On Management

I was fumbling through my business card holder just now, and discovered again a card I really appreciated when I got it. Some guy was installing a new Cisco firewall in one of my offices last year and I questioned him about his work. He gave me the usual, watered-down "it's a job" kind of thing, and gave me his card should I wish to seek employment alongside him.

This guy, Jeff (not important), worked for a company called Coleman Technologies, Inc. and it was apparently owned by Jeff Coleman (not the fellow on the front of the card). On the back was a pretty straightforward approach to leading. It was a list of 30 little statements, called Jeff Coleman's Laws. They are as follows:

1. No one is smart enough to be a dictator.
2. The only real power one has is the power of persuasion.
3. The less you know about something, the simpler it seems.
4. Important decisions require at least one night's sleep.
5. Decisions made without all the facts are guesses.
6. The most important thing a manager does is people picking.
7. Lies are hard to remember.
8. There is nothing more critical to true success than openness, honesty, and integrity.
9. Those that don't solicit and listen to advice are destined to be unsuccessful.
10. What is given cannot be taken away.
11. Meddling after responsibility is delegated and accepted, provides a built-in excuse for failure.
12. Unwritten agreements are soon forgotten.
13. Time is not a good decision-maker.
14. You must look successful to be successful.
15. Cash flow is more important than profit.
16. Grow or die.
17. The only people not making mistakes are those not doing anything.
18. Don't bite off more than you can bite off.
19. The most important and most difficult trait to identify is the ability to get things done.
20. A manager with a full calendar every day isn't delegating properly.
21. A full day spent in meetings is 40% wasted.
22. A pat on the back is the ultimate in cost effectiveness.
23. A manager that takes the credit for the work of the troops should be made a member of the troops.
24. A manager unwilling to take risks is destined for mediocrity.
25. Twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work.
26. People that feel comfortable in their job are more productive.
27. All contracts end.
28. The prepared bird gets the worm.
29. An unfilled position is better than one filled by the wrong person.
30. The killer of the bearer of bad news quickly joins the ranks of the uninformed.

After two minutes of clicking, I discovered that this is available at the Coleman Technologies website.

I realize that the phrases in this list are not original, but this is a great collection. I am now all out of motivation. Goodnight.