Ruth Mott

Lots of good advice here. Just to add my "take". You are in a managerial/leadership position and it seems your organization supported you in this matter. My advice is to sit down with this employee, tell him you know he went over your head and that you are not angry about it - he did what he thought was right (he may not have, but your are taking the high road. This will also put him on notice th... Read more

All good advice above. He has been pretty clear about how he deals with "leadersh'ip" responsibilities. While he hasn't articulated his feelings he has certainly demonstrated them. Often, the behavior speaks louder than the words. I think a straight-forward discussion with him about what he wants - advancement, but of what sort ; the opportunity he now faces; what you'd like to do about it and w... Read more

There are several things you can do, all dependent on how good a job you are presently doing. First, you need to help your manager look good by producing high-quality work; by meeting with him regularly and having solid suggestions for whatever he/she needs; by thinking strategically when offering suggestions. Don't bring problems - bring solutions. At some point, you need to let your manager kn... Read more

Nice work "Romancing the Phone"! You obviously have a flair and you will be able to use it very well in designing the training programs you would like to develop. The first thing is to know WHY a training program, and WHAT you want to achieve. You might ask the potential participants what they would like to get out of a training program, or what they see as the need for an organizational training ... Read more

If you (your company) is really serious about developing your foreign operations' leaders, here is what I would suggest: Choose one of the leaders whom you would be genuinely ready to promote. Sit that person down and, as Robert White suggests, explore what they want and whether they really want the promotion. Then help that person select an ESL (English as a second language) course. By working wi... Read more

The first thing is that establishing a connection has to be authentic. Also, making reference to something you may have in common must be done carefully. The danger is that the interviewer may not want to share her/his interest with you and you could be seen as presumptuous. If you really do have something in common, then making reference to it must be done with implicit (or explicit) invitation ... Read more

Great advice here. I only add one thing: Think in terms of OUTCOMES. What WILL OR CAN THE TEAMS ACHIEVE - alone and as part of the organization as a whole? Think: what difference will it make if I lead them as opposed to someone else. Good luck!.. Read more

Good advice from Bill Kaplan and Susan Bowen. I have used MBTI and frankly I think it has marginal usefulness. As Bill points out, It can be an indicator of reactions and behavior but it is definitely not a predictor. In my opinion, the best predictor of behavior is past experience. And the best way to determine if someone is right for the team is to talk to them, ask good questions, look at thei... Read more

Congratulations! You obviously are doing a very good job right now to be considered for such a key role in the company. There's lots of sage advice here so I wont repeat what others have said. I would ask you just one question, do you want the job? If you only want it if you can negotiate some of the demands, then it's not this job you want. Any company looking to go for an IPO will require the ki... Read more

This kind of behavior from your manager is a clear signal - one that says, she does not value your position or opinions for that matter. But having said that, it could also mean that she is waiting for you to talk with her about her expectations - not the best way to come into a new position, but not that unusual either. If that is a possibility, it would have to be carefully crafted so as not to... Read more