From Inside the Room Where Decisions About Your Career are Made.
From Inside the Room Where Decisions About Your Career are Made.
What nobody told you about managing underperformers — and what most managers never figure out on their own.
If you manage people, at some point, you’ve had a Johnny. Johnny isn’t delivering. Johnny doesn’t seem to get it. You’ve hinted to Johnny. You’ve talked to Johnny. You may have said something in a performance review that felt honest to you but, in retrospect, was softened enough that its real meaning slid right past him. And now you’re frustrated — because nothing is changing.
Don’t believe the hype
The Competition Isn’t What You Think It Is
Whether you were just laid off or you’re still employed but reading the writing on the wall, the instinct is the same: why look now? There are no jobs.
That fear is legitimate. The market is genuinely harder than it was two years ago.
But ‘harder’ isn’t the same as ‘closed’. And the math inside a hiring process tells a very different story than the one in your news feed.
Most graduates do the same thing: build a resume, post it online, and wait. When nothing happens, they start reaching out to people they haven’t talked to in years asking if they “know of anything.” That’s not networking. That’s a Hail Mary. Here’s what actually works — and why nobody taught you this in school.
You still need to do the work
Your Parents’ Network Is Not Cheating
There is a myth floating around in graduation season that goes something like this:
If I use my parents’ connections to get a job, I didn’t really earn it.
Let’s dismantle that.
First, it’s a tough job market. And even when the job market isn’t tough, if you are looking for a job,
“Micromanager” is one of the most loaded words in the workplace. The moment someone uses it, the story is already written: manager is the problem, employee is the victim. After decades in HR, I want to offer a different read. Sometimes the micromanager isn’t the problem. Sometimes you are.
Your Career Isn’t Your Manager’s Career
Early in my career, managers were something close to mythical.
They were the smartest people in the room. The ones who had figured it out. When you had a problem you couldn’t solve, you brought it to them. They weren’t just technically sharp — they were role models. The better ones didn’t just tell me the answer, they asked me my opinion and worked the problem with me.
Are you getting the full story?
What Managers Taught Me — Including the Ones I Didn’t Respect
The best management lesson I ever received didn’t come from the best manager I ever had.
It came from watching someone do it wrong.
The Manager Who Told You Everything Was Fine
Early in my career, I had a manager who didn’t/couldn’t give real feedback. Not the kind that stings a little and then actually helps.
When Employees Decide the Company Is Failing (Before It Actually Is)
Below is a real conversation I had with a salesperson.
I was asked by his manager to speak with him. The manager thought he might listen to me because I wasn’t part of the company. I wasn’t his boss. I didn’t control his compensation. I was just… outside the system.
I was hesitant.
Most people aren’t ready to hear hard things from someone they have just met.
Looking for a job doesn’t mean you’re leaving. It means you’re paying attention. Here’s why timing and position matter more than loyalty.
Most employees assume promotions and opportunities come from favoritism or visibility. Inside leadership meetings, the conversation sounds very different. Managers quietly look for a small set of behavioral signals that tell them who they can trust with bigger responsibility.
After a layoff, professionals often work harder and talk less. Silence feels safe, but it quietly distorts capacity signals and increases risk. The real fix is structured communication.
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