Author Archives
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DIAGNOSING YOUR ORGANIZATION’S HEALTH
Imagine you are on an airplane and seated next to you is a congenial and engaging man or woman. You strike up a conversation and discover your seating companion works for the airline you are flying. At some point, you… Read More ›
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THE POWER OF FOOD
You might ask what FOOD has to do with being an effective manager and leader? Consider the following scenario contained in my workshop for managers: In the past six months you have made some difficult management decisions clearly unpopular among many… Read More ›
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FUN, PLAY AND WORK
Are fun and play incompatible with work? I have worked for my share of managers whose behavior towards their subordinates certainly seemed to suggest these two things do not mix. I have never believed that, however, and have experienced the reasons… Read More ›
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TEAM PERFORMANCE: THE FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE OF FULFILLED HUMAN NEEDS
I have focused on the topic of teams several times in this series of articles. And indeed there has been enough written about the topic these past twenty-five years to fill an entire library shelf. I return to the subject here,… Read More ›
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THOSE ELECTRONIC SCREENS: A CAUTIONARY NOTE
Not long ago, I was walking along a corridor in the facility where I go several times a week to put my aging body through regular physical workouts. I passed by a gathering of four young teens huddled in close proximity… Read More ›
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HARD WORK REVISITED: GRIT
Some time ago, I wrote an article in this collection entitled “Good Managers Work At It”. The point of my essay was that success at almost anything is usually related to the amount of hard work one is prepared to invest… Read More ›
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SEEING WHAT WE WANT TO SEE
2016 was quite a political year in the United Kingdom and the United States. The outcome of the UK’s BREXIT vote and the US Presidential election came as a shock to millions. Conventional wisdom, pundits, most of the political cognoscenti… Read More ›
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HOW CAN I SCREW UP THIS SITUATION?
Perhaps this sounds like a strange question to ask yourself but believe me it has helped me avoid many a mistake as a manager and in my personal life. In any situation or management scenario there are numerous ways to… Read More ›
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SHOULD MANAGERS ATTEMPT TO SELL THEIR ORGANIZATION’S DECISIONS?
Actually they should not. The concept of selling anything contains the notion that the prospective buyer has a choice. They can either buy something offered on sale or walk away. Organizational decisions, however, require COMPLIANCE not a choice. Gaining compliance is management’s job and… Read More ›
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MANAGING YOUR ATTENTION SPAN
In Michael Lewis’ book “The Big Short” he describes the listening style of a major character Steve Eisman thusly: “Eisman had a curious way of listening; he didn’t so much listen to what you were saying as subcontract to some… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 