Leadership Management

A Step-By-Step Guide To Firing Someone With Dignity

We never forget our first. Of course, I’m talking about the first person that we have to fire as a manager. My first experience was an incredibly nice sales rep who was...

Careers

Coaching

Leadership

Management

July 3, 2019

Hey Managers, Preach Less And Lead More

I’m listening to my team and growing increasingly irritated. One by one, they list off the reasons we can’t do better. I was still new to my sales manager role, only six...

by Ian Mathews

Careers

Leadership

June 5, 2019

Managers Should Focus On The Goal And Not “How” Their Team Should Achieve It

I am crazy about Dan Carlin’s podcast, “Hardcore History.” I am not a history buff and read minimal military history before finding Carlin’s unique show. From the...

by Ian Mathews

Leadership

March 11, 2019

How To Spot A Bad Manager Before Accepting A Job Offer

I nearly accepted an executive role with a big company in Chicago several years ago. I passed through the first round of interviews and enjoyed the time I spent with everyone,...

March 11, 2019

How To Manage Your Former Peers

Like most new managers, my peers found out about my promotion from an email announcement. I was 25 years old and had no idea what I was doing. Once that email was sent, twelve...

by Ian Mathews

Hiring

Leadership

March 11, 2019

If you want to impress a new boss, impress your new peers first

“Who are the best performers in the company?” I hosted a new hire orientation for years as an executive with a Fortune 500 company. This question came from a college graduate...

by Ian Mathews

Sales

March 11, 2019

How to respond to “Sell me this pen” in an interview

I spent the better part of the past 20 years interviewing candidates for sales positions and rarely missed an opportunity to ask someone to sell me something. I have listened...

by Ian Mathews

Hiring

March 11, 2019

I learned the most important indicator of success with one of my first hires (it wasn’t grades)

“Ian, we need you to lead our intern program this summer.” “Do we have an intern program?” “Not yet. You’ll figure it out.” “Got it.” I was pumped. I was 24 years old and I...

by Ian Mathews

Inspiration

March 11, 2019

How to reinvent your career at any age

Drinking coffee early before work, I hear text notifications on my phone. Who the hell is sending me text messages this early? I check my phone. “What happens in Vegas . . . “...

by Ian Mathews

Leadership

March 11, 2019

Can you do for a career, what you can do for a day?

“What the hell are you trying to prove?” My safety glasses are steaming, and sweat is rolling down from my hard plastic helmet. It’s loud as hell in this factory, so I’m not...

by Ian Mathews

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