Management-Issues : News

The business planning conundrum

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Planning is important, but results are what count. Traditional business plans are designed to attract an investor, not to answer the critical question: will my idea work or not? So why is so much effort expended in writing them before there's any real evidence to support their assertions?

What are you worth?

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Despite the recession, CEOs continue to pay themselves vast sums while expecting others to suffer - with those CEOs who slashed their workforces the deepest earning the most. As a new report puts it, "CEOs laid off thousands while raking in millions."

Who's to blame?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Is it always right to pin the blame for a corporate failure on the CEO or are they sometime the scapegoats they make themselves out to be?

August Brainstorm

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

This month, more tips and techniques to boost your creativity, exploding an old communication myth, exploring the power of words and how treating a difficult situation as an opportunity to experiment can yield some surprising results.

German companies to be banned from checking Facebook

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Proposed legislation soon to go before the German parliament will make it illegal for employers from checking out job applicant's private Facebook pages as part of a wider crack-down on the misuse of private data by corporations.

Do training departments still train?

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Trends in business, especially in HR, tend to come, go and then come back again. Sometimes, though, the change is more permanent. Here's an example: the role of training coordinator has become less about training and more about coordination.

What's in your knowledge hard drive?

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

How do you encourage the transfer of knowledge within and across an organisation? Or, to put it another way, what are you learning on a day-to-day basis about how you conduct your business - and how are you passing this experience on to others?

So you're a manager. Now what?

Wed, 25 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

All actions and attitudes displayed by managers have ripple effects. We can choose to value and build up our team members, or we can look for ways to elevate our own stature. Do you know which category you fall into?

Flattery will get you everywhere

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

If you've long suspected that those who make it to the top of organizations are not necessarily those with the most talent or ability, new research suggests that your suspicions could well be correct.

Why women make better bosses

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Do women make better bosses? Professor Khalid Aziz, CEO of leadership development consultants the Aziz Corporation, is convinced they do. Women have a less short-termist outlook, are more holistic, big-picture and reasonable, he argues.

Engage your staff in environmental issues

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

We waste a huge amount of energy at work. And I'm not talking about sitting in pointless meetings, I mean heat, light and power. So how can you get employees thinking about green issues and changing their behaviour?

Encouraging employees to voice their values

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

How can organizations encourage their employees to act responsibly and to voice their values effectively and constructively when they see things that put the firm and its reputation, not to mention public safety and wellbeing, at risk?

Life and problems

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The reality of life is that life comes with problems. The two come as a package deal. And the secret to dealing with them rather than being overwhelmed by them is all about our perspective and the way we chose to approach them.

Headhunters see surge in executive recruitment

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

If top-end executive recruitment is any sort of barometer of economic trends, then news that business is picking up for the world's headhunters is welcome sign that we are finally moving out of recession.

Why servant leadership is a bad idea

Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

The concept of servant leadership has been around since the 1970s. But does it really hold water - or is servant leadership a bandwagon that needs to be derailed?

Self-delusion rife among managers

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Do you think your boss is a good manager of people? More importantly, does your boss think he or she is a good manager of people? The gulf between the two answers turns out to be considerable.

Micromanaging into oblivion

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Dan Bobinski argues that the reason USPS is losing so much money is that it's an organization in which micromanagement to enforce inefficient procedures has run riot and finding ways to operate more efficiently is actually punished.

The culture factor in M&As

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

In cross-border mergers, culture plays a critical part in determining success or failure. And not just organizational culture - it's national cultural differences that have the strongest influence over whether the combined entity can lower costs and increase revenues.

Too much or too little – work matters

Tue, 10 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Is it possible to get a job you love? Even in tough times we need to think about what we get out of our working lives, because with long hours and delayed retirement, work is now such a big part of our total lifespan.

Breakdown in trust heralds retention crisis

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

With a third of Americans saying they plan to look for a new job when the opportunity arises, many organizations face a big challenge if they are going to rebuild trust with their workforce and retain key staff.

The power of swarms

Thu, 05 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Far and away the most interesting business book of the year is published this week. "Smart Swarm: Using Animal Behaviour to Organise Our World", examines what the behaviour of swarms of insects, flocks of birds, and herds of mammals can teach human beings.

Dealing with an indiscreet boss

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Laura's ultimate boss has a habit of discussing personnel issues about her in public places with others present - despite her asking him not to. Charles Helliwell suggests that this is something she needs to deal with quickly and decisively.

Blogging – the hero in all of us

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

It's understandable that organisations are trying to jump on the social networking bandwagon and an internal blog seems an obvious place to start. But it's easy to get it wrong and end up broadcasting messages that alienate employees rather than resonate with them

Finding the motivation for creativity

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

To climb a mountain you need the intention and the right attitude – the belief that it can be done. But you also need to learn climbing skills. Exactly the same is true of creative thinking.

Why managers must embrace entrepreneurship

Mon, 02 Aug 2010 08:00:00 GMT

Focus, flatness and decisiveness are the keys to entrepreneurial success. These same entrepreneurial basics are also the keys to survival in this era of spectacular uncertainty.