“We were too aggressive”??

A thing I think about a lot is how companies are giving some version of the same excuse for the current rash of layoffs: "Well, we were too aggressive with our plans."

We were too aggressive with our plans. It's not our fault, you see. We thought the company would do better than it did and so now we're going to have to make this correction.

Project and Middle- Managers don't get this luxury--and yes, it is a luxury. They don't get to say: "Well, I was too aggressive or too optimistic (another favorite of mine), and so we'll just need to let go of my team to make up the difference."

Project Managers and Middle Managers have to be right. They have to be smart. They have to be disciplined. They have to maintain the trust above, below, and across from them to get their jobs done. And if they're wrong? Lights out.

It's why I'm fanatical about training, coaching, and mentoring these leaders. Because good middle managers turn in to good executives. Or at the very least they can serve as a speed bump for bad executive decisions that affect peoples' livelihoods.

Developing some great new courses to go along with the Project Management Masterclass, along with new tools, and coaching/consulting packages that target these leaders.

Stay tuned for more direct offerings in the Spring, and reach out for custom consulting packages and group rates for team training.