When our children were younger, departure day for a family vacation was quite a test for me. Having had many preparatory conversations about the limits of our car’s trunk space and having reached what I thought was a consensus on… Read More ›
advice for managers
SPEAK WITH PRECISION, REPEAT WHAT’S IMPORTANT
Few human endeavors are as challenging as human communication. The process starts in our brain with our thoughts concerning what we wish to communicate. We then translate those thoughts into words we believe convey the exact meaning we intend. We… Read More ›
THE SHADOW OF AUTHORITY
I first encountered the concept of a manager’s shadow at a seminar I attended in Boston some years ago. The presenter — a female corrections officer whose name, but not her message, I’ve long forgotten — was recounting the evolution… Read More ›
THE LIMITS OF CONTROL
Regardless of the statistics indicating the safety of air travel, why do most of us remain a bit jittery during take-offs and landings? Why does almost any surgery involving anesthesia seem so scary? Why does driving in extremely heavy fog,… Read More ›
BEING ACCOUNTABLE
On November 22, 1968 Japan Airlines Flight 2, a DC 8, was scheduled to land at San Francisco International airport. In heavy fog, its Captain Kohei Asoh, not adequately trained on the plane’s new flight director, landed his aircraft in San… Read More ›
BIAS FOR ACTION IN ACTION III: DOING SOMETHING
Thus far in phases one and two of a “Bias For Action in Action”, the manager’s work I have described has been primarily intellectual. Many organizations and managers excel at analyzing their problems and identifying potential remedies. Turning that “knowing something”… Read More ›
BIAS FOR ACTION IN ACTION II: HOW ABOUT……..?
In phase one of a bias for action in action, I discussed selection of a problem or situation needing management attention and gathering a team of colleagues to assist in the effort. Phase two involves thinking through what you might… Read More ›
BIAS FOR ACTION IN ACTION I: WHAT & WHO
Previously, I have suggested that one of the things the best managers know and do is to cultivate a bias for action rather than simply talking about problems, and I introduced you to a company that has combined their creative and innovative energies with… Read More ›
DESIGN THINKING
IDEO is one of the world’s most celebrated design consultancies. Based in Palo Alto California, with offices around the globe, IDEO is annually rated as one of the world’s most creative and innovative companies. IDEO’s General Manger Tom Kelley —… Read More ›
A BIAS FOR ACTION
Although published a decade ago, “The Knowing-Doing Gap” written by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton remains one of my favorite management books. The book’s focus is why so many company’s who know what they should do to achieve success, simply… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 