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What Great Managers Do

What Great Managers Do

By Jan Makela

Welcome, Jan Makela's PODCAST What Great Manager Do. Where you will be exposed to what the best managers in the world do. In addition, you will hear topics to help you be one the best managers in your or any organization.
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My radio interview on NBR New York

What Great Managers DoMar 19, 2019

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30:58
Managing Change In Your Organization

Managing Change In Your Organization

Managing change is never easy. Having been part of several mergers, buyouts, and organizational restructurings so I speak from experience of over 30 in industry and as a company commander in the U.S. Army. What your people's first reaction will be when they hear about upcoming changes as how paying attention to the rumor is mill is important as well as other salient topics.


Mar 23, 202305:30
Hiring Exceptional talent

Hiring Exceptional talent

This episode talks about looking for and finding exceptional outside of the resume they present. 

Mar 08, 202304:05
3 Simple Questions to Assess Whether Your Job Candidates Have Emotional Intelligence

3 Simple Questions to Assess Whether Your Job Candidates Have Emotional Intelligence

When it comes to leading yourself and others, emotional intelligence -- the ability to understand and manage our own emotions and understand and influence the emotions of others is just as important as IQ, if not more.

Mar 02, 202304:39
Why your organization should have a four day workweek

Why your organization should have a four day workweek

The research study of 61 companies confirms what has been known for numerous years that the four-day workweek not only helps companies retain good employees but may very well increase revenue

Feb 23, 202305:17
Europe Gets Life Right But Work Wrong

Europe Gets Life Right But Work Wrong

Life in Europe is good. According to the World Happiness Report (WHR), no one feels better about life than Europeans. For 10 years in a row, European countries have topped the list of happiest places on Earth. And in the WHR 2022, the eight happiest countries in the world are located in Europe. Europeans rate their lives so well that Gallup finds almost half of the region's entire population is thriving in life.

Europe's frustration at work isn't new. In 2005, Princeton economist Alan Krueger wrote in The New York Times, "European workers are united in at least one respect: They have reported declining levels of job satisfaction to pollsters over the past three decades." Even in 2005, Krueger noticed a stark difference in worker satisfaction between Europe and the United States.

Culture is often used to explain Europe's abysmal employee engagement scores. But if Europeans cared so little about work, why would they continue to work even if they didn't have to? In 2015, almost three-quarters of German workers said they would keep working even if they inherited so much money they never had to work again. Slightly fewer American workers (68%) said yes to a similar question in August 2013.

And if European dissatisfaction at work is truly cultural, then why are there so many European organizations with thriving workplace cultures? Some European organizations have engagement rates that are three times the regional average and more than double the global average.

Employee engagement is ultimately not about being obsessed with work or living to work. It's about having clear expectations, feeling connected to and supported by your team, and finding purpose in your work. These are universal human needs. The fact that they are not met for millions of European employees is not a cultural badge of honor, but a sign of poor leadership and people management.

So, what's the problem?

Some critics might argue that there is no problem. Europe has some of the world's most successful companies -- who needs employee engagement? But Gallup's analyses of engagement in Europe have found across industries that engaged teams in Europe are significantly more productive and profitable than disengaged ones. Many European companies are leaving wealth and innovation on the table, while their competitors are winning on talent and productivity.

In a study of burnout in the U.S., Gallup found that the biggest cause was "unfair treatment at work." It was followed by an unmanageable workload, unclear communication from managers, lack of manager support and unreasonable time pressure. Those five causes have one thing in common: your boss.

Get a bad one and you are almost guaranteed to emotionally disconnect from your job. A bad boss will ignore you, disrespect you and never support you. Environments like that can make anyone miserable. A manager's effect on a workplace is so significant that Gallup analytics reveal that 70% of the variance in a team's engagement is explained just by who their boss is.

And Europe is plagued with bad managers. While 97% of German managers think they are good managers, 69% of German employees think they have bad managers. Europe's managers aren't completely unaware of this problem. They know they need better training. Sixty percent of German managers say they've never received training for people management skills. This gap shouldn't be hard to close.        


Aug 26, 202209:09
Reduce Holiday stress at work.

Reduce Holiday stress at work.

