Posts

Why Do Some Managers Ignore Poor Performance?

/in , , , , /by

The work of managing performance is simple and specific. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to make time for that work, or that it is the most fun part of a Manager’s job. But it IS part of the job.

Read more

Stop Managing People, Step 1

/in , , , , /by

People pay attention to people – and make lots of assessments and judgments. That’s natural. But it maybe not the best way for a manager to support high performance or reach an organization’s goals.

Read more

When a Team is – And Is Not – a Team

/in , , /by

We talk a lot about teams, and sometimes send people off bungee jumping as a “team-building exercise”. Sounds like fun. But a team is something that needs thought – and practice – to design and implement. It is simple, but not always easy. Still, when you need a team, it’s worth knowing what works.

Read more

What You Want & By When: Managers, Leaders, and Schedules

/in , , , , , , /by

One manager in a recent MBA class was provoked by a discussion about the importance of using schedules, and offered her opinion on the difference between leaders and managers. “I want to be a leader,” she said, “not a manager. What does scheduling have to do with leadership?” Good question, actually. We were talking about […]

Read more

Getting Clear about “Difficult People” – Don’t Make it Personal

/in , , /by

Difficult people – is it about personality, or about the results they do (or don’t ) produce. Here is one manager’s solution to dealing with “difficulties” between people in the workplace.

Read more

What’s the Source of the “Productivity Deficit”?

/in , , , /by

The Marketplace newsletter has an answer for a question I hadn’t thought to ask: “Why are workers less productive?” It seems the output produced for each hour of labor worked (aka non-farm business productivity) dropped in the second quarter of 2015. It’s the third quarter in a row with a decline in US labor productivity. Innovations like smartphones and 3D printing […]

Read more

A Recipe for Little Changes – Organizational and Personal

/in , , , , , , , /by

Five steps to change the way things will be done – in the office and at home – by reducing resistance from others and including their best ideas.

Read more

Time to Talk? Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

/in , , , , , /by

Improve both efficiency and effectiveness with a clear and complete request.

Read more

Attitude Can Cause Blindness and Ignorance

/1 Comment/in , , , , , /by

  After years of saying that a consultant’s job is not to change people’s attitudes, I might need to eat my words. Here’s what I learned from reviewing a Harvard Business Review case: a bad attitude can blind an employee – even a good one – from seeing who to communicate with and who needs […]

Read more

Getting Other People to Do Stuff

/in , , , , /by

A recent review of manager comments on their workplace communication was very revealing: they didn’t get the idea of dialogue. Two-way talking was not recognized as a tool for getting things done on time and on budget. Here are two samples of their management “conversations” for getting people to perform: “I think we need to get […]

Read more