“I keep six honest serving men they taught me all I knew, their names were what and where and when and how and why and who“ Rudyard Kipling In an earlier article in this series entitled “Untested Assumptions”, I described such assumptions as one of a manager’s worst enemies. Acting on untested assumptions […]
Read more
Tag Archives: decision making
THE BOSS WHO CAN’T DECIDE: MANAGING POOR MANAGEMENT
January 11, 2013 
0 Comments
Almost all of us who have managed others over the years, have had to deal with a boss whose own management style and set of management skills left something to be desired. Managing up — as it is called — is relatively easy when one’s boss has a skill set, style, and personality similar to […]
Read moreSURROUND YOURSELF WITH DIVERSITY
September 4, 2012 0 Comments
I feel obliged to begin this article with a disclaimer. I am certainly not an expert on the behavioral differences between the genders, nor am I a leading authority on the many topics that comprise “diversity” issues. What I do have is almost three decades of practical experience working as a manager, consultant, and workshop […]
Read moreWHY A MANAGER’S DEMEANOR MATTERS
April 13, 2012 0 Comments
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 moreCOMMUNICATING DECISIONS
February 2, 2012 0 Comments
A common criticism I hear about management, is that they often announce important decisions with little or no explanation, rationale, or indication of the precise results they hope to achieve. Moreover, these complaints often come from line managers who say they are often required to explain senior management decisions to their workforce, with only the […]
Read moreCAN ALL OF US BE RIGHT?
July 21, 2011 0 Comments
In a discussion where the parties have strongly held views, can everybody be right? Of course not, many of you will quickly respond. There is only one right view on the matter at hand some will say, and if you do not agree with it, then you are wrong. But what if the real problem […]
Read moreDECISION-MAKING: “THE STRATEGIC TRIANGLE” PART II
May 6, 2011 0 Comments
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 two elements of what I call wise strategic forethought before you act. CI During my […]
Read moreDECISION-MAKING: “THE STRATEGIC TRIANGLE” PART I
May 3, 2011 0 Comments
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 of attention on the “acts of faith” embodied in most management decisions — only time […]
Read moreWE CAN’T FIX OTHER PEOPLE
October 31, 2010 0 Comments
There are a series of dramatic and powerful scenes in the movie “When a Man Loves a Woman” in which a wife played by Meg Ryan, having just returned from an alcoholic rehab program, is struggling to work through the road ahead with her airline pilot husband played by Andy Garcia. During years of his […]
Read moreEVALUATING YOUR DECISIONS
July 1, 2010 0 Comments
Readers of this blog know my passion for management that possesses a bias for action. The best managers, in my view, always eschew the habit of simply talking or complaining about things, for doing things that have the potential to help make their organization better. But the key word above is potential. Since so many […]
Read more
