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about mark otto
Mark Otto is a business consultant, author. and speaker. He draws on a lifetime of experience with the organizational strategic, and leadership challenges of growing companies to offer
practical and effective advice for improving leadership skils and business performance. Learn More
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Category Archives: Management

5 People Who Derail Your Meetings

02.03.2014 | Categories:

| Comments:

When it comes to meetings, your own team is often its own worst enemy. Discussions get hijacked. Bad ideas fill whiteboards. Negative team members squash good ideas. Stronger team members dominate weaker ones. People wander off topic, cause decisions to be delayed, and act in any number of dysfunctional ways.

Why the Best People Are Leaving Your Company

By Mark Otto

01.27.2014 | Categories:

Management

| Comments:

Unexpected losses of key people are one of the most costly and troublesome issues a business can face. With all the talk some leaders give about the importance of attracting and retaining top talent, you wouldn’t think there would be a revolving door in some companies. But so often there is.

10 Rules for Firing Someone the Right Way

By Mark Otto

01.13.2014 | Categories:

Management

| Comments:

In business life, one of the greatest challenges is having difficult conversations. And for many managers, firing someone is the hardest conversation of them all. But you cannot build a great business without a strong team – that means learning how to let people go.

5 Signs Your Business is Growing Out of Control

By Mark Otto

10.30.2013 | Categories:

Company Building, Leadership, Management

| Comments:

Without proper planning you may find your growth creating an avalanche that buries you in unforeseen problems. Several times a year, there are stories about companies that got themselves into trouble because they “grew too fast.” In hindsight, the insiders in these companies describe the situation using expressions like “out of control” or “total chaos.”

Why Smart Leaders Don’t Always Make Smart Decisions

By Mark Otto

10.28.2013 | Categories:

Leadership, Management

| Comments:

Effective decision making is essential to a successful business. Every day we are called upon to make decisions. Some are small and have little impact. Others carry a greater weight – decisions with important consequences. Invariably, mistakes are made along the way. The difficult truth is that very important decisions made by smart people sometimes go very wrong.

Is Your Mindset Preventing Growth?

By Mark Otto

10.25.2013 | Categories:

Leadership, Management

| Comments:

A mindset is our perspective on the world and outlook on life. The choices we make reflect our mindset. Some people see new challenges as opportunities to learn, and for others, they are an opportunity to fail.

10 Rules for Mastering the Art of Feedback

By Mark Otto

10.23.2013 | Categories:

Leadership, Management

| Comments:

It’s not easy to hear about our weaknesses. And telling others how they can improve is almost as difficult. Giving feedback can be awkward, messy, and uncomfortable. Feedback can raise defensiveness, fear, and anxiety. And when done badly, it can be emotionally devastating.

Why Growing Companies Need More Meetings

By Mark Otto

10.18.2013 | Categories:

Company Building, Leadership, Management

| Comments:

In an earlier post I briefly touched on the importance of meetings in growing companies. I realize that meetings are a hot button in most organizations. But I want to provide you with the antidote to those unproductive wastes of time that we’ve all had to suffer through.

Stop the Overwhelm in Growing Companies

By Mark Otto

10.16.2013 | Categories:

Company Building, Leadership, Management

| Comments:

Almost every growing organization complains about not having enough time to get everything done. People feel that they could work 24 hours a day 7 days a week and still fall behind. Everyone feels like they are spinning their wheels, people are stressed, and managers are desperately trying to juggle too many things at once.

Closing the Gap Between What Needs to Get Done and What Actually Gets Done

By Mark Otto

10.14.2013 | Categories:

Company Building, Leadership, Management

| Comments:

As organizations get larger and more complex, turning vision into action becomes more difficult. Making decisions, developing plans, strategies and initiatives is the easy part. But without execution, Big Ideas go nowhere.

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Category Archives: Management