What do you call the phenomena when a group of people silently agree on the dubious merits of an idea or course of action but either remain silent, or agree to do it anyway? George Washington Psychology Professor the late… Read More ›
advice for managers from managers
PROBLEM SOLVING: WHAT ARE THE REAL ISSUES INVOLVED?
Abraham Maslow, famous for his theory of the “Hierarchy of Human Needs”, also had this to say about problem solving: “If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail”. No manager has only one… Read More ›
PLAYING THE HAND YOU’RE DEALT
Most managers fantasize at some point about being handed the “DREAM TEAM” assignment. A staff filled with self-starting, bright, multi-talented all-stars who basically need little management at all. Provide a clear sense of direction and get out-of-the-way. Winning performances would… Read More ›
DECISIONS: WHAT IF ALL YOUR OPTIONS SEEM WRONG?
Some time ago, I read a “New York Times” article by Wolf Biermann, a German author who has lived on both sides of the Berlin Wall. Its title was The Tragedy of Angela Merkel. In explaining the conundrum he… Read More ›
MATCHING TALENT TO TASK
A number of years ago, I recall watching my favorite World Cup Team the Germans surprisingly exit the 2018 FIFA World Cup finishing last in their designated group. Man for man the defending World Champions possessed as much raw talent… Read More ›
DECISIONS AS ACTS OF FAITH
When many of us hear the words faith or belief, we think of religion. So I often receive a strange look from others when I tell them that most of the decisions we make in life are also based on our faith… Read More ›
WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND PULL THE PLUG
In September 2011, the American-based media provider Netflix announced that it planned to raise prices for its services and separate into two companies: a DVD mail order service it would call “Qwikster” and an internet streaming service that would retain… Read More ›
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 ›
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 ›
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 ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 