Managing an Unpopular Change Effort

by Bo Vestergaard

Produce more! Make it better! Spend less!

If you’re a first or second line manager, these demands from upper management may sound familiar. And odds are, you are going to fail at accomplishing them — two-thirds of transformation efforts do. In fact, 8 out of 10 times I can predict if companies will be successful. But I’m not a fortuneteller; I just look and listen for two things: Are the frontline employees engaged in crafting and implementing solutions? And do they express a sense of ownership about the purpose of the change? Continue reading

Are Business Schools Clueless or Evil?

by Gianpiero Petriglieri

The last decade has been a one of soul-searching for business schools worldwide. Since the collapse of Enron, through the financial crisis, to the insider trading and LIBOR scandals, the question just keeps recurring: How did those institutions of higher learning, whose claim is to develop business leaders, influence the conduct of leaders who let so many people down? Continue reading

Don’t Get Stuck as Someone Else’s Second-in-Command

By John Beeson

Every senior executive would love to have an Allan Taylor on his or her team. And that was the nub of Allan’s problem. For a number of years, Allan has reported to a highly visionary manager, and they made a great team. Allan has ensured consistent execution of his boss’s strategic initiatives — and is quickly falling into what I call the “first lieutenant syndrome.” Continue reading

Stop Micromanaging and Learn to Delegate

John Beesonwritten by John Beeson

You’ve gotten feedback from your manager as well as word of rumblings within your team: You’re seen as a micromanager who tends to get into the weeds — and stay there. You produce great results but senior management sees you as an operational manager and questions your ability to let go and operate at a strategic level. Wait a minute, you think. Who are they trying to kid? Delegation sounds great on paper, but you’re responsible for some major projects, and management expects flawless execution. How can they have it both ways? Continue reading

3 Steps to Give Your New Hires a Terrible Onboarding Experience

Written by Beth Miller

Do you want to make sure that your new employees are dazed and confused from day one? Do you know the secret to keeping them from ever reaching the heights of mediocrity, let alone actual success? Do you like having a high rate of turnover on your staff, making every day uncertain of who will be in the office or what tasks will be accomplished?

Of course you don’t. Continue reading