“I keep six honest serving men they taught me all I knew, their names were what and where and when and how and why and who“ Rudyard Kipling In an earlier article in this series entitled “Untested Assumptions”,… Read More ›
exercising authority
DON’T ASK SUBORDINATES TO DO YOUR WORK
When a manager cannot let go or trust subordinates to do their job sufficiently, the micromanager steps in and either does it themself, or insists the job be done their way. The subsequent organizational results include lowered unit morale,… Read More ›
TAKING CREDIT FOR THE WORK OF OTHERS: A MANAGEMENT VICE
As I write this series of articles entitled “A Management Vice”, I find myself unable to decide which of them is more irritating, infuriating, frustrating, or just plain unacceptable. Suffice to say, taking credit for the work of others is… Read More ›
REJECTING BLAME: A MANAGEMENT VICE
All managers, by definition are the “Captain of the ship”. They are responsible and accountable for everything that happens beneath their authority. Yet there are managers, who when things around them go amiss, quickly find reasons — by their… Read More ›
THE BOSS WHO CAN’T DECIDE: MANAGING POOR MANAGERS
Almost all of us have had to deal with a boss whose own management style and set of management skills left something to be desired. Managing up — as it is called — is relatively easy when one’s boss has… Read More ›
THE BOSS WHO PLAYS FAVORITES: MANAGING POOR MANAGERS
Almost all of us have had to deal with a boss whose own management style and set of management skills left something to be desired. Managing up — as it is called — is relatively easy when one’s boss has… Read More ›
IGNORING A PROBLEM IS ENABLING THE PROBLEM
There are certain types of workplace problems that few managers wish to confront. For example: A personal hygiene issue; The frequent use of inappropriate language around co-workers; A suspected alcohol or drug abuse issue; A suspected violation of workplace time… Read More ›
The Abilene Paradox
What do you call the phenomena when a group of people silently agree on the dubious merits of an idea or course of action but either remain silent, or agree to do it anyway? George Washington Psychology Professor the late… Read More ›
PROBLEM SOLVING: WHAT ARE THE REAL ISSUES INVOLVED?
Abraham Maslow, famous for his theory of the “Hierarchy of Human Needs”, also had this to say about problem solving: “If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail”. No manager has only one… Read More ›
DECISIONS: WHAT IF ALL YOUR OPTIONS SEEM WRONG?
Some time ago, I read a “New York Times” article by Wolf Biermann, a German author who has lived on both sides of the Berlin Wall. Its title was The Tragedy of Angela Merkel. In explaining the conundrum he… Read More ›
What Best Mnagers Know & Do 