This week, we conclude our discussion on managing through a personal crisis. Last week, we discussed the preparation; this week, we discuss ACTIONS.

  [Play in Popup]

This cast gives managers specific steps to take when dealing with a personal crisis of a direct report.

Today, we complete our discussion on Body Odor.

One of our more controversial topics, to be sure ... but folks, we don't make this stuff up! The issue arises in offices all across the world every day. And since it doesn't seem like anyone else wants to talk about it, we will!

  [Play in Popup]

This cast describes how to have a discussion with a direct whose personal odor is affecting their teammates.

We get asked "the body odor question" a lot, and everyone seems stunned that we actually have an answer. Usually, a manager just mentions it in passing. "Well, thanks for this other help...but even YOU can't help with THIS problem." In keeping with their tone, I say, "what's that?" Their reply of "I got a guy who is creating problems on the team. It's ...uhhhh... it's like... he uhhhh..."

"Body Odor?"

"How did you know?"

The fact is, we ALL smell.

Today, mark and I finish up our series on running your staff meeting. If you haven't listened to last week's show, you may want to do so.

During the show, we also allude once again to our previous podcasts on the Effective Meeting Protocol (or EMP). We did these shows back in August of 2005, so as we suggested last week, please visit our archives on the website if you haven't listened to them.

We've alluded to it, we've talked about it, but we've never until now shared our recommendation for one of the few mandatory meetings we recommend: The Effective Manager's Weekly Staff Meeting. We believe that a "Weekly Staff" and weekly one on ones are the core of running a team of directs.

Have you ever wondered what your team REALLY thought of you? Have you ever wondered what they say about you to their spouses about you after one of their tough days? Have you wondered if other managers wondered this, or do they have their "stuff" so together that they don't worry about this like you do?

Oh, they worry. Trust us.

The thing is, if you ask around, some people (and more than some in HR) will recommend you "do a three-sixty!"

That's when you really SHOULD worry. 360-degree feedback is very powerful, and almost always inappropriate for managers as a way to learn how they're doing. (We spend some time talking about 360 in the cast, as background.)

This cast teaches you a basic, simple, easy, low investment, low (zero) cost, easily repeatable, hard to mess up, gets-better-when-you-repeat it every-once-in-awhile technique for beginning to learn how you're doing as a manager.

  [Play in Popup]

Part 2 of our 2-part series on managing conflict when your directs are involved.

  [Play in Popup]

What do you do when you're in conflict with a peer... and your directs become involved? What's interesting here is that we all ought to know that if we ARE in conflict with a peer, our directs ARE involved. Our directs know who among our peers are our allies, and who we don't align well with. Our directs make choices, perhaps subtle, but choices nonetheless, that can add to our tensions (yes, even if we tell them not to).

What can we do as managers to help our directs deal with a peer of OURS that WE are in conflict with?

If you've ever had to deal with two of your directs fighting about something, this is the cast for you. Mark likes to say that "the definition of conflict is two human beings in the same COUNTY." If that's true, then 500 or 1,000 or 5,000 people in the same organization is not just 'a conflict waiting to happen', it's conflict guaranteed to happen.

Yes, conflict is inevitable. Unfortunately, the natural response of most managers to conflict among their staff or team [can you guess what it is?] is completely, totally ineffective.