The Manager Blog -
What's New On The Happy Manager

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Jul 3, 2009, The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

The Happiness Hypothesis blends ancient wisdom with modern science: '

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Jul 3, 2009, Project Management Checklist

About to start a project? You'll need a project management checklist, especially when project management isn't your day job.

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Jul 3, 2009, What Makes a Good Manager?

What makes a good manager? Is he/she the dynamic, life giving element of every organization, or the person you would least like to spend time with?

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Jul 1, 2009, Career Builder: Building Your Own Education

A career builder article, encouraging managers to think about using 3 vital principles for work-based learning:compelling insight; significant conversations; and putting learning to work

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Jun 30, 2009, Finding Happiness In Life: Bowling But Not Alone

Fewer of us are finding happiness in life, yet it appears there is one single factor which, more than any other, can bring us happiness. In Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam makes the connection.

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Jun 29, 2009, Critical Success Factor: Managing Waste in the Workforce

One critical success factor for effective managers is the way we deal with waste. This article discusses ways in which we can identify and manage waste in the workforce.

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Jun 29, 2009, If It Makes You Happy, Do It - but think about it first.....

If it makes you happy, do it - but think about it first..... We discuss three approaches to increasing your happiness by 'thinking about it'.

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Jun 29, 2009, First Break All The Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

First Break All the Rules: A radical look at what great managers do differently. Be prepared to have your management practice challenged!

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Jun 29, 2009, Getting Things Done - how to achieve stress-free productivity.

Getting things done. Is work overwhelming you? Have you more to do than there is time in which to do it? Then read on! Maybe David Allen's deserved best seller can help.

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Jun 25, 2009, About The Happy Manager

About the Happy Manager - Phil Higson and Anthony Sturgess and our website, dedicated to happy managers everywhere!

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Jun 22, 2009, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community

In his seminal book: Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam chronicles critical social changes in the US. He concludes we're becoming more disconnected from family, friends, and neighbours. Time to re-build?

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Jun 22, 2009, Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential

Authentic Happiness - how to achieve happiness through new and sustainable levels of authentic contentment, gratification, and meaning.

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Jun 22, 2009, 80 20 Principle - The Secret of Achieving More with Less

The 80 20 Principle, by Richard Koch. What if we could all achieve a lot more by doing a lot less? Is this just wishful thinking or does Koch hold the secret to better use of time?

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Jun 18, 2009, Happiness Study - Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile

A happiness study by Daniel Nettle which combines results from the latest psychological studies. Nettle asks: 'what is happiness, and what makes us happy or unhappy?'

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Jun 18, 2009, In Search of Excellence

In Search of Excellence, one of the best selling business books ever published, still has much to teach the managers of today.

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Jun 18, 2009, The Hungry Spirit. Beyond Capitalism by Charles Handy

The Hungry Spirit by Charles Handy - can capitalism be made more decent? Can its instrument, business, work more obviously for the good of all, everywhere? A challenging and inspiring book.

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Jun 18, 2009, More Quotes On Happiness

Looking for Quotes on Happiness? Reflect on, and enjoy, another selection of happiness quotes from the Happy Manager.

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Jun 18, 2009, The Key Success Factor in Getting Things Done? Do it Now!

What would you say is the key success factor in getting things done? 'It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.'

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Jun 17, 2009, Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life

Finding Flow: everyone is capable of reaching a state of effortless concentration and enjoyment. How can we increase the 'flow' experiences in our lives, and can 'flow' apply at work?

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Jun 17, 2009, Self Motivation: Let It Flow

Does self motivation come easy to you? We often talk about people being 'in the flow' or 'in the zone'. In our second article on optimum performance we look at ways to create 'flow' in our work.

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Jun 17, 2009, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

7 Habits is a classic self-development book by Stephen Covey. If you want to take control of your own development, influence others, balance your priorities, and build a purposeful life, this is a great place to start!

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Jun 17, 2009, Stress Management Tip: Know When Enough Is Enough

Although we're often encouraged to 'reach for the stars', knowing when enough is enough is a stress management tip well worth considering.

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Jun 8, 2009, Boss Time Management – 10 Ways To Help Protect Your Own Time!

Boss Time Management: Having a boss who is a poor time manager can make any manager's work difficult. Here are 10 ways to help you protect your own time. For everybody's benefit!

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Jun 8, 2009, Manage Your Boss – 8 Ways to "Manage Up"

Managing those we work with can at times be hard enough, but how do you manage your boss? Here we suggest 8 ways to 'manage up'.

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Jun 5, 2009, Project Management Model

A project management model for when project management isn't your day job!

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Jun 5, 2009, Leadership Exercises: Putting the Best Ideas to Work

Leadership exercises is our third article in a series on learning from the best. Here we suggest a tool to help you apply the ideas of Gurus, and use them effectively in your organisation.

