I've been writing management myths for the last 18 months. Here are some of my favorites: 100% utilization, promote the best technical person into management, no time for training, "work smarter," the myth of the expert, objective ranking systems work and are objective and several more. I told stories with each of these myths.

1. Exploding Management Myths
Johanna Rothman
New: Hiring GeeksThat Fit
www.jrothman.com
@johannarothman
jr@jrothman.com
781-641-4046

2. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“Utilize Everyone All theTime”
A mind is a terrible thing to
waste
Context switching wastes
people, prevents
innovation, and makes
everything take longer
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3. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“Promote the BestTechnical Person
Into Management”
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Management work is
different from technical
work
Managers work outside the
team
Managers need
interpersonal skills

4. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“We Have NOTime ForTraining”
4
We are too busy running
like hamsters, making do
“If you train people, they
will leave”
If you don’t train them, they
might stay

5. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“Work Smarter”
Who wants to work
dumber?
Exhortations don’t work
Management has to create
the environment in which
teams can “work smarter”
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6. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“I Need an Expert forThis...”
Project dependencies
create bottlenecks
Never let experts work
alone
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7. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“I KnowWhat Everyone is Doing”
One-on-ones are for more
than just status reports
Build trust and a working
relationship
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8. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“An Objective Ranking System
Works”
What’s objective about it?
Software is a team sport
and we rank people against
each other? In a zero-sum
game?
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9. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“Time Spent atWork is a Useful
Measure of Work”
Who here has had good
days and bad days at work?
The only measure is
features complete
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10. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
“I Know How Long theWork Should
Take...”
Conceptually easy to
understand is not the same as
easy to complete
Related to Dunning-Kruger
effect: People think they are
more competent than they are
Wanting to have the work take
less time does not make it so
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11. © 2013 Johanna Rothman11
What’s your favorite management
myth?

12. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
You Can Help Me
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Would you like a book
about these myths?
What would a great title
be?

13. © 2013 Johanna Rothman
Let’s Stay InTouch...
I’ve been writing the myths, one a month on Stickyminds,
and then posting afterwards on my site,
www.jrothman.com
Pragmatic Manager: www.jrothman.com/
pragmaticmanager
Please link with me on LinkedIn
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