If you work for an organization of reasonable size you understand what I mean when I say that management often speaks in gobble-de-gook. This is a language that often turns management initiatives into alphabetical acronyms like ADIM (Advanced Data Information Management) or… Read More ›
Communicating Effectively
THE NON-OPEN OPEN DOOR POLICY
No manager in my memory has ever claimed he or she had a “Non-Open Door Policy”. Claiming to have an open door policy is so automatic for most managers, announcing it rolls off their tongue soon after assuming almost any… Read More ›
KEEPING YOUR WORKFORCE ENGAGED
I have been following yearly surveys focused on the topic of “Workforce Engagement” for the last fifteen years. These surveys have varied in their methodologies and organizational authors. Some focused exclusively on the United States, while others offered a global perspective…. Read More ›
UNDERSTANDING THE LIMITS OF ATTENTION
Listening or paying attention to something attentively for an extended period of time, is a challenge for most human beings. In my experience, how much we humans will listen to anything, pay attention to anything, or stick with something we… Read More ›
PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK: DO NOT BURY THE LEAD
In an interview conducted by the “Academy of Achievement” (p.4) the late author Nora Ephron recounted her oft told story of her first day in Mr. Charles Simms’ Journalism class at Beverly Hills High School. Mr. Simms, she says, began the class… Read More ›
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEYS
The March 15, 2013 edition of the magazine The Week contained the following item from The Wall Street Journal on its Business news at a glance page: “A study by the American Psychological Association found that women report higher levels of… Read More ›
MANAGING YOUR EMAIL
I can not recall a single manager of my acquaintance who at some time has not complained about the avalanche of email they confront at work almost daily. As a manager you can not simply ignore email entirely. Nor can… Read More ›
CAN ALL OF US BE RIGHT?
In a discussion where the parties have strongly held views, can everybody be right? Of course not, many of you will quickly respond. There is only one right view on the matter at hand some will say, and if you… Read More ›
HOW WELL DO YOU WRITE?
On many occasions in this series of articles, I have addressed the topic of verbal communication. Since almost everything you do as a manager involves some type of communication with somebody else, your ability to convey a clear, accurate message… Read More ›
PROCRASTINATION: A TRUE ORGANIZATION KILLER
Over a decade ago, authors Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton published a splendid book about organizational procrastination entitled “The Knowing Doing Gap”. Although some of its corporate examples are a little dated, its central message about the difference between organizations who… Read More ›