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Genesis of the Bad Seed Manager

9/27/2023

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How many managers do you know who have no management skills? I bet it didn’t take long for you to come up with several. It’s quite the phenomenon, but today I’m more interested in their ability to damage a business, possibly yours. A manager has a lot of leeway in how things are done. Consequently, it is important for the manager to be invested in the success of the company or the project.

If a manager is incompetent, it’s obvious how they can damage the business. What about if the manager is all about themselves? If this is the case, they can deliberately make sweeping changes to a business which will run it into the ground. I have seen this done.

Cut Your Losses?
So what attitudes should make you consider cutting your losses before it’s too late? Ask yourself if any of these describe your manager.

1)  dictatorial
2)  fails to listen to suggestions
3)  unwilling or unable to explain rational reasons for changes
4)  has a poverty consciousness
5)  insincerity or phoniness when dealing with customers
6)  fails to consider the long-term needs of the business
7)  rarely institutes changes that increase the bottom line or improve the public face of the business
8)  moody.

Okay, if more than one of these stands out for you, then you need to assess more closely what impact the manager is having on the bottom line of your business.

Qualities of a Good Manager
So, what should you require in a manager?

1)  a person who is just as involved in the process every day as everyone else, who will step up when there is a need rather than putting a strain on others
2)  a person who listens to suggestions and asks questions and then analyzes them against the mission of the business or the project
3)  a person who thoroughly thinks through his/her actions before coming to a decision
4)  a person who isn’t always expecting the next shoe to fall, who moves forward instead of always looking over their shoulder
5)  a person who is always creating new ways for the business to prosper
6)  a person who recognizes the importance of social skills in developing the reputation of the business.

Source of Some Bad Seed Managers
Of course, some people are just bullies, and the power of a management position allows them to exercise their power in a destructive way. However, there is another possible source for the emergence of an incorrigible manager:  they have become the victim of a management concept.

Too often, business owners or boards of directors give people management positions who have inadequate experience, minimal leadership skills, and/or no social skills. One of the reasons this occurs is outlined in the Peter Principle. If you’ve ever worked in a medium-sized to large-sized business, I’m sure you’ve seen this concept in play. A person is doing a great job in their current position, and suddenly he is promoted based on his current performance. Sometimes this works out, but if promotions continue to be handled this way, said employee will eventually reach a “level of respective incompetence.” In other words, he will now be in a job for which he is not truly qualified. He has been promoted to his level of incompetence.

The impact on this person can vary. Often, the stress can cause them to derail important operations. Then, as a matter of survival, they may begin blaming those who work for them. Eventually this will lead to attrition in production. A year or two down the road, those who promoted this individual will start to wonder what happened. Dare I say it? Duh!

Don't be fooled. It doesn't just occur in larger businesses. As entrepreneurs, we can become somewhat dependent on certain individuals who have been performing specific jobs for us. In our enthusiasm for their work, we approach them about taking on another facet of our business. After all, outsourcing is supposed to be the game plan for entrepreneurs. Often, this individual may be as hungry for business as we are and overestimate their own skills to our detriment.

I heard a story a few years back about a writer who did this very thing with a contractor. Her enthusiasm for this person's work caused her to take her eye off the ball. It resulted in her learning a very painful lesson, financially and reputationally. 

The bottom line is that as decision-makers, we should praise people for their expertise but not make the mistake of assuming they naturally have the skills to move to another level. They may, but they may not. As decision-makers, we must be prudent in our business decisions. 

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Is Your Life Twisted into a Knot?

9/20/2023

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Life Untwisted
Targeting Your Potential with a Fearless Attitude

In trying to live our lives, we inadvertently get things twisted around. We lose sight of what’s important for our spiritual growth and what’s inconsequential. Of course, nothing is really inconsequential because lessons are there to be learned regardless. However, it is still important for us to prioritize the people, the actions, the feelings, the thoughts in our lives because most of us tend to turn our worlds upside down. We make the least important the most important and vice versa. We carry the residue of experiences around with us that we should have released long ago and let them rule our lives.

