If there is a more challenging question for any of us in life, I do not know what it is. Deciding when to act, especially in important situations where the stakes of our decision are high, is stressful, complicated and… Read More ›
Self-Management
THE POWER OF AUTHENTICITY: THE COURAGE TO BE YOURSELF
There are countless books and articles dedicated to listing and exploring the qualities possessed by outstanding managers. However, I believe there is far too little attention paid to the one quality that creates an important degree of comfort we personally… Read More ›
THE NON-OPEN OPEN DOOR POLICY
No manager in my memory has ever claimed he or she had a “Non-Open Door Policy”. Claiming to have an open door policy is so automatic for most managers, announcing it rolls off their tongue soon after assuming almost any… 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 ›
ADVERTIZING A JOB: TELL THE TRUTH
I recently had a long conversation with a disgruntled employee. Her primary issue was that she believed she was lied to and deceived about her job when hired. She told me she applied for and was promised at her hiring a major… Read More ›
BALANCING THE VISIONARY AND THE PRACTICAL
Having a vision for the future of your organization, a big idea, a grand goal! It is hard to argue against the importance of these things when it comes to inspirational management and leadership and to the success and continued relevance… Read More ›
MANAGING FIRST IMPRESSIONS
We are all familiar with the power and durability of first impressions. And nowhere is this more critical for a manager, than those created during their first week or two in a new job. A manager’s new subordinates and colleagues will… Read More ›
GOOD MANAGEMENT: THE ART OF NUDGING
I once asked a senior manager colleague what she considered the “core competency” of a good manager. “the art of Effective Nudging“, she replied. I knew at once what she meant as I had done my fair share of it… Read More ›
GOOD MANAGERS WORK AT IT
When different people, focusing on different fields of endeavor and at different times all end up sending us the same message, seems to me we ought to pay attention. So consider the following message from four separate authors regarding the… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 