Wally Bock - Articles

Wally Bock helps leaders improve the performance and morale of their teams. This material is adapted from Wally's latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership (http://www.performancetalk.com). You'll also find tips about how to talk to your subordinates at the Three Star Leadership site (http://www.threestarleadership.com/)

Popularity
63

Leadership: Motivation Magic
Motivation sometimes seems a lot like magic. Some people can do it. Other people can't. Your boss tells you that you need to "motivate your people," but doesn't tell you how. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines "motivate" as "to give someone a motive." It goes on to define "motive" as something... Read
By: Wally Bock | 15/05/2007 | Management
Popularity
50

Nine Questions About Baby Boomer Retirement That Your Company Must Answer
The Baby Boomers are the members of the generation born between 1946 and 1964. At 79 million people, they're the largest US generation in history. The oldest Boomers will turn 65 in 2011 and many of them may choose head for the exits. Can you answer these questions... Read
By: Wally Bock | 06/05/2007 | Management
Popularity
53

Help! My Boomers Are Retiring!
Next time you've got a bunch of senior managers in a room together, ask those who are eligible to retire within five years to leave the room. Then figure out how you're going to replace them. That's an exercise I've done with senior management in a client company. A... Read
By: Wally Bock | 25/04/2007 | Management
Popularity
50

Do You Really Want To Be A Manager?
"What do I do now?" Craig looked plaintively across the desk at me. He'd come to me for help adapting to his new role as a manager. He was having a lot of trouble. Craig had thought he wanted to be a manager. He'd supported himself through college by running... Read
By: Wally Bock | 18/04/2007 | Careers
Popularity
50

New Leader: Figuring Out What Do Do
When John was promoted to his first management job, his boss gave him a book about twelve traits a leader must have. His father gave him a different book about the characteristics of great leaders. His sister sent him an article about the new leadership. And his... Read
By: Wally Bock | 06/04/2007 | Management
Popularity
53

How Can I Pick The Right Leadership Training Program
Leadership covers a vast range of specific skill-sets, almost all of which come under the heading of what trainers call "far transfer training." That means that you have to go all the way back and use them on the job to learn them completely. With that in mind, here are... Read
By: Wally Bock | 18/03/2007 | Leadership
Popularity
60

How Do I Delegate Better?
Lots of bosses are good at dumping, but not at delegating. They're great at off-loading the things they don't like to do and dropping assignments on their subordinates with little or no guidance. Other bosses think that delegating is always the best way to assign work. That's not right either.... Read
By: Wally Bock | 22/02/2007 | Management
Popularity
55

A Secret No One Tells New Managers
The Merriam-Webster dictionary lists two meanings for "confrontation." There are "a face-to-face meeting" and "the clashing of forces or ideas." Both are part of being a boss, but hardly anyone tells that to a new manager in advance. You could say that managing others is the art of "controlled confrontation." Doing... Read
By: Wally Bock | 15/02/2007 | Management
Popularity
58

Achieving Work/Life Balance
Question: How can I achieve work/life balance? If you mean that Nirvana-like state where you are successful, fulfilled and happy at work and at home, the short, brutal answer is that you probably won't. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't wrestle with the issues. There are lots of myths about work/life balance.... Read
By: Wally Bock | 07/02/2007 | Careers
Popularity
60

Why Do Managers Find It Difficult To Fire Poor Performers?
This is a problem common to managers in every industry. Here are a few of the reasons. Human beings, managers and otherwise, simply don't like confrontation and all the things that go with firing involve confrontation. In fact, managing people is really the art of controlled confrontation. For that you need... Read
By: Wally Bock | 29/01/2007 | Management