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Jun 5, 2009, Elements Of Happiness: Six Happiness Tips

What are the elements of Happiness? Here we offer six, based on Tal Ben Shahar's Six Happiness Tips and Martin Seligman's formula for happiness.

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May 7, 2009, What Great Managers Know: It's Obvious

What do great managers know? It should be obvious! Read our five tests for obvious ideas.

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May 4, 2009, Success Maker? Developing the Happy Manager...

Do you want to be a success maker? Investing in personal development will contribute to personal and career success. For you and for your colleagues.

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May 4, 2009, Most Read Pages on the Happy Manager

Find our most popular pages with our regularly updated list of most read pages.

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Apr 19, 2009, The Daily Drucker

The Daily Drucker - 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done. It's your complete 'thought leadership resource' in one book, and we highly recommended it. Don't just take our word for it though....

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Apr 17, 2009, Problem Solving Skill: Finding the Right Problems to Solve

An understated problem solving skill is to see every problem as an opportunity, start by finding the right problems to solve. This tool will help.

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Apr 16, 2009, What is Time Management? Take A Radical View Of Time

What is Time Management? We only use a fifth of our time effectively. Try taking a radical view of time if you want to make a significant difference to how you use it.

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Apr 16, 2009, Business Goal Setting Using The F Plan

Six steps to a Business Goal Setting Strategy. Apply the future-focused Six Step F Plan to create a new future. The article leans heavily on the wisdom of Peter Drucker to help shape your business.

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Apr 10, 2009, Essence of Leadership? Seeing Triumph in Tragedy

Thomas Edison showed the essence of leadership in this story from Jim Clemmer. Renowned as one of America's most famous inventors, Edison showed powers of leadership which would rival any general.

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Apr 9, 2009, 8 Goal Setting Questions: Achieving Goals That Really Matter

Here we suggest some goal setting questions to help you set, and achieve, the goals that really matter.

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Feb 25, 2009, The No Asshole Rule

The No Asshole Rule is a timely rebuff to the mean-spirited of today's working world. How do you identify assholes at work? How do you get rid of them? How can you cope with them if you can't? Read on.....

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Feb 24, 2009, Personal Goal Setting: Ask Questions of Yourself

Personal goal setting is all about setting and meeting challenges. Quite often though, the first challenge is to ask and answer the right questions. Spend time on these before you take aim and fire!

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Feb 24, 2009, What Makes a Happy Company?Twelve Questions to Shape a Strong,Vibrant Workplace

What makes a happy company? Here we discuss twelve questions to help build a happy workplace: discover what a strong, vibrant workplace looks like.

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Feb 24, 2009, The Power of Positive Thinking: 5 Questions to Transform Problem Solving

Use the power of positive thinking to go from problem solving to 'opportunity creating'. This management tool uses 5 questions to help you radically change the way you solve problems.

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Feb 22, 2009, Rate Your Happiness: Are You Happy?

Rate your happiness using the latest thinking in the field of positive psychology. Use this page to help evaluate your happiness, a key first step to becoming a happy manager.

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Feb 22, 2009, Elementary Goal Setting Tip – Make It Up and Make It Happen!

Want an elementary goal setting tip? David Allen provocatively suggests there are only two problems in life. Dealing with those is the first step to achieving your goals.

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Feb 20, 2009, Happiness Charlie Brown Style

Happiness Charlie Brown style is a light hearted take on happiness according to Charlie Brown. But there are some hidden truths in the often pained views of the famous comic strip character.

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Feb 19, 2009, Goal Setting Leaders Put Their Legacies First

Goal setting leaders, like any true leaders, are inclined to look at the bigger picture. Is true success measured by what we have, or by what we leave behind?

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Feb 17, 2009, Exploring Learning Quotes: Potential to Inspire and Wisdom to Adopt.

Explore our selection of learning quotes to be encouraged, enlightened or energised!

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Feb 16, 2009, Best Management Tools Ever? - A Good Question!

The best management tools are good questions. Why are questions so important, and how can we ask better questions? Here we offer some questions and some answers!

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Feb 14, 2009, Problem Solving Technique: 4 Steps to Improve Your Processes

Problem Solving Technique: 4 steps to improve your processes. Includes a free, downloadable management tool. For anybody serious about improving their business or management processes.

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Feb 14, 2009, Project Management Guidelines: Start With The End In Mind

What are the most important project management guidelines? Always start with the end in mind. How do you do that? Ask the right questions to ensure the project is properly defined.

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Feb 11, 2009, Success Quotes

Success quotes: great quotes to help you think differently about success. Thought provoking ideas from redefining success to 'failing to succeed'.

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Feb 10, 2009, Good Leaders Learn From the Best

Good leaders learn from the best, Why? Because you can see further on the shoulders of giants. In the business world, the best thinkers are often afforded the label 'guru'. But who are the best?

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