In their most basic form, organizational work units consist of four parts: (1) a named entity of some size (i.e. a team, branch, staff, division, etc); a service or mission focus for that unit; (3) an assemblage of human talent and skills to… Read More ›
empowering managers and leaders
ADVERTIZING A JOB: TELL THE TRUTH
I recently had a long conversation with a disgruntled employee. Her primary issue was that she believed she was lied to and deceived about her job when hired. She told me she applied for and was promised at her hiring a major… Read More ›
CREATING POSITIVE TEAM CHEMISTRY
Now here is a dream achievement for most managers; creating positive team chemistry. If only a manager could find the magic formula that creates a team environment where almost any accomplishment is possible. The trouble is, there is no magic… Read More ›
MERGING ORGANIZATIONS? MERGE PEOPLE AND FAST
Over the years I have observed — up close and from afar — numerous company, business and agency mergers. None of them ever went as smoothly as promised. A few well-managed mergers produced minimal pain, while some others had their human victims… Read More ›
KEEPING YOUR WORKFORCE ENGAGED
I have been following yearly surveys focused on the topic of “Workforce Engagement” for the last fifteen years. These surveys have varied in their methodologies and organizational authors. Some focused exclusively on the United States, while others offered a global perspective…. Read More ›
AT WORK OR WORKING?
The term “knowledge workforce” refers to those individuals who make their living primarily by developing and using KNOWLEDGE in their daily work. The knowledge workers are our planners, analyzers, organizers, programmers, doctors, lawyers, scientists, marketers and designers whose contributions transform our business, commerce and… Read More ›
UNLOCKING WHAT YOU SEE IN OTHERS
Of all the management challenges I confronted over the years, this one was one of the most challenging of all. To begin with, what we think we see in others is a perception. Sometimes it is a perception based on… Read More ›
PLAYING THE HAND YOU’RE DEALT
Most managers fantasize at some point about being handed the “DREAM TEAM” assignment. You know, a staff filled with self-starting, bright, multi-talented all-stars who basically need little management or oversight at all. All we would need to do is to… Read More ›
CAPABILITY AND CAPACITY
My friend and sometimes workshop partner Jack, loves to talk about the importance of assessing an employee’s capabilities and capacity. Regarding the importance of these concepts, I could not agree more. Yet over the years, I have rarely heard them… Read More ›
AUTHORITY VS INFLUENCE
One aspect of being a manager that lures many to the profession is the idea of having some real authority, of being in control of something and of having the power to give orders and directions that make things happen…. Read More ›