Author: Joe Webb

Closing Your Laptop in Meetings

About a year ago, a friend of mine introduced me to a weekly podcast from Manager-Tools. In each cast, Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman share some of the lessons they’ve learned about how to be a more effective manager. These are actionable techniques rather than purely theoretical concepts. I regularly listen to one of their…
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So I Got Promoted, Now What? Get To Know Your Peers

[This is part four in a series of posts about how to effectively transition to your new role after being promoted.] Series Outline So I Got Promoted, Now What? Stop Doing Your Old Job Employ the Same Successful Tactics Get to Know Your Peers Get a Trusted System Manage Your Email Manage Your Calendar Start…
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So I Got Promoted, Now What? Employ the Same Successful Tactics

[This is part three in a series of posts about how to effectively transition to your new role after being promoted.] Series Outline So I Got Promoted, Now What? Stop Doing Your Old Job Employ the Same Successful Tactics Get to Know Your Peers Get a Trusted System Manage Your Email Manage Your Calendar Start Having…
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So I Got Promoted, Now What? Stop Doing Your Old Job

[This is part two in a series of posts about how to effectively transition to your new role after being promoted.] Series Outline So I Got Promoted, Now What? Stop Doing Your Old Job Employ the Same Successful Tactics Get to Know Your Peers Get a Trusted System Manage Your Email Manage Your Calendar Start…
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“So I Got Promoted, Now What?”

“In a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence.” That’s the premise of Dr. Laurence Peter in his 1969 book, The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong My first thought when I read a statement like that is: I wonder if Dr. Peter worked in a hierarchy and if so…
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I’m Choosing To Cheat

I’m cheating. And I bet that you are, too. In fact, most us of cheat at one time or another.  That’s the premise of Choosing to Cheat by Andy Stanley. In it, Stanley contends that we are all far too busy. We have too many commitments at work and at home; we’re stretched too thin, being…
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Stop, Drop, And Roll Before Answering

“I can’t believe what they’re telling me!”, that’s what the little voice in my head screams in some of my initial client meetings. Fortunately it usually passes through the marketing and PR filter en route to my mouth and it comes out “That’s interesting. How’s it working for you?” You wouldn’t believe some of the…
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Keeping Perspective: What Are You Building?

Think about your responsibilities at work for a minute. How many do you have? Can you even name them all?   As technical professionals, we have a myriad of responsibilities This is especially true in today’s economy when so many of us are being asked to do more with less. It’s easy to get caught…
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“Just Hit Somebody!” Developing A Bias Toward Action

“Come on, hit somebody!” That’s the sage advice I once received from my high school football coach. Later he elaborated to our entire group. I’m paraphrasing here: If you don’t know who to block, that’s a mental mistake. You should know who to block. Period. But if you don’t know who you’re suppose to block,…
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How To Choose A Topic For Speaking

“The human brain starts working the moment you are born and never stops until you stand up to speak in public.” observed Academy Award winning movie producer George Jessel. I think there is some truth to that for many of us. As a regular speaker at conferences, SQLSaturdays, and other organizations, I’m often asked about…
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