A practical, real-world training manual for mid-level management Managing to Make a Difference presents a leadership guide for those in the middle. The C-suite has a wealth of resources for leadership guidance, but middle managers face a quandary: often given little guidance on how to excel, they are also under enormous pressure to do a variety of things other than "lead." This book provides much-needed tools and techniques for building a high-performing team—without letting your other duties suffer. Organized around a coherent philosophy and based on solid research, the discussion offers a roadmap to engagement, talent development, and excellence in management. From difficult situations and organizational challenges to everyday motivation and inspiration, these techniques help middle managers achieve the goals of their organization while empowering their workers to achieve their own. Talent development is probably not your full-time job—yet it drives the engagement that results in high performance. This book shows you how to hit the "sweet spot" of middle management, with a host of tools and strategies to help you help your team shine. Motivate, inspire, and lead your team with confidence Manage through challenges and overcome obstacles Develop key talent and maintain high engagement Adopt practical management tools based on substantiated research Most organizations direct the majority of their development resources to the C-suite, but still expect their mid-level managers to attract, engage, retain, and develop talent; but successfully juggling everyday duties while maintaining team performance and leading around roadblocks leaves little room for management planning. Managing to Make a Difference offers the solution in the form of tools, techniques, and practical strategy for a high performing team.

Table of Contents:
Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii Introduction xv Section I Cultivate Positive Relationships 1 Chapter 1 Relationships Create Opportunities to Make a Difference 3 Chapter 2 Get to Know Your Employees 7 Chapter 3 Go Ahead, Get Close to Your People 11 Chapter 4 Accept People as They Are 17 Chapter 5 Tolerate Undesirable Behaviors 21 Chapter 6 Make People Significant 25 Chapter 7 Prioritize One-on-Ones 31 Chapter 8 Don’t Make Relationship Conflicts Worse 37 Chapter 9 Apologize 43 Chapter 10 Forgive 47 Chapter 11 Cultivate a Great Relationship with Your Boss 51 Chapter 12 Embrace the Ebb and Flow of Relationships 55 Section II Accelerate People’s Growth 59 Chapter 13 Abandon the “Follow Shirley” Method 61 Chapter 14 Help People Self-Actualize 65 Chapter 15 Coach to Improve Performance 71 Chapter 16 Optimize Fit 75 Chapter 17 Set the Right Expectations 79 Chapter 18 Ask the Right Questions 83 Chapter 19 Kick Butt the Right Way 85 Section III Maximize Engagement and Motivation 87 Chapter 20 Emphasize the Why 89 Chapter 21 Meet People’s Needs 91 Chapter 22 Don’t Sit on Good People 97 Chapter 23 Resist the Temptation to Seize Control 101 Chapter 24 Empower Your People 105 Chapter 25 Harness Discretionary Effort 115 Chapter 26 Solicit Volunteers for Unpopular Tasks 119 Chapter 27 Create a Sense of Urgency 121 Chapter 28 Set Challenging Goals 123 Chapter 29 Be Unreasonably Optimistic 125 Section IV Build Extraordinary Teams 127 Chapter 30 Recruit Continuously 129 Chapter 31 Bet on Talent 133 Chapter 32 Ensure the Right Fit 139 Chapter 33 Match the Right People to the Right Training 141 Chapter 34 Delegate to the Right People 145 Chapter 35 Ask for Commitment 149 Chapter 36 Invest Your Time with Top Performers 151 Chapter 37 Conduct Occasional Team-Building Events 153 Chapter 38 Advance from Team to Family 157 Chapter 39 Avoid the Peter Principle 159 Chapter 40 Don’t Lead People On 163 Chapter 41 Sometimes Firing Someone Is the Caring Thing to Do 167 Chapter 42 Never Badmouth Top Performers Who Resign 171 Chapter 43 Don’t Always Take the Easy Way Out 173 Section V Shape Your Culture 177 Chapter 44 Focus on the Right Things 179 Chapter 45 Exemplify Cultural Values in Employee Orientation 181 Chapter 46 Welcome and Integrate New Team Members 183 Chapter 47 Adjust to Accommodate New Employees 187 Chapter 48 Curate Your Organization’s Folklore 189 Chapter 49 Enliven Cultural Values and Expectations 193 Chapter 50 Provide Frequent, Candid Feedback 197 Chapter 51 Shape a Culture of Recognition and Appreciation 201 Chapter 52 Emotionally Rehire People 209 Chapter 53 Celebrate Personal and Professional Accomplishments 213 Chapter 54 Ask, “How Can I Help?” 215 Chapter 55 Encourage Employees to Have Fun 217 Chapter 56 Address Poor Performance 219 Chapter 57 Address Bad Behavior 223 Chapter 58 Exert Moral Authority 227 Chapter 59 Rise Above the Politics 231 Chapter 60 Don’t Chase Hearsay, Rumors, or Gossip 235 Chapter 61 Speak Positively about Those Not Present 237 Section VI Embrace Change 239 Chapter 62 Embrace Uncertainty, Be Confident, Instill Hope 241 Chapter 63 Encourage Suggestions: Have an Appetite for New Ideas 243 Chapter 64 Don’t Strive for 100 Percent Buy-In 247 Chapter 65 Take Action on Legacy Employees 251 Chapter 66 Replace Employees Who Are Blocking Change 255 Chapter 67 Overcommunicate During a Management Transition 257 Chapter 68 Prepare for the Unknowable Future 259 Section VII Invest in Your Own Growth 261 Chapter 69 Develop Yourself 263 Chapter 70 Define What Success Means to You 265 Chapter 71 Spend More Time on the 20 267 Chapter 72 Build Your Strengths 271 Chapter 73 If You Have Been Newly Promoted, Just Take Charge 273 Chapter 74 If You Feel Trapped in Your Job, Change Something 275 Chapter 75 Take Steps to Fit in on a New Job 279 Chapter 76 Hire Some People Who Can Replace You 281 Chapter 77 Find a Mentor 283 Chapter 78 Become a Better Mentee 285 Chapter 79 Express Your Gratitude 289 Notes 291 About the Authors 295 Index 297