Manager Foundation

Do I need to be a manager to take BOSS CAMP?

No. In fact I wish more bosses would find out how to be a good boss BEFORE becoming a boss. There are some practical exercises which would be better to practice on direct reports but you can practice these on other colleagues if you like. You have lifetime access so you're welcome to refer back to BOSS.CAMP at any time.

PS When I recruit managers I look for evidence that they are competent people managers. Doing this program will help you to make the promotion from individual contributor to manager.

I've done a leadership course - why do I need BOSS CAMP?

Firstly I think leadership is very important - so congratulations for investing in your future. Clearly there is an overlap between leadership and management. Where I believe Boss Camp is different is:

• Leadership is higher level and more about strategy, values, vision. And is usually more theoretical
• Boss Camp is about the day-to-day activities that every boss needs to do. And is very practical.

Just think about it this way - when you came back from the leadership training did you know the exact words that you needed to say to your employee who arrived late?

I work in government - will I be allowed to use BOSS CAMP?

As long as you're allowed to talk to your employees then Boss Camp will work for you. There's nothing in there that can't be done through having the right conversation with your employee.

I'm a Project Manager, is BOSS CAMP right for me?

Probably not: Boss Camp is designed for managers who are responsible for employee recruitment, performance, development etc. In short the sort of things you only do with direct reports. Having said that some of the communication skills are universal, whether you have formal role authority or not. I recommend looking at Inspiring Performance Communication and Active Listening as a more direct place to start.

Does BOSS CAMP work for matrix organisations?

Yes - in matrix organisations you usually have dotted reporting lines and solid reporting lines. Boss Camp will help more with subordinates who have a direct reporting relationship to you but you will still find benefit for your "dotted" reports.

How can I be sure that it's going to work every time?

In short you can't be 100% sure. What I do works with 90% of the people, 90% of the time. It's as simple as getting fitter. If you go to the gym and do the exercises it's difficult NOT to get fitter. But I'm so confident that this works that if it doesn't work for you then please feel free to get a refund.

I'm overworked and BOSS CAMP sounds like a lot of hard work - will I have the time?

Relax - no push ups or burpees are required. The point of Boss.Camp is not to work you harder but rather smarter. Typically I find managers are overworked because they aren't effective as a boss. Better bossing leads to less work for you, not more. So if you're overworked, can you afford not to do it?

I have a really difficult employee who doesn't listen to anything I say - what will BOSS CAMP do for me?

The reason your employee doesn't listen to you is because your employee doesn't find your message motivational. Likely they also don't have a functional relationship with you (which means they don't respect you enough to listen). People listen more when you figure out what motivates them. There are also techniques called pattern interrupts and up front contracts that you can use to "switch" your employee into listening mode. See the section on Inspiring Performance Communication. People also listen to people they respect - see the section on performance relationships.

Does BOSS CAMP work with Millennials?

You know what amazes me about millennials? It's how good they are when they want to be - just look at some of their performance art, internet startups and incredible physical achievements. If you don't share this view then Youtube "People are Awesome". Imagine if you could harness even just a little bit of this power at work?
The problem with millennials is that old fashioned ways of working (like bosses who use formal authority) doesn't work with them. When you do Boss.Camp you'll find that it's more suited to millennials than traditional management methods

I've been a manager for years - what would I learn?

In short, you'd find out three things:

1. What blindspots are holding you back,
2. Faster, more powerful ways of doing what you already do and
3. New & alternative techniques for when your usual way doesn't work

I'd like to say something important but possibly difficult to hear. There are many experienced managers who think they know what they are doing. Unless they've had rigorous training it's unlikely that they are as good at being a boss as they could be. Unfortunately, being a boss for many years does not guarantee that you are a good boss.

I've done and MBA, why should I do BOSS CAMP as well?

Congratulations - an MBA is a fantastic qualification and shows that you are willing to invest in yourself. What I found with business qualifications is that they: were more theoretical than practical and focused more on leadership than day-to-day management. I'm sure that you recognise that it's not just about your technical skills. Your ability to generate good work through your employees is important to your career too. This is why I believe these are excellent complimentary programmes.

Any More Questions?

... Please don't hesitate to ask me at KeithT (at) Manager Foundation dot com