A free tool from Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits
Your Collection of Management Tips
Your Collection of Management Tips gives you a simple place to write down the management lessons you have picked up over your career, keep a copy in your inbox, and print the list for your notebook. It takes about two minutes to start.
Over a career, you pick up dozens of small lessons about people, money, meetings, and decisions. The ones you remember are the ones you wrote down. Jim Morgan keeps his at the back of a notebook in two columns, the tip on the left, when you first learned it on the right. You can do the same right here.
Management Tips Notebook
Keep the same two-column list Jim Morgan keeps at the back of his notebook.
Why this format works
A good management tip is short enough to remember and specific enough to use. The two columns keep the lesson and the moment together, so the phrase does not lose the experience that taught it to you.
Jim's full sample table is on pages 51 to 52 of the booklet. Request a free print or digital copy.
Frequently asked questions
What is a management tip?
A management tip is a short, hard-won lesson about leading people or running an organization, usually one sentence or a phrase, paired with the moment you first learned it. The pairing matters. The story is what makes the tip stick years later.
Why should I write down my management tips?
Because otherwise they slip away. Over a career you pick up dozens of small lessons about people, meetings, money, and decisions. The ones you remember are usually the ones you wrote down. A simple list gives you something to come back to and something useful to share with the next leader.
How many tips should I have in my collection?
Start with three to five. Most experienced leaders end up with fifteen to forty over time. There is no right number. The point is not the count, it is the discipline of noticing the lesson when it happens.
What if I cannot remember when I first learned a tip?
Leave that field blank or write your best guess. Jim's own collection has rows with notes like 'I'm not sure when I first recognized this.' The 'when' is a memory aid, not a requirement.
Is this tool free?
Yes. Everything Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits publishes is free, including the booklet, the audiobook, and the certified course. We do not sell anything.
Will my tips be saved if I close the browser?
Yes, on the same device. Your tips are saved locally in your browser as you go. To keep a copy somewhere more permanent, email yourself a copy from the bottom of the page.
Where does this idea come from?
Jim Morgan keeps a running list of management tips at the back of his notebook, organized in two columns: the tip on the left, when he first learned it on the right. The booklet Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits includes a sample of Jim's list on pages 51 and 52.
How do I print my collection?
After you email yourself a copy, a 'Print my collection' button appears on the page. Click it (or press Cmd+P on Mac or Ctrl+P on Windows) to print just your tip table, formatted to fit on one or two sheets.
Found this useful? Request the booklet for Jim's full collection, or browse the eight practical insights that organize Applied Wisdom's whole framework.
Inspired by pages 51 to 52 of Applied Wisdom for Nonprofits by Jim Morgan, former CEO of Applied Materials. 69,422 copies distributed across 192 countries. All Applied Wisdom resources are free.