experience. He is currently working on a three month project while actively looking for a new opportunity to provide great service and create value. His sherku and other poetic verse can be found at quiet poet. More information about his current home town of Franklin, MA can be found at Franklin Matters. He can be followed on Twitter @shersteve

Admittedly, you definitely need to do more than cheer your team on to get things done. But remember, a little energy and belief that your team can do things can go a LONG way in achieving your goals.

Trust is what keeps me working for a manager and a director when I know I could make more money and a bigger title (and probably less stress) working somewhere else.

The lack of trust is why I put in 7 hours on a Sunday to verify something that I was told would have zero impact.

I lied.

Trust isn’t a big thing for me.

Trust is the ONLY thing for me.

So I looked around for the best trust quotes I could find, and here’s what I came up with.

“You must trust and believe in people or life becomes impossible.” – Anton Chekhov

“To be trusted is a greater compliment than being loved.” – George MacDonald

“Trust is like a vase.. once it’s broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again.” – Anonymous

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you." – Friedrich Nietzsche

“If all my friends were to jump off a bridge, I wouldn’t follow. I’d be at the bottom to catch them when they fall.” – Anonymous

“The key is to get to know people and trust them to be who they are. Instead, we trust people to be who we want them to be- and when they’re not, we cry.” – Anonymous

“You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you do not trust enough". – Frank Crane

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” – Golda Meir

“Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” – Benjamin Spock

“Self-trust is the first secret of success." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else’s.” – Billy Wilder

Is trust important to you?

Who do you trust?

Do you have a quote that sums up what trust means to you?

Share it below.

I will read and appreciate your sharing.

Trust me.

How to Work With Your Boss by Their Astrology Sign
By Gary Goldschneider,
Author of Gary Goldschneider’s Everyday Astrology

ARIES
March 21-April 20
Strengths: Inspiring, Dynamic, Trailblazing
Weaknesses: Unheeding, Stressed, Unaware
Interactive Style: Confrontational, Commanding, Blunt
The Aries Boss
Aries bosses are born leaders, so there will be little doubt as to their wishes concerning the direction the group should take. Explicit, clear, and demanding, these fiery individuals will ask for every ounce of commitment and energy their employees can muster, and then some. Because they are so comfortable in this role, they are eager to make decisions and see them implemented. True individuals, they naturally respect individuality in others and are surprisingly open to and even expectant of their employees acting on their own, once they understand what is expected of them.

TAURUS
April 21-May 21
Strengths: Stable, Attentive, Careful
Weaknesses: Bossy, Inflexible, Insensitive
Interactive Style: Concerned, Instructive, Explicit
The Taurus Boss
Many people have described the Taurus personality as bossy. Indeed, the Taurus boss is comfortable in this role, but prefers to stay behind the scenes and let things run smoothly on their own. This, of course, assumes that employees have been well coached and know what to expect from a Taurus boss. Such assumptions are not always justified, although Taurus bosses usually take the time and trouble to spell out how they want their employees to proceed. Rules and regulations are usually kept to a minimum but are written in stone, at least as far as the Taurus boss is concerned.

GEMINI
May 22-June 21
Strengths: Lively, Communicative, Interesting
Weaknesses: Distracted, Superficial, Nervous
Interactive Style: Forward, Adaptable, Logical
The Gemini Boss
Most Geminis are not comfortable giving orders or running an organization day to day. They are basically types who enjoy being part of a team and sharing experiences on an equal level. Thus, although they are quite capable of taking on the work involved in being bosses, they are not born leaders themselves and would much prefer to hang back and let things run on their own. Gemini bosses are very good at delegating authority, relying on a few capable employees to oversee the activities of their company. Such individuals are usually well rewarded and given a wide range of responsibilities. However, the Gemini boss likes to make the final decisions on all important matters.