Use these 4 things to help you reduce stress at work
Dec 11, 201902:35
Starting your own business segment 4

Starting your own business segment 4

Final segment now go for it
Oct 23, 201908:22
Things to consider when starting a new business

Things to consider when starting a new business

Things to consider when starting a new business
Oct 22, 201912:40
Second episode of setting up a new business

Second episode of setting up a new business

Marketing to finance
Oct 17, 201907:57
So you want to start a new business

So you want to start a new business

A multi part series for starting a new business while working full time
Oct 16, 201906:31
Interview with my own coach

Interview with my own coach

Everyone needs a coach. An interview with JW Rayhons of Joshua Development

Oct 01, 201916:26
My interview with Murry Guest

My interview with Murry Guest

Murry Guest is in Australia and is a coach and human development expert 

Sep 30, 201928:17
I hate networking events

I hate networking events

7 ways to make networking events at least tolerable

Sep 19, 201903:57
Warren Buffet Quotes

Warren Buffet Quotes

Quotes from Warren Buffet

Sep 12, 201900:36
What percentage of US workers are Union members

What percentage of US workers are Union members

Latest research on Union membership I'm the US
Aug 29, 201901:21
So you want to start your own business

So you want to start your own business

For almost nine years I have helped business start-ups get established. In this episode I share why you should consider a coach 

Aug 22, 201901:58
Turn over cost of a hair stylist

Turn over cost of a hair stylist

This is an example of what it cost an employer when you lose someone you didn't want to lose

Jul 16, 201902:27
Second Part of attracting and retaining employees

Second Part of attracting and retaining employees

Second part of retaining employees

Jun 07, 201901:25
How hard it is to recruit and retain employees

How hard it is to recruit and retain employees

Two part series on recruiting and retaining employees

Jun 07, 201901:19
The value of Performance Gap Indicators

The value of Performance Gap Indicators

I am standing in the parking lot of a successful company. They are making money and doing well. I am going to show them their performance gap report and suggest ways they can even do better.

May 23, 201901:56
My radio interview on NBR New York

My radio interview on NBR New York

Listen to a gen Y radio announcer and I get in to a discussion of managers and why his generation wants something different

Mar 19, 201930:58
I hate the phase "We have always done it that way"

I hate the phase "We have always done it that way"

Why you want to challenge the phrase we have always done it that way

Mar 19, 201901:05
Communication Counts

Communication Counts

Communication is one of the main issues that face organizations everyday. What and how communication happens with in teams is crutial for a successful team leader 

Mar 11, 201930:56
What my mentor taught me

What my mentor taught me

In two minutes you will discover how to find what you want - but more important is why do you want it.

Mar 07, 201904:31
National Broadcast Radio Interview 7 Reasons Employees Are Not In To You

National Broadcast Radio Interview 7 Reasons Employees Are Not In To You

Pay attention to these 7 reasons why employees are just not into you and you can have a wonderful work environment. Employees come to work and do quality work because they want to. Not because they have to. 

Feb 15, 201926:43
Episode 11

Episode 11

Latest episode of What Great Managers Do
Feb 08, 201927:32
10-minute radio interview

10-minute radio interview

Short radio interview on using the strengths of your team as a manager

Jan 23, 201910:40
It took Eagles Quarterback Nick Foles 6 Words to Teach a Major Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

It took Eagles Quarterback Nick Foles 6 Words to Teach a Major Lesson in Emotional Intelligence

Listen to the 6 words Nick says. If those words do not live in your team values, you are going to struggle as a team leader. If you want to take your team to the next level give me a call and in 12.5 minutes you will find out if we have a match to help your team grow. No obligation - just a conversation Call 443-364-8341

Jan 10, 201903:38
My Interview with NBR-FM on working from strengths

My Interview with NBR-FM on working from strengths

This the interview I did on NBR/FM Radio in New York about working from strengths and what it means to organizations and individuals

Jan 08, 201910:40
The end of the traditional manager

The end of the traditional manager

The world of management is evolving and changing at a increasing rate. The reason you need to think about how you manage

Jan 07, 201904:31
Human Resources For Managers

Human Resources For Managers

In today's world managers need to have an understanding of human resource law and how those laws affect them in the workplace

Dec 28, 201815:59
Episode 5

Episode 5

Latest episode of What Great Managers Do
Dec 26, 201808:07
Performance Gaps

Performance Gaps

If you have performance gaps you would want to know Right!
Dec 16, 201804:13
Do you hate networking events

Do you hate networking events

Tips for you the next time you go to a networking event
Dec 07, 201802:46
Episode 3

Episode 3

Latest episode of Jan Makela
Dec 06, 201803:18
Be The Manager People Won't Leave

Be The Manager People Won't Leave

From the national best selling book Cracking The Code To Success & Be the manager people won't leave
Dec 04, 201814:36