I’m taking time out from a regular post to solicit your help. I am trying to come up with a new tag line for my business. Based on some initial feedback, I’ve narrowed it to two: A. Your next answer might be a new questionB. The answer you need is a better question I’m interested …
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How well are you managing performance? Are you focused in the right areas? Are you working with the right people? Are you doing the right things? Take this quick quiz. 1. Divide a piece of paper in half and consider the following scenario: You have just been assigned a major project. It has high visibility, …
Nearly ten years ago, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton wrote the book, The Knowing Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action. A decade later, their ideas still resonate as companies struggle to execute. But I’ve seen another gap emerge, one that complements the Knowing Doing gap. This new gap is the Committing Doing …
Do you “do” performance management or do you manage performance? What’s the difference? Many leaders think of these as synonyms, but they aren’t. Performance management is a formal HR process. Over time, the performance management process and its associated outputs have been co-opted, combined with, and re- purposed for many other HR processes (e.g,. succession …
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Do you lead with data rather than letting the data lead you? Take this quick test. Answer yes or no to the following statements. When I receive a report, the first thing I do is scan through all of the data to see what the report is telling me I first collect data and then …
Today, Toyota follows in the footsteps of many major corporations in the past couple years. Its executives have been called to Capitol Hill to account for the way they run their business. Despite all of the gridlock that we’ve been hearing about in Washington, such hearings are a model of bipartisanship. It seems like any …
This is a reposting of an old entry. I think it’s relevant to bring back. I continue to see organizations wrestle with the question of how to make their “leaders” into leaders. The answer is simple. Don’t try to make someone into something they are not. Promote people into leadership positions based on their ability …
The January 18 issue of Newsweek has an interesting article, “Your Brain Online” written by Sharon Begley. The article provides answers to the question,” How is the Internet changing the way you think?” which was recently asked of 109 philosophers, neurobiologists, and scholars on http://www.edge.org/. Her summary is that while the internet and information revolution …
I’m a long time Springsteen fan. Over the holidays, I read Dave Marsh’s book, “Two Hearts” which is a biography of Bruce through 2003. This book left quite an impression on me. That impression wasn’t about Bruce’s musical ability. I already knew he was one of the greatest musicians of the last few generations. It …
I will communicate a compelling vision for what we are trying to accomplish. I will translate that vision into a unique and compelling story for each person who is responsible for fulfilling it. I will hold people accountable for helping to realize that vision. I will help my people achieve things that they never dreamt …