A common conversation I have with many of my senior, executive clients involves their desire to alter elements of their organization’s management culture and their frustration with how difficult they find that challenge. ”Why is this so hard, take so long, and demand so much, they ask?” The answers lie somewhere in understanding the WHAT [...]
Read moreWINNING CONVERTS TO NEW IDEAS
May 8, 2012
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In the previous two articles in which I focused upon the phenomenon of change, I focused on the mind-set and approach best suited for the task of challenging those outdated models of practice we can find in almost any organization and on the qualities that characterize the true agents of change that manage to successfully [...]
Read moreAGENTS OF CHANGE
May 1, 2012
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Being called a “change agent” is a popular and coveted title among many managers. But over the years, I have observed that many who hold that title have, in fact, not changed very much at all. Many of the true movers and shakers in today’s organizations operate behind the scenes and under the raider, getting minimal notice [...]
Read moreBREAKING THE MOLD
April 24, 2012
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Why is change within an organization so hard? To begin with, it rarely happens quickly; that is, it’s rarely one way today and totally different tomorrow. Change is usually incremental and evolutionary. Secondly, as I have written elsewhere in this forum, the cases for change is usually made in highly logical terms. The process of [...]
Read moreMANAGING YOUR EMAIL
April 19, 2012
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I can not recall a single manager of my acquaintance who at some time has not complained about the avalanche of email they confront at work almost daily. As a manager you can not simply ignore email entirely. Nor can you allow email to occupy an unreasonable amount of your time. I have struggled with [...]
Read moreWHY A MANAGER’S DEMEANOR MATTERS
April 13, 2012
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You are on an airplane, 35,000 feet above the ground, flying from the East Coast to the West. Summer thunder storms have stirred up the atmosphere and the ride has been choppy for some time. The Pilot’s first “seat belts please” message included the statement that this moderate turbulence would last for some time. Moderate you’re [...]
Read moreTHE ART OF MOVING ON
April 6, 2012
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Leaving one management job for something else — within management or outside of the profession — generally happens in one of two ways: reassignment for some reason or you choose to change assignments or professions yourself. Both forms of departure involve their own special personal challenges you must navigate successfully if you are to fully take hold of [...]
Read moreWATCH THAT “FIX IT” MODE
March 30, 2012
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We have all heard the axiom “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. By extension of that logic, I suppose that means if it is broke, then fix it. Observing the behavior of many managers over the years, I believe many of them possess a powerful urge to do just that: FIX THINGS. In fact, many [...]
Read moreTHE POWER OF PSYCHIC PAY
March 10, 2012
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A colleague of mine — Jack O’Connor — frequently shares with his workshop participants the notion that there are many ways beyond money, to pay employees. Jack’s is a powerful notion — I call it psychic pay — that opens up many possibilities for managers who are often constrained by tight pay budgets and restricted [...]
Read moreA MANAGER’S FIRST YEAR
February 21, 2012
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It surprises me that I have not turned to this subject sooner in this series of articles, since it is such an important topic. So much of value happens in a manager’s first year — both good and bad — that most of us who have managed for many years, still maintain quite vivid memories [...]
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