CANCER
June 22-July 22
Strengths: Low-key, Easy, Harmonious
Weaknesses: Overly demanding, Expectant, Particular
Interactive Style: Persuasive, Feeling, Empathic
The Cancer Boss
It can be a mistake to deny or underestimate the dominant qualities of the Cancer boss. Extremely particular about how things are done, Cancer bosses can be very demanding, albeit in a low-key manner. They expect their employees to understand their wishes and even to anticipate them. It is not so much rules and orders that count most for Cancer bosses, but the fact that everyone is on the same emotional wavelength. Not fond of trouble, Cancer bosses want things to run smoothly, and this fact underlies the importance of their dominance being unquestioned rather than power tripping, per se.

LEO
July 23-August 23 
Strengths: Fair, Proud, Commanding
Weaknesses: Egotistical, Power hungry, Self-centered
Interactive Style: Friendly, Open, Generous
The Leo Boss
Born leaders, Leos exult in assuming the top positions of any company. Ownership is not the most important thing for them, however — so as long as they are CEOs or directors, they are happy to be employees. Leo bosses try to be fair and impartial, succeeding in doing so as long as their authority is not questioned nor their job threatened. As they see it, they are simply representing everyone under them, trying to get them the best possible salaries, working conditions, opportunities for advancement, and benefits. Leos take great pride in their work, so when the company is being congratulated by stockholders, boards of directors, or owners, they are happy to accept for everyone else.

VIRGO
August 24-September 22
Strengths: Pragmatic, Realistic, Matter-of-fact
Weaknesses: Unresponsive, Unsympathetic, Cold
Interactive Style: Literal, Concise, Economical
The Virgo Boss
Virgo bosses are highly pragmatic and are generally realists. Thus the intent or ideals behind your actions are not nearly as important to them as the results. Facts and figures play a large role in their thinking, so be sure you have these at your fingertips when you are summoned to their offices. Excuses will be accepted only if they can be backed up with logic and acceptable evidence. Do not seek to arouse Virgo bosses’ sympathy or understanding, and keep your interactions as unemotional as possible. Virgo bosses highly value their time, as well as yours, so try not to waste it in idle banter.

LIBRA
September 23-October 22 
Strengths: Popular, Charismatic, Likeable
Weaknesses: Conceited, Needy, Self-defeating
Interactive Style: Agreeable, Charming, Magnetic
The Libra Boss
The only things Libra bosses value more than being liked by their employees is being well liked by them. This intense need for popularity often betrays them and can even undermine their efforts. Instead of keeping their eye on the ball and striving for positive results, too often they are interested in their own personal gratification. At times their need for admiration seems boundless; those who know this are able to manipulate them through alternately giving and withholding praise. The struggle of Libra bosses to create successful companies is often against that most difficult of enemies — themselves.

SCORPIO
October 23-November 21
Strengths: Well-directed, Protective, Powerful
Weaknesses: Inflexible, Unforgiving, Harsh
Interactive Style: Serious, Hard-driving, Dominant
The Scorpio Boss
Scorpio bosses are serious individuals — hard-driving and dedicated to the company’s success. Consequently, they set extremely high standards for their employees and expect them to give the very best they have on a daily basis. Scorpios do not accept excuses for shoddy or slipshod work, preferring a frank admission of failure over attempts to explain it away. Powerful and dominant, Scorpio bosses sit in the driver’s seat at all times and do not allow their colleagues and fellow workers to question or undermine their authority. When reporting to their superiors or owners of the business, they seek to protect their own employees from unreasonable demands and insist on adequate and often abundant reward for their workers’ dedicated efforts.

SAGITTARIUS
November 22-December 21 
Strengths: Intuitive, Forceful, Quick
Weaknesses: Uncommunicative, Unclear, Unsympathetic
Interactive Style: Independent, Individualistic, Impulsive
The Sagittarius Boss
Because of their high degree of independence and individualism, Sagittarius bosses are not always suited to this role. Sagittarians are prone to go off suddenly and often precipitously in their own direction under a full head of steam, so it may be difficult for their employees to keep up with them. Furthermore, they may not take the time to communicate their thoughts clearly to other members of the company, preferring to let their own actions speak for themselves. Not really team players, Sagittarius bosses assume command and then follow their hunches rather than carefully mapping out a campaign and relegating duties carefully.

