Critical conversations at work
Kate Carruthers Managing people is a skill I’ve been a manager for over twenty years now, managing teams ranging in size from 2 to 263. One thing that I have learned is…
management & leadership
Leaders, problems, and action
“We measure a leader, not by the absence of problems, but how he or she confronts those problems and takes action.” – Rosabeth Moss Kanter There has been a long…
Business plan – ultimate waste of time or absolute necessity? #startups
There is an enormous amount of information and advice about creating a business plan for one’s startup. The advice ranges from the necessity to prepare a traditional narrative form business…
Predicting success #startups
“The only major personality trait that consistently leads to success is conscientiousness.” via Business Insider In large companies personality tests and similar instruments are often deployed to provide people with…
Startup, stay in business.
The biggest hurdle facing most startups is to stay in business long enough to be successful. If they accomplish this then they have the chance to turn into an ‘overnight…
The Reputation Economy, Employees, and Privacy
As companies embrace the notion of a reputation economy fueled by the power of social platforms this brings a new set of challenges for management and employees. I was at…
Dr Deming on The 5 Deadly Diseases of Management
This video of Dr Deming discussing the state of management in the US from 1984 is strangely prescient. I think this is rather important! Definitely worth watching and pondering for…
Leadership, personality traits, and success: Do nice guys really finish last?
I came across an article in Wired Science by Jonah Lehrer titled Do Nice Guys Finish Last?. It had plenty to get me thinking. Apparently: “… levels of ‘agreeableness’ are…
Navigating the New World of Hyperconnectivity
This week I spoke at the Recruitment Technology Evaluation Convention in Sydney. The topic was navigating the hyperconnected world from a recruitment and human resources perspective. The key issues facing…
Maximizing shareholder value should NOT be the only goal of the corporation
It is interesting to think about this now that we see Occupy Wall Street spreading around the world (even to Occupy Sydney). Back in 1976 Michael Jensen and William Meckling…