Management Practices

Judge the process, not just results

December 24, 2014

To lead people, you can tell them what you want them to do and then assess the outcome.  But there’s a problem with that approach: Employees may deliver the desired outcome but make judgment errors along the way. True leaders don’t just focus on the results; they also examine the process itself.

Does ‘stack ranking’ actually work?

December 16, 2014

This controversial approach to performance evaluation requires that supervisors group employees from top to bottom. The CEO of Nielsen Holdings remains a fan.

Stay a leader in your customers’ eyes

December 12, 2014
If you treat customers as equals, focusing on them as individuals, you’ll stay on the right path. Here’s a list of don’ts.

Articulate a mission that matters

November 21, 2014
Many CEOs realize that they need a mission statement that guides the organization and its employees. But a trite mission can fall flat.

At Zingerman’s, everyone’s an owner

November 4, 2014
At Zingerman’s Roadhouse, a popular Michigan restaurant, the weekly sales figures are not a big secret. All 50 em­­ployees gather to discuss the results—and brainstorm on how they can help each other exceed those numbers in the week ahead.

Think like an investor: 3 steps

October 13, 2014

To keep your people and products in the lead spot, think the way an investor would in scrutinizing the value proposition of your company. Sound hard? It’s easy. Take these three steps.

Leadership Tips, Vol. 914

September 30, 2014
Take some comfort in some historic business mistakes … Say “no” to corporatespeak … Don’t sacrifice quality.

Avoid using the dreaded ‘TLDR’

September 21, 2014
When an employee sends a long email with many points, don’t respond with OK—or, God forefend, TLDR.

Highlight your ‘positive deviants’

September 9, 2014
In 1991, Jerry Sternin headed to Vietnam. His goal: to fight child malnutrition in poor villages. Sternin isolated the few people who were modeling problem-solving behavior when most were following negative patterns. He thus dis­­covered what the “positive deviants” did to produce such superior results.

Rejiggering a 110-hour workweek

August 21, 2014
Pressed to the limits by his workload, Stephen Shapiro analyzed all the activities on his plate and found only a small percentage of them truly mattered. Within two weeks, he had re­­duced his weekly work hours from 110 to 20. What can be learned from this speaker and consultant’s example?