Unique though we all are in our individual ways, there remains this thing called HUMAN NATURE. Specifically, the vast majority of we humans tend to behave in rather predictable ways confronted with similar situations, especially the need to adjust to and accept… Read More ›
exercising authority
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 ›
ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK IS A COP-OUT
Imagine being called into your boss’s office and hearing one of the following statements: “I have some negative feedback for you and everybody feels the same way”; or “a number of your colleagues have told me that ……….”; or “I… Read More ›
ARE YOU THE RIGHT PERSON FOR YOUR JOB?
Many of the managers I have worked with over the years have never asked themselves if they were the right person for their current job. Having been selected for the position, they naturally assume they were the right choice. Others, however,… Read More ›
GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES AT WORK
The March 24, 2013 edition of Businessweek contained an article by Marina Khidekel entitled “The Misery of Mentoring Millennials” (Etc. Section). Among the article’s highlights that caught my eye were the following: “For a new generation of workers, the idea… Read More ›
WANT A SENSE OF REAL ACCOMPLISHMENT? CHAMPION A FEW BIG GOALS
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 ›
KNOWING THE LIMITS OF YOUR POWER
The job of a manager often strikes those of us who have done it as quite a conundrum: apparently straight forward, yet frequently complex; occasionally clear but often maddeningly ambiguous; and especially about having been granted power, yet often leaving… Read More ›
EXERCISING AUTHORITY: THE “IF NOT, THEN WHAT” MESSAGE
The best managers intuitively seem to understand that the less often they need to blatantly exercise their authority, the better. Frequent displays of management behavior, designed to impress and remind subordinates of “who is in charge”, generally have more negative,… 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 ›
WHO BEARS RESPONSIBILITY FOR A FIRING?
Employees — sometimes in large numbers — are laid off from organizations for a variety of reasons beyond the quality of their performance. Company mergers often result in large-scale employee reductions to achieve economies and eliminate duplication. Government organizations —… Read More ›