Supervisor Training: You Get What You Pay For

Time for a little rant from the corner office.

Maybe it's because I don't really have a corner office, because I am a good supervisor who knows I haven't been doing a great job lately, or because I don't like Fred Pryor <actually, I've never met Mr. Pryor> but nonetheless, a brochure for a 1-day seminar, "How to Supervise People" got me going.

Attend this seminar and you'll walk away knowing how to develop a keen sense of timing for taking corrective action or firing an employee - and know the legal implications of your decisions, prevent hassles by using the best hiring practices and interviewing techniques, and control absenteeism and tardiness.

All this plus 7 more key deliverables for only $99.00.

I am not buying it. What scares me is that so many others will.

Even though the company set high expectations with their wording, I get that the trainers are not intending to address the legal/technical/HR aspects of these topics and instead, provide only basic at-your-fingertips tools and techniques.

Others may not get that and leave thinking they know much more than they really do about the topics presented.

For overall supervisor development, I'd put my money, and yours, on Eric B. Meyer <free blog> or Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership <$39.99>, send HR staff to #TNL Chicago - National Recruiting Conference <$159.99> so they can train and better advise supervisors on recruitment or up the stakes and get all access G5 Leadership <$129/year>.

Now this is some good stuff. Anything less is pure silliness.

Hat tip to Kris Dunn and Fistful of Talent for G5 Leadership and photo credit to iStockphoto

Panera and Change: A Day in the Life Sunday

Driving to Kinkos with the kid, I caught a glimpse of Panera, one of our favorite places in town. You could say we are regular customers: Fuji apple chicken salad and apple puff pastry for me, mac and cheese and iced green tea for her and our orders rarely change - but I digress.

Panera is on our left and I catch a glimpse, turn my head quickly for a double take and then the conversation went something like this:

"It's green and yellow. Panera wasn't always green and yellow, was it Tarah?"

"It was red, Mom."

"Really? Red? Are you sure?"

"I think so, Mom. You never really know what you don't know until it changes."

And there you have it. Another day in the life of me as mother to my daughter who out-insighted me again . . . and over nothing more than a color change on a building. The freakiest thing for me is that she was on to something.

How often do you go through the day doing what we always do, thinking what we always think, seeing what we always see - yet not really seeing anything at all?

I am sure there is an amazing leadership lesson in here but it's Sunday and in my life, a perfect Sunday includes not much more (if I can help it) than tinkering, eating and leaving the intellection behind.

But since I can't completely let the thought go let's not take it too deep this morning and consider this . . . what item would you miss if your favorite breakfast spot changed their menu?

Photo credit iStockphoto