To be a senior executive in any sizable organization means that you probably have a staff of people to undertake a broad range of activities essential to your front office and, therefore, to your company’s or organization’s success. Staff members carry a… Read More ›
effective managers and leaders
BALANCING AUTONOMY AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Three company case studies provide rich insight into effective organizational management in Gary Hamel’s marvelous book “The Future of Management”. I have referred to this work elsewhere in this series of articles but here, I wish to draw attention… Read More ›
AVOID ABSTRACTIONS, BE SPECIFIC, EMPHASIZE BEHAVIOR
One of the down sides of mixing the richness of language, and the intelligence and creativity generally represented by successful managers, is the jargon, acronyms, and occasional gobble-de-gook that passes for effective manager communication in many organizations. Especially in most large organizations,… Read More ›
DON’T CHOOSE SIDES, BRIDGE THE GAP
Most managers with a sizeable span of control are likely to encounter a variety of generations to engage on a daily basis. One is probably your generation, the others will often represent younger and older employees, each representing a world view, set of… Read More ›
TOP MANAGEMENT, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU
Over the years, I have had the occasion to review and evaluate the Employee Orientation and Management/Leadership training programs of a variety of organizations. My reviews have included the curriculum for both programs, the substantive content, the core messages, and… Read More ›
CARPE MOMENTUM
Feedback! Oh how we love it, right? Well of course it depends. If it’s good feedback: great. The bad stuff: that’s not so great. As managers, we generally echo the above. We usually enjoy heaping praise on the well deserved… Read More ›
SUPERIOR-SUBORDINATE RELATIONSHIPS
Managers, do your subordinates work under, for, or with you? An interesting question don’t you think? I recently interviewed a retired manager and when I asked her how she would like her former subordinates to describe her, she replied “I… Read More ›
WELCOMINGS AND GOODBYES
I have long been fascinated by the universal ceremonies and rituals that have grown up around the need to welcome new members into a group and to say goodbye when members leave. Almost every culture on earth seems to have… Read More ›
IS EVERYBODY HAPPY?
Every manager intellectually understands that accepting his or her authority over others, means that there is no way in the world that they will be able to exercise that authority and always keep everybody happy. But knowing that is not… Read More ›
WHY FOLLOW THROUGH REALLY MATTERS
During my management career, I watched numerous ideas, initiatives, and grand visions birthed, launched with great enthusiasm, often gobble up precious resources, and then simply fade into oblivion. Similarly, I observed the proverbial shelf as it gradually filled up with… Read More ›