Recently I read an article in the New York Times by Wolf Biermann, a German singer, and songwriter who has lived on both sides of the Berlin Wall. Its title was The Tragedy of Angela Merkel. In explaining the conundrum… Read More ›
exercising authority
DECISIONS AS ACTS OF FAITH
When many of us hear the words faith or belief, we think of religion. We think of a religion’s fundamental requirement that adherents accept its relevant orthodoxy, doctrine, and revealed truths without verifiable evidence to support them. I often receive… Read More ›
Abilene Paradox
In 1981, I had the opportunity to view a training film regarding the “Abilene Paradox”. It featured the concept’s author the late Jerry B. Harvey — then a professor of psychology at George Washington University. I have never forgotten this… Read More ›
HOW CAN I SCREW UP THIS SITUATION?
Perhaps this sounds like a strange question to ask yourself but believe me it has helped me avoid many a mistake as a manager and in my personal life. In any situation or management scenario there are numerous ways to… Read More ›
SHOULD MANAGERS ATTEMPT TO SELL THEIR ORGANIZATION’S DECISIONS?
Actually they should not. The concept of selling anything contains the notion that the prospective buyer has a choice. They can either buy something offered on sale or walk away. Organizational decisions, however, require COMPLIANCE not a choice. Gaining compliance is management’s job and… Read More ›
CONVERSATIONS BEAT PRESENTATIONS ANY DAY
When we hear the term presentation we tend to think of something prepared; something formal; something thought out and through ahead of time. In essence, something created in advance. We also tend to think of something of length rather than… Read More ›
SPEAK IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
If you work for an organization of reasonable size you understand what I mean when I say that management often speaks in gobble-de-gook. This is a language that often turns management initiatives into alphabetical acronyms like ADIM (Advanced Data Information Management) or… Read More ›
THINKING AND ACTING FORWARD
Tradition is a very powerful and important thing. It is a glue that helps hold nations, societies, families and organizations together. Traditions are a source of pride, we celebrate them, we defend them, and we hold on to them because… Read More ›
AN ETHICAL TRIP WIRE
Throughout human history, mankind has proven quite capable of ethical breaches that inflict harm on one another. Examples of everything from minor offenses to serious ethical lapses easily come to mind. Professional men and women with influence, power and authority over others,… Read More ›
A PLUG FOR TEAM MANAGEMENT
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 ›
