How many times do you complete a task that you don't believe in just so that you can tell your manager it's complete? 

Do you wish you could break through and communicate better with upper management? You aren't alone.

Employees do their best to share their ideas with busy upper managers. But they rarely receive feedback about the interaction. In this workshop, we will simulate interactions with upper management and provide feedback about the interaction.

In my last post , I posed the question, "What coping strategies are better than ambivalence and apathy (in a double bind situation)?"

What critical lesson have I learned about the process of making an estimate? 

How would your management style change if all your employees were financially independent and their objective was to master their craft while contributing to society?

Has a member of your team become completely concerned about how something is done rather than whether it is done?

Is it a problem when someone is completely focused is on how something is done? What do you do about it?

Do some members of your team make agreements during meetings but fail to support them afterwards?

If this behavior is happening, I suspect your team is using an obscure process to make decisions.

I am fortunate to have worked on a team led by Anne Cawley early in my career. Experience working with her enabled me to know, rather than speculate, about the power of an effective manager.

What elements of her management style made her effective?

Does your team fine individuals for infractions; such as being late to meetings?

Rather than fining individuals, would more behavioral change happen if the entire team was fined?

Albert, without fail, has exceeded all of his production objectives for the past five years. He is a top performer who produces high-quality results. Colleagues like him. Clients adore him. But Albert never works more than 20 hours per week. That's less than one-half the amount of time his colleague's work.

Albert receives a compensation package equal or better than his colleagues. He has a single requirement for his manager and his organization, "Don't waste my time." You now control the organization. Would you continue to employ Albert under the same arrangement?