CAPRICORN
December 22-January 20
Strengths: Dominant, Determined, Self-assured
Weaknesses: Insensitive, Unheeding, Stubborn
Interactive Style: Authoritarian, Commanding, Firm
The Capricorn Boss
Capricorns are dominant personalities, and therefore bosses born under this sign will want to be obeyed without question. Moreover, they will insist on maintaining their position as bosses of the department or company, and under no circumstances will they allow you or anyone else to undermine their authority. "Never outshine the master" is a good rule to follow when working for a Capricorn boss. Not necessarily hungry for advancement, Capricorn bosses are more likely to hang onto their rung on the corporate ladder having once reached and, in most cases, intending to remain at that level as long as possible.

AQUARIUS
January 21-February 19
Strengths: Quick, Bright, Open
Weaknesses: Impatient, Erratic, Elusive
Interactive Style: Immediate, Unpredictable, Ungovernable
The Aquarius Boss
Since Aquarians are not particularly suited to be bosses, they are, generally speaking, rather few and far between. There are several reasons for this, among them their erratic and impulsive behavior, need to act on their own, lightning-quick moves, and general disinterest in holding power over others or setting up a dynasty. That said, if you have an Aquarius boss, at least you have been forewarned. Actually, they are often fun to work with (when you can catch up to them) and treat their employees quite generously. Their impatience is legendary, so do not try their quick tempers or frustrate them with your absence or tardiness when they really need you in the clutch.

PISCES
February 20-March 20
Strengths: Affluent, Fluid, Empathic
Weaknesses: Easily manipulated, Oversensitive, Overprotective
Interactive Style: Relaxed, Adaptable, Influential
The Pisces Boss
For some strange reason Pisces are thought of as being bad with money. Yet in history, and also in one’s own circle of friends, money seems to come easiest to those born under this sign. In the same way, a Pisces boss too frequently invokes the mistaken picture of an ultra-relaxed and indecisive fish flopping out of its depth, but in fact those born under this sign frequently make excellent bosses, even dynasty builders. Money making comes quite naturally to them, as it is a fluid medium that they totally understand, and nurturing Pisces bosses are more than capable of guarding the interests of their businesses and employees, bringing profit to all concerned.

The above is an excerpt from the book Gary Goldschneider’s Everyday Astrology by Gary Goldschneider. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

©2009 Gary Goldschneider, author of Gary Goldschneider’s Everyday Astrology, Quirk Books
About the Author: Gary Goldschneider, author of Gary Goldschneider’s Everyday Astrology, is an astrologer and the author of several best-selling books, including The Secret Language of Birthdays, The Secret Language of Relationships, and The Secret Language of Destiny. He has studied astrology for forty years and frequently lectures and writes on the subject. An accomplished pianist and composer, he has performed in concerts and recitals worldwide. He lives in Amsterdam, where he writes a regular astrology column for AvantGardemagazine. Visit him on the Web at mypersonology.com and goldschneider.com.

So here I am…letting you know, who I am.

I am Philip Ronald Gerbyshak.

Please call me Phil.

I’m a speaker, a writer, a manager, an instructor.

I’m a boyfriend, a son, a brother, a friend, and an uncle.

My 5 strengths, according to the Gallup StrengthsFinder are:

Woo
Communication
Maximizer
Positivity
Futuristic

I’m the oldest of 3 boys.

I have 4 nieces and 1 nephew.

All of this plays into how I lead, and why I am the way I am.

If you want to work well with me, it might help you understand these things about me.

That’s who I am.

Who are YOU?