Management Practices

10 warning signs of low morale

January 11, 2010

Without you realizing it, low morale can creep into your organization. Check every day to make sure people stay in tune. Here are 10 sour notes to listen for:

People clamming up? Create ‘open space’

February 1, 2008
Open space allows an important conversation to take place. Developed by Harrison Owen and fully explained in his book, Open Space Technology: A Users Guide, this technique lets people deal with issues constructively and fast.

Manager’s Checkup: The right message on diversity

January 1, 2006
Building respect for diversity on your team is both the right thing to do and essential for optimum performance. Are you sending your team the right message on diversity?

The secret of leadership: no secrets

April 1, 2005
Jack Stack doesn’t believe in keeping employees in the dark. Stack worked for International Harvester (IH), where he’d been put in charge of acquiring parts. He started going to management meetings and hearing company secrets. One of them: The Russians had hired IH to make tractors, and the company was way behind on the order. The managers told Stack to keep mum and focus on getting parts.

A most difficult read—but worthy of study

February 1, 2005
The 9/11 Commission’s report on how the United States could have prevented the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon represents a masterpiece in organized thinking. Here are a few of the report’s ideas that you can adapt to any situation.