Making personnel moves is a routine part of most manager’s jobs. It is also one of the most critical elements of a manager’s responsibilities, whether looked at from the organization’s or the individual assignee’s perspective. From the organization’s vantage point,… Read More ›
Over the years, as a manager and consultant, I have had the opportunity to participate in numerous Mission, Vision and Values exercises, involving both large and small organizations. Many have been fun, some just OK, and some downright tedious. … Read More ›
In any organization of size, there are usually three distinct levels of management. No matter how many managers there are, or layered the levels, there are still only three. Each layer has a critical strategic function to perform and in… Read More ›
Most of us at some time have experienced the downsides of over-controlling management. Micromanagement discourages subordinate initiative, damages organizational morale, and inexorably leads to less than optimal subordinate performance. Managers who try to exercise control over everything their subordinates do,… Read More ›
Samuel Culbert who writes for the New York Times recently had an article listed as one of the weeks best in “The Week” (p. 48 March 18, 2011) entitled “Time to Shred The Annual Review”. Regular readers of this blog… Read More ›
More than a few times during my years as a practicing manager, I felt compelled to explain the WORK CONTRACT to an underperforming subordinate. In simple English the work contract is as follows: YOU WORK, WE PAY; YOU DON’T WORK,… Read More ›
If you work for an organization of some size, chances are you have an official personnel file housed in HR. Management reviews these files periodically and they may play an important role in some of your career decisions, especially when… Read More ›
Over a decade ago, authors Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton published a splendid book about organizational procrastination entitled “The Knowing Doing Gap”. Although some of its corporate examples are a little dated, its central message about the difference between organizations who… Read More ›
Recently a good friend and former boss of mine and I were exchanging emails. The subject of management came up and he suggested that I write a blog about managing without “managing”. As I read on in his email I… Read More ›
My last cardinal sin for managers post — takeing credit for the accomplishments, ideas, and successes of others — involves misrepresenting yourself as the author of real things. Cardinal sin number 4 for managers, involves creating fiction. Specifically, the invention of… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 