In part I of “The Strategic Triangle”©, I addressed the value of being clear on what pieces of any problem or issue confronting you are actually under your control or jurisdiction. Here in part II, I will address the remaining… Read More ›
Self-Management
DECISION-MAKING: “THE STRATEGIC TRIANGLE” PART I
In my management workshops, we spend considerable time focusing on decision-making. The sheer number of decisions most managers make in a week is staggering, many of them on the fly, with little time for contemplation. We also focus a lot… Read More ›
THE FAIRNESS-EQUITY DILEMMA
Ask any manager if she or he strives to be fair and equitable in her or his dealings with subordinates and you will rarely get a negative response. By the time we reach adulthood, these two concepts are well ingrained… Read More ›
DEMEANING SUBORDINATES IS NEVER OK
If you have ever received a highly personal verbal attack from a boss, you know how embarrassing, demoralizing, emotionally traumatic, and infuriating that can be. It’s even worse if it was done in public If you have spent any time… Read More ›
YOUR COMMITMENTS MUST MEAN SOMETHING
I am often asked how one recognizes a really great manager. Well, in almost all of the articles I have included in the site, I have addressed some form of behavior that tends to separate certain managers from the pack…. Read More ›
ABOUT YOU or ABOUT IT?
Do you ever take something personally? I thought so. Don’t we all? For some, it is a chronic problem; wired into our temperament and emotional DNA. On the other hand, I actually know a few folks on the far opposite end… Read More ›
MANAGING YOUR FRUSTRATIONS
I’m sitting by Lake of the Woods in Northern Minnesota one recent morning, enjoying the sun rise, when I ask my sister-in-law about the most difficult part of her job as a sixth grade teacher. “Managing my frustrations”, she replied… Read More ›
SPEAK WITH PRECISION, REPEAT WHAT’S IMPORTANT
Few human endeavors are as challenging as human communication. The process starts in our brain with our thoughts concerning what we wish to communicate. We then translate those thoughts into words we believe convey the exact meaning we intend. We… Read More ›
THE LIMITS OF CONTROL
Regardless of the statistics indicating the safety of air travel, why do most of us remain a bit jittery during take-offs and landings? Why does almost any surgery involving anesthesia seem so scary? Why does driving in extremely heavy fog,… Read More ›
A BIAS FOR ACTION
Although published a decade ago, “The Knowing-Doing Gap” written by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton remains one of my favorite management books. The book’s focus is why so many company’s who know what they should do to achieve success, simply… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 