Category Archives: Management

My last post discussed the multitude of problems that arise from a lack of candor in organizations. But simply asking people to be more candid without a supporting organizational culture is futile. The concept of candor is simple, but being honest inside of organizations is difficult. It’s hard because you are fighting against human nature and established organizational behaviors. People avoid conflict, engage in groupthink, tell their bosses what they think they want to hear, withhold feedback, hoard information, and ignore reality...

Within high-growth companies, one of the greatest challenges is having difficult conversations with clarity, ease, and effectiveness. Too many people struggle with how to say no, give constructive criticism, address performance issues, speak up in meetings, or confront interpersonal problems. Picture yourself stuck in another pointless meeting where no one in the room says the things that need to be said. Slide after mind-numbing slide fails to break any new ground. Despite the facts that are staring everyone right in the face...

The critical factor in a high-growth company’s success is not strategic focus. Nor is it operational excellence. And it’s not products or services. All of these are important, but the most significant factor is an organization’s ability to put it all together, to craft strategy and execution into a workable growth system. Business growth is more than a strategy – it’s a system. Products and strategies are the result of the system that creates them, including the process of creating the idea...

The greatest source of competitive advantage in companies that grow from small to big is the unique combination of what it does and how it does it. No Obvious Competitive Advantage Much of what we believe about what makes growth companies successful is just plain wrong. It’s not about having a visionary, charismatic leader. It’s not about having the best talent. It’s not about being the most innovative in the industry. It’s not about being in a hot, sexy market. It's not .

by Daniel Pink The way we structure organizations almost always assumes that the prospect of greater financial reward is the primary factor in human motivation. That’s a mistake, Dan Pink says in “Drive.” Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink reveals the gap between what science knows and what business does—and how it affects performance. Pink argues that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it’s the “wrong” way to motivate people for today’s

by A.G. Lafley and Roger Martin Are you just playing—or playing to win? Strategy is not complex. But it is hard. It’s hard because it forces people and organizations to make specific choices about their future—something that doesn’t happen in most companies. “Playing to Win” shows how leaders in organizations of all sizes can guide everyday actions with larger strategic goals built around the clear, essential elements that determine business success—where to play and how to win. Lafley and Martin have created

by Patrick Lencioni Patrick Lencioni argues that the seminal difference between successful companies and mediocre ones has little to do with what they know and how smart they are and more to do with how healthy they are. An organization is healthy when it is whole, consistent and complete, when its management, operations and culture are unified. Healthy organizations outperform their counterparts, are free of politics and confusion and provide an environment where star performers never want to leave. “The Advantage” provides

by Peter Senge In “The Fifth Discipline,” Peter Senge contends that over time the only sustainable competitive advantage is your organization’s ability to learn faster than the competition. The basic rationale for “learning organizations” is that in situations of rapid change only those that are flexible, adaptive and productive will excel. For this to happen, it is argued, organizations need to discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels. Senge describes five disciplines that must be mastered

by Jeffrey Pfeffer Jeffrey Pfeffer suggests that talent, intelligence, performance, and likeability alone are not the key to moving up in an organization; instead, he argues political skill, self promotion, building relationships, cultivating a reputation for control and authority, and perfecting a powerful demeanor are vital drivers of advancement and success. Case studies feature the careers of leaders like G.E. CEO Jack Welch, General George Patton, Time CEO and Chairman Ann Moore, Lt. Colonel Oliver North, and President Bill Clinton. Filled with

by Robert Bruner About half of all merger and acquisition transactions destroy value for the buyer’s shareholders, and about three-quarters fall short of the expectations prevailing at the time the deal is announced. In “Deals from Hell,” Robert Bruner uncovers the real reasons for these mishaps by taking a closer look at twelve specific instances of M&A failure. Through these real-world examples, he shows readers what went wrong and why, and converts these examples into cautionary tales for executives who need to