Welcome to the fifth and final installment of my take on Bill Swanson's business management tips. Parts one, two, three and four are all online.

My experience has taught me that you can really only absorb one or two changes to your life at one time. I encourage you to look over the whole list and walk away with one or two changes in your management style. Embrace them and make them part of your management style.

21. Don't get excited in engineering emergencies. Keep your feet on the ground.

• I have to laugh about this one. In the last two years the explosion of internet worms has been incredible. It seems every month there is a new worm that brings business to its knees. Whenever this happens, keep your head and assess the damage and potential impact. When you're querying your customers for the effects make sure you get as much proof to their claims as possible. People have an innate desire to make things worse than they are, so keep your head about you and focus on your primary goal.

22. Cultivate the habit of making quick, clean-cut decisions.

• This is the most contentious point on the list. We all make decisions, but we all have different approaches. Some people make decisions based on the committee approach, some take their time and some snap them off.

  I am reminded of a former mentor who imparted the best wisdom on decision making I've ever heard. He said, "Act quickly, even if it's risky. That means act now and worry about fine-tuning later. Your ability to quickly react and make decisions for the benefit of the customer, our customer, our group, and our company."

  As a member of the management team it's your responsibility to make decisions. If you're doing your job, you'll be prepared to deal with the decision when it comes.

23. When making decisions, the pros are much easier to deal with than the cons. Your boss wants to see the cons also.

• More on decisions, but this aspect deals with reality. Frequently, you'll see a manager avoiding the cons in an effort to impress their boss. Big mistake. Your boss is paid to ensure that his organization is being as productive as possible for the company, so all the information needs to be presented even if you think it may reflect poorly on you.

24. Don't ever lose your sense of humor.

• Your sense of humor is your defense against anguish when times are tough. Be respectful of others, but keep the sense of humor. Sometimes in management you just have to laugh.

25. Have fun at what you do. It will reflect in your work. No one likes a grump except another grump.

You know the grumps at work. They complain about everything and always see the negative. Sometimes it's tough to deal with these folks, especially if they are a peer. You must rise above it and understand that there is fun in your work. If there isn't, it's time to look for a new position.

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