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 ›
advice for managers from managers
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 ›
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 ›
THE VALUE OF THE LONG VIEW
In a recent article, I encouraged managers to define a few, long-term “big ideas” or goals they intend to pursue over time. I did so, because I believe that is the best way for a manager to achieve a real… Read More ›
WANT A SENSE OF REAL ACCOMPLISHMENT? CHAMPION A FEW BIG GOALS
So many managers I talk with tell me that one great source of their frustration with the job, is obtaining a sense of accomplishment day-to-day. This is an experience I well remember and it never ceased being a challenge. The management… Read More ›
USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA AT WORK: DOES IT MATTER MANAGERS?
Talk about a hot topic among managers in many of today’s workplaces. And here I use the term “social media” in its current contemporary sense to refer to formats like Facebook, Twitter, e-mailing, text messing etc. The question is, should… Read More ›
KNOWING THE LIMITS OF YOUR POWER
The job of a manager often strikes those of us who have done it as quite a conundrum: apparently straight forward, yet frequently complex; occasionally clear but often maddeningly ambiguous; and especially about having been granted power, yet often leaving… Read More ›
POSSIBILITIES TO LIVE INTO
Benjamin Zander’s web site describes him as a conductor, teacher, and dynamic world-traveling speaker on management and leadership issues. While I have never had the pleasure of attending in person one of Mr. Zander’s leadership talks, I have had the opportunity… Read More ›
EXERCISING AUTHORITY: THE “IF NOT, THEN WHAT” MESSAGE
The best managers intuitively seem to understand that the less often they need to blatantly exercise their authority, the better. Frequent displays of management behavior, designed to impress and remind subordinates of “who is in charge”, generally have more negative,… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 