Network Building - The St. Jude Rule
In this episode of Manager Tools, Sarah and Mark discuss how to build and leverage professional networks during economic downturns, focusing on supporting colleagues who lose their jobs. They introduce the "St. Jude Rule," urging listeners to reach out to the laid‑off—much like the patron saint of lost causes—by simply contacting them, offering empathy, and sharing resources, even if you can’t hire them. The hosts share personal anecdotes about the isolation felt after a layoff and highlight practical steps such as maintaining a financial cushion (now recommended at nine to twelve months of salary) and using tools like LinkedIn or a licensee‑featured job‑search spotlight to stay connected. Their perspective blends career‑coaching expertise with a compassionate, community‑first mindset.
Building Peer Relationships - Part 1
In this first part of a two‑episode series, Sarah and Mark explain why strong relationships with peer managers—those who report to the same boss—are essential for both individual and team success. They introduce practical tactics such as assessing relationship health,...
The Difference Between Line And Staff Leadership
In this episode Mark and Sarah explain the critical distinction between line and staff leadership, defining line leaders as those in a manager’s direct chain of authority and staff leaders as functional experts like HR, IT, or finance who are...
Three Current Modern Management Scams - Part 1
In this episode, Sarah and Mark expose three prevalent "management scams": generational management, over‑reliance on engagement surveys, and the myth that feedback must be a formal dialogue. They argue that generational management is discriminatory and ignores individual differences, that engagement...
Why Does HR Make It So Hard To Fire People? - Part 2
In this episode, Mark and Sarah dissect why managers often feel blocked by HR when trying to terminate underperforming employees. They explain that HR’s reluctance is usually not a blanket opposition but a legal safeguard requiring concrete, contemporaneous documentation of...
Why Does HR Make It So Hard To Fire People? - Part 1
The episode explores the pervasive myth that HR blocks managers from firing employees, arguing that the real issue is managers' reluctance to follow proper, ethical termination procedures. It explains that HR's role is to enforce thoroughness and fairness, preventing arbitrary...