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 that if you want to do anything big then you need to work through other people to achieve at scale. And managing through other people to achieve goals is one of the biggest challenges when … Continue reading Critical conversations at work
“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 and largely unprofitable debate in management circles about the difference between management and leadership. Over the years I have come to a realisation that management and leadership are inextricably linked and that they are defined … Continue reading Leaders, problems, and action
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 plan document, to preparing a business model canvas, or using a business planning tool or app. There are even notions like the idea-less startup, where the team is formed before the startup idea comes together. No business plan … Continue reading Business plan – ultimate waste of time or absolute necessity? #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 better insight into their own and team performance. Over the years I have participated in many of these – for example, Myers Briggs, DISC, Belbin Team Roles, Hermann Brain Dominance, 16PF, Big Five Inventory, etc. Many people debate the … Continue reading Predicting success #startups
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 success’ after many years of hard work. The numbers are against most new businesses. Many new businesses fail within the first three to five years. Even inside well-resourced large companies the challenges of bringing new … Continue reading Startup, stay in business.
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 the Salesforce #cloudcrowd event in Sydney recently and we were discussing this issue with guest speaker Peter Coffee. The issue is that companies increasingly require employees to interact online on behalf of the company but … Continue reading The Reputation Economy, Employees, and Privacy
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 all of us … Continue reading Dr Deming on The 5 Deadly Diseases of Management
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 negatively correlated with the earnings of men” Then: “There are six facets to agreeableness: trust, straightforwardness, compliance, altruism, modesty and tender-mindedness. “ Also: “Women were slightly less likely to get picked for promotion regardless of their … Continue reading Leadership, personality traits, and success: Do nice guys really finish last?
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 businesses now include: Hyperconnectivity and the digital revolution New rules for engagement and recruitment Why community matters more than ever The proliferation of social computing and huge growth in smart phones means that the communication … Continue reading Navigating the New World of Hyperconnectivity
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 argued that the solution to the principal-agency problem — business leaders advance their own interests not those of shareowners — was to make the goal of the corporation the highest return to shareholders and to … Continue reading Maximizing shareholder value should NOT be the only goal of the corporation
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