Edward R. Murrow Rule of Thumb

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty ... when the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.

Lois McMaster Bujold Rule of Thumb

Ordinary people need extraordinary examples so they can say to themselves, well, if he can do *that*, I can surely do *this* ... no excuses.

Robert Swan Rule of Thumb

The challenge in the world today is not the lack of information; it is the lack of inspiration ... our job is to inspire people - to get them to believe the journey is possible - by showing them small, achievable steps.

Good Manager Tips ...

1. Be a good coach.
2. Empower your team and don't micro-manage.
3. Express interest in team members' success and personal well-being.
4. Be productive and results-oriented.
5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team.
6. Help your employees with career development.
7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team.
8. Have key technical skills so you can advise the team.

Three manager pitfalls ...
1. Have trouble moving from individual contributor to team leader.
2. Lack a consistent approach to performance management and reviews.
3. Spend too little time managing and communicating.

[Thank you, Michelle Donovan & Prasad Setty]

Aretha Franklin Rule of Thumb

R-E-S-P-E-C-T ... find out what it means to me!

Harvey Wallace Rule of Thumb

I don't mind not being important, but I do mind being unimportant.

Ben Morrow Rule of Thumb

Everyone has a purpose ... you are not here by mistake.

Karen Armstrong Rule of Thumb

There's no point in going into a dialogue unless you're willing to be changed by the encounter, for the better or worse.

John F. Kennedy Rule of Thumb

Let us never negotiate out of fear ... but let us never fear to negotiate.

Stephen R. Covey Rule of Thumb

"Management" is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success ... "leadership" determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.

CareerTrack Rule of Thumb

Outstanding managers do more than direct ... they lead, build morale, encourage teamwork, and create enthusiasm.

Yaakov Ben-Zebdi Rule of Thumb

Be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

Norman Vincent Peale Rule of Thumb

We tend to get what we expect.

Teddy Roosevelt Rule of Thumb

The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what needs to be done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them when they do it!

Neil Armstrong Rule of Thumb

I guess we all like to be recognized not for one piece of fireworks, but for the ledger of our daily work.

Tom Peters Rule of Thumb

Train! Train! Train! Growing people outperform stagnant people ... by a wide margin!

Aki Ra Rule of Thumb

I poke my stick in the ground till I find a mine ... then I dig around it, to make sure that it is not booby-trapped ... then, I unscrew the detonator, and the mine is safe.

Bill Walsh Rule of Thumb

Nothing is more effective than sincere, accurate praise, and nothing is more lame than a cookie-cutter compliment.

Dave Mason Rule of Thumb

There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy, there's only you and me and we just disagree.

Samuel A. Culbert Rule of Thumb

The performance review ... is a pretentious, bogus practice that produces absolutely nothing that any thinking executive should call a corporate plus. ... Reviewing performance is good but it should happen every day. Employees need evaluations they can believe, and not the fraudulent ones they receive. ... If performance reviews are so objective, why is it that so many people get totally different ratings simply by switching bosses?