In order to live a happier life, we must learn how to develop a fearless attitude and how to target our potential. Each of these undertakings involves certain areas of work. To develop a fearless attitude, we must work on building a foundation, healing, strategies, each of which also includes many areas of focus. To target out potential, we must understand the creative process, develop visions for our life and business, as well as learn how to create better relationships.
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By Dannye and John Dean Williamsen
 
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Untwisted-Targeting-Potential-Fearless/dp/0972605851/
https://www.amazon.com/Life-Untwisted-Targeting-Potential-Fearless-ebook/dp/B00PJ2XH3Q
 

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The Scene of the Crime

9/13/2023

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In a murder mystery, the scene of the crime is usually the pivotal point for the detectives working the case. As a writer, you must think about who will arrive first on the scene. Is your victim found by a civilian or law enforcement? How is the scene secured? What exactly do you need your detectives to find or not find at the scene? How much forensic information is necessary for your reader to know to stay involved with the mystery?

Because of the digital age, readers are more savvy about crime investigations, particularly murder. C.S.I. and Criminal Minds provide plenty of forensics and behavioral analysis to make armchair experts of most of us. Consequently, it creates a wide spectrum for writers when it comes to deciding how much is too much and how much is not enough. Personally, I don't think there is a hard and fast rule. Go with your gut! Whatever you feel enhances the story line or broadens the scope of your characters is the right choice.
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The bottom line is that writers and readers are not different from each other. Most readers just want to be carried along by the characters, feeling what they feel, and to exist in their worlds for a short period of time. Writers want the same thing. If we can come together in a special experience called a novel, well then …

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Autumn Reflections

9/6/2023

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It’s a gift to be able to express oneself poetically. Unfortunately, I was never granted the talent to communicate my feelings, thoughts, and desires through verse. However, I was fortunate enough to know someone who could.

My late husband, Robert, had the gift. Over a span of 50+ years, he penned rhyming poems, free verse, epic tales, and haiku. As a professional pilot, his travels around the world inspired much of his work. From the deserts of Namibia to the mountains of Peru, Bob visited with the native peoples and listened to their tales. Their cultures, traditions, and closeness with the land taught him to see and appreciate the natural world through their eyes. His experiences inspired much of his longer pieces but also instigated his experimentation with haiku.

Haiku is a Japanese form of poetry limited to 17 syllables and divided up into three lines. The first line contains five syllables, the second has seven, and the third has five. This type of poetry is typically written to celebrate nature. The short verses use descriptive language so the reader can see, feel, hear, smell, or taste what the poet is experiencing.

It takes a lot of patience, practice, skill, and talent to master this form of writing, but Bob had all those attributes. His deep appreciation and fascination with nature come to life in his haiku. The simple three-line poems reveal the deep-thinking side of the poet who cherished all aspects of beauty in nature and life.

Robert’s haiku focuses on the seasons and the joy he felt observing the beauty in nature we oftentimes overlook. His collection of verses offers a glimpse into the soul of one who appreciated and loved all the facets of our natural world. His attention to the smallest details allows us to experience the world around us through our senses.

A couple of years ago, I organized his poetry into an ebook called Blossoms in the Snow. Regrettably, it only contains a portion of his poems. Some of his earlier work suffered from water damage, others were so old the ink had faded away, while other pieces just disappeared into thin air. I’m sorry I cannot share all his work; however, I hope you enjoy the ones that remain.

Here are a few of his autumn-themed haiku.

AUTUMN REFLECTIONS

Trees in bright color
Red leaves fall from autumn trees
Sweet sadness of heart
***
Soft rain falls from skies
With season’s bright yellow leaves
And washes my tears
***
Sharp scent of wood smoke
Taste of apple on my tongue
           Tell me of past days             
***
Black birds with bright eyes
Fly from umber-stubbled fields
Under cold blue skies
***
Indian Summer
Golden sun in cloudless skies
Weaving gentle spells
***
Dry leaves cover ground
Trees in yellow finery
Fields in shades of brown
***
Open road beckons
Cool wind blows in face and hair
Wheels sing a sweet song
***
Wet leaves cover road
Few drops of rain on face shield
Warm arms around me
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​Available from Amazon


Kindle and Kindle Unlimited - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B092SXPNW5/

Universal link - http://viewbook.at/blossomsinthesnow



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I will read forever because it lets me visit in my mind the worlds that I will never be able to see; it helps me put away the stresses of the day and relax into the rhythm of the story before me; it lets me bring to the surface and experience without regrets those feelings I hide away; it lets me re-experience the thrill of first love through someone else's eyes; it keeps my mind juiced so that it will never desert me; it is always there for me even when there's no one else. I will read forever no matter whether it is print or digital because the words will always call to me. ~ A Sassy Scribbler