MANAGING for High Performance A Concise Handbook for Managers Media Information

	Gene C. Mage is a Syndicated Business Columnist and Speaker on the topic of creating a positive work environment. He is author of Managing for High Performance (Making it Work Publications, $9.95) He writes the business column Making it Work which reaches over 300,000 readers through print and electronic media each week.. He has published more than seventy articles on management. Gene served in the Fortune 500 arena for twelve years, and has deployed management development in five countries. He is a National Speakers Association member, and President of Soaring Oaks Consulting, Inc.
Sample Interview Topics	Gene can serve as an expert resource on how managers and leaders can create a positive work environment for business and consumer media contacts who focus on business ethics, careers, management, leadership, and the workplace. Below are some sample interview topics: Managers make the difference: How managers make or break a positive work environment. The words and actions of managers are the single biggest factor in creating a positive work environment. Mage can discuss the importance of setting clear expectations, high standards, and providing regular feedback on performance. Tools in the manager's toolbox: How managers create the conditions and consequences for success. It takes more than good intentions or a few memorized "interpersonal skills" to make a difference in organizational performance. Mage can talk about building an effective, thoughtful system for managing people. Dealing with the problem employee: The ethical approach to improving performance that's tough, but fair. Most managers would rather sign up for serial root canals than confront a chronically underperforming employee. But left unchecked, the problem employee can undermine a whole organization. Mage outlines a high-integrity approach to solving the problem with both firmness and fairness.
Idea Starters: Sample Interview Questions	What is the key message of Managing for High Performance? Why does it seem that so many workplaces are negative today? You feel that a positive work environment is important for getting good business results. Why? What are the characteristics of a positive work environment? What management behaviors contribute to, or distract from, creating a positive workplace? You say that there are two key tools in the managers tool box: setting conditions, and providing consequences -- what does this mean in the day to day workplace? What are some ways that managers can set conditions for people to succeed? How can a manager diagnose and take action when business results are below expectations? You say that skills are not enough to build good managers, but it is important to establish the right motives and ethical guardrails as well. Why? Most organizations have formal performance appraisal systems. Why do so many of these systems fail to cause real change in employee behavior? You believe it is important for managers to set clear expectations and establish high standards for employees, but how can you measure the more "soft" aspects of an employee's behaviors? According to Managing for High Performance, managers should measure three things: business outcomes, job performance behaviors, and interpersonal behaviors. Can you provide some examples of effective metrics in these three areas? How can a manager deal with an underperforming employee without being either too soft or too harsh?