Life is complicated, things do not always go our way, we are sometimes asked to live with and implement decisions we personally would not have made, our best laid plans often go awry, and “you know what” just happens. Because… Read More ›
Managing People
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH DIVERSITY
I feel obliged to begin this article with a disclaimer. I am certainly not an expert on the behavioral differences between the genders, nor am I a leading authority on the many topics that comprise “diversity” issues. What I do… Read More ›
SPAN OF CONTROL
What is the best way to raise a child? What is the best investment strategy for long-term growth in the current economy? What car is the best choice for a young family of four? How much life insurance is enough?… Read More ›
THE “TOUCHY FEELY” THING
For many years, I have heard the phrase “TOUCHY FEELY” used by managers of both genders, to describe a variety of things and behaviors in the workplace. “Oh, you mean that touchy feely stuff’” or “I don’t do that touchy… Read More ›
THE POWER OF PSYCHIC PAY
A colleague of mine — Jack O’Connor — frequently shares with his workshop participants the notion that there are many ways beyond money, to pay employees. Jack’s is a powerful notion — I call it psychic pay — that opens… Read More ›
MEETINGS: THOSE THAT SHOULD AND SHOULD NOT BE HELD
It is almost impossible to imagine modern business, non-profit, or government work getting accomplished, without people gathering in a seemingly endless round of meetings. Meetings are so much a part of our everyday work life that we rarely question their… Read More ›
MINIMIZE THOSE SYMBOLS OF POWER
A LITTLE THING THAT MATTERS —- When one becomes a manager in many organizations, there are numerous symbols of power and authority that often accompany this newly acquired status. An office, for example, is generally construed as quite a status… Read More ›
DON’T PRESUME YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR OTHERS
A LITTLE THING THAT MATTERS —- Back in the 1950’s, one of America’s most popular television shows was a program called “Father Knows Best”. Once I became a father myself and gained a little experience at the demanding fatherly… Read More ›
PITCHING IN
A LITTLE THING THAT MATTERS — The scene was the US Army’s 5th General Hospital in Stuttgart — what was then — West Germany. I was a First Lieutenant in the Army Medical Service Corps and was serving as Officer… Read More ›
THE POWER OF CLEAR POSITIVE EXPECTATIONS
A LITTLE THING THAT MATTERS — In a previous blog I entitled “Being Smart”, I referred to Stanford Professor Carol Dweck’s remarkable study of over 400 New York City fifth graders in which she demonstrated that simply by creating the mind-set… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 