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The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

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There was a rich crop of business blog posts this week. I selected five excellent ones from an excellent harvest to captivate your interest, jump-start your thinking, and improve your results. I'm pointing you to articles about Microsoft's letter to Yahoo, a look at two different leadership styles, effective planning (is in the execution), the talent development part of a manager's job, and what it's like to be a Gen-Xer in a BoomY world.

Before we get to those, here are three Carnivals that will also point you to some great posts.

Jay Solo hosts the latest edition of Carnival of the Capitalists.

I'm hosting the most recent Carnival of Human Resources.

The most recent Carnival of Leadership Development is at MableandHarry.

From Kara Swisher's Boomtown: Microsoft Writes Yahoo: BoomTown Decodes the Letter, So You Don’t Have To!
"As a continuing public service, BoomTown translates the letter that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sent to Yahoo’s Board of Directors last week, informing them of the software giant’s unsolicited offer to buy the troubled Internet portal for $31 a share."

Wally's Comment: I love the detail of this and Kara's light tone. If you want a sense of why Microsoft is often perceived as not being able to work and play well with others, or why the folks at Yahoo are franticly casting about for another suitor, read this piece.

From Leadership in Action: A Tale of Two Bosses
"After Joe, I worked for the second boss whom I will call “Richard.” Similar to Joe, I worked for Richard for about 18 months, but the experience was markedly different. In fact, the contrast between the leadership styles of Joe and Richard were such that these two experiences became the substance of many lectures for decades as I conducted workshops and classes on leadership style. The contrast between the two leaders was so striking that it has been a learning point for thousands of my students."

Wally's Comment: This is a wonderful piece and a fine homage to Richard. I had bosses like both Joe and Richard and, to paraphrase Sophie Tucker, "believe me, honey, Richard is best."

From Fast Company: A Different Approach to Planning
"Can you name four magnificent events in your life which came about because of perfect planning? Sure, there was the vacation in '99. Then the move from… oh, scratch that. Even if I count a house we built, which was well-planned but not as-planned, I can't name four. Neither can anyone else I've asked. "

Wally's Comment: One of my majors, long, long ago, was "Management Science." When I began the program it was "Industrial Engineering" but the name was changed before I graduated. An article of faith was that you could plan the error out and the quality in to just about anything. I learned soon enough that no plan survives the first five minutes of either battle or business. The author of this post sees things that way. She urges more emphasis on course correction.

From Art Petty: What Are You Doing All Day If You Are Not Developing Talent?
"While I suppose that I should be grateful for how miserably organizations perform in the area of talent development—after all, it means a large market for workshops, programs and books, it frankly pains me more than it pleases me. This isn't that hard or expensive people. What are you waiting for? "

Wally's Comment: If you're the boss, helping your people develop is part of your job.

From Netshare: Of Xs and Ys and the DNA of Corporate Succession
"Have you ever wondered why you get along better with your grandparents than your parents? The same phenomenon is happening in the workplace, creating some interesting dynamics and some long-term consequences."

Wally's Comment: Thanks to Michael Wade at Execupundit for putting me on to this one. This post is a rarity because it addresses the plight of the Gen-Xers, caught between Boom and Y.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

Request your free copy of "Meeting the Challenges of the Boomer Brain Drain: An integrated approach."

Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.