I once asked a senior manager colleague what she considered the “core competency” of a good manager. “the art of Effective Nudging“, she replied. I knew at once what she meant as I had done my fair share of it… Read More ›
Exercising Responsibility
LEADERSHIP: SOME UNAVOIDABLE REALITIES
I have been studying, writing about, and addressing the subject of leadership in many forums for over 30 years. While I still would not consider myself an expert on the subject — especially on whether my behavior at times measures… Read More ›
ACCOUNTABILITY: THE SIMPLE MANAGEMENT SECRET OF THE PAUL O’NEILL STORY
Chapter four of Charles Duhigg’s fascinating and highly insightful book “The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business” is entitled“Keystone Habits or the Ballad of Paul O”Neill”. This chapter has drawn a lot of… Read More ›
TEAMWORK: IT’S INTERESTING WHAT YOU CAN LEARN SITTING AT A BAR
Recently during a business trip to Denver, I was having a drink and dinner at the bar of Ted”s Montana Grill in Aurora, Colorado. Being alone, my attention focused on the three individuals working the bar that evening. Ted’s was busy…. Read More ›
DO NOT WITHHOLD INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP OTHERS SUCCEED
One of the great gifts any experienced manager has at his or her disposal, is the lessons of their experience. Years of hard work, countless hours of practice and application, the painful lessons of things gone wrong and the development… Read More ›
IGNORING A PROBLEM IS ENABLING THE PROBLEM
In most of my management workshops the discussion, at some point, generally comes around to one of those workplace problems that few managers wish to confront. For example: A personal hygiene issue. The frequent use of inappropriate language around co-workers…. Read More ›
ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK IS A COP-OUT
Imagine being called into your boss’s office and hearing one of the following statements: “I have some negative feedback for you and everybody feels the same way”; or “a number of your colleagues have told me that ……….”; or “I… Read More ›
RIGHT PEOPLE, ATTITUDE AND FOCUS = POSITIVE RESULTS
In 1995, Hollywood released its movie homage — “Apollo 13” — to the US Space Program’s most daring space rescue. One scene in particular has remained with me ever since I first experienced it in the theater. As the crippled… Read More ›
ARE YOU THE RIGHT PERSON FOR YOUR JOB?
Many of the managers I have worked with over the years have never asked themselves if they were the right person for their current job. Having been selected for the position, they naturally assume they were the right choice. Others, however,… Read More ›
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AT WORK
The March 24, 2013 edition of Businessweek contained an article by Marina Khidekel entitled “The Misery of Mentoring Millennials” (Etc. Section). Among the article’s highlights that caught my eye were the following: “For a new generation of workers, the idea… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 