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 ›
empowering managers and leaders
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 ›
A SIMPLE ASSESSMENT OF YOUR ORGANIZATION’S HEALTH: THE HUMAN DIMENSION
Anything quantifiable — that is, reducible to numbers — is obviously a potential measure of how well an organization is doing. So profits and/or productive output, for example, are usually one valid measure of organizational performance. But numbers do not give… Read More ›
SURROUND YOURSELF WITH DIVERSITY
I feel obliged to begin this article with a disclaimer. I am certainly not an expert on the behavioral differences between the genders, nor am I a leading authority on the many topics that comprise “diversity” issues. What I do… Read More ›
HOW WELL AM I DOING MY JOB?
I frequently ask managers how they evaluate, or attempt to know, how they are doing in their jobs. What never ceases to surprise me is the number of respondents that are unable to provide anything but a rather vague “OK”… Read More ›
SPAN OF CONTROL
What is the best way to raise a child? What is the best investment strategy for long-term growth in the current economy? What car is the best choice for a young family of four? How much life insurance is enough?… Read More ›
THE “TOUCHY FEELY” THING
For many years, I have heard the phrase “TOUCHY FEELY” used by managers of both genders, to describe a variety of things and behaviors in the workplace. “Oh, you mean that touchy feely stuff’” or “I don’t do that touchy… Read More ›
CHANGING A MANAGEMENT CULTURE
A common conversation I have with many of my senior, executive clients involves their desire to alter elements of their organization’s management culture and their frustration with how difficult they find that challenge. “Why is this so hard, take so… Read More ›
WINNING CONVERTS TO NEW IDEAS
In the previous two articles in which I focused upon the phenomenon of change, I focused on the mind-set and approach best suited for the task of challenging those outdated models of practice we can find in almost any organization… Read More ›
WHY A MANAGER’S DEMEANOR MATTERS
You are on an airplane, 35,000 feet above the ground, flying from the East Coast to the West. Summer thunder storms have stirred up the atmosphere and the ride has been choppy for some time. The Pilot’s first “seat belts… Read More ›