Keep Everyone Busy So You Can Kill Creativity
In the current economic climate (one that we’ve dubbed The Great Necession), it seems that companies are so concerned about productivity that they’re forgetting about innovation and creativity.
Whether we’re all trying to cover our asses as managers or whether we truly believe that micromanagement [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Leadership Development, Management Training No Responses yet
Cash for Clunkers: What we can learn about Leadership from Bureaucrats?
Whether you agree or disagree that the US Government should be in the business of incentivizing the populace to buy new cars, the fact is that the so-called “cash for clunkers” program simply demonstrates that our government, like all governments, does not employ [...]
Filed in Leadership News and Views, Leadership Observations One Response so far
Low Hanging Fruit and the Cost of Perfection
Imagine a small airplane flying low over a crowd at a baseball game. The door of the plane opens and a smiling man appears with a large sack. He turns the sack over just as the plane flies over the bleachers and millions of dollars in [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Leadership Development, Management Training, Sales Management 2 Comments so far
How Do You Deal With a New Boss?
One of our regular readers – and someone who asked our advice very early on in the legacy that has become AskTheManager.com – AngelCakes from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan recently provided us with both an update on her management career and a new dilemma.
When we first heard from AC, [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Leadership Development, Management Training No Responses yet
Leadership and the Bully Pulpit
Michael Jackson (no, not that Michael Jackson) loves the bully pulpit. AutoNation’s Michael Jackson, we’ll call him the “non-gloved-one,” is everywhere these days. Officially, he serves as the CEO of the largest automotive dealer group in the US. Unofficially, he serves as the primary spokesperson for all curmudgeons who are good [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Leadership News and Views, Leadership Observations, Management Training 2 Comments so far
Leadership Lessons from Google – When a Giant Makes a Giant Mistake
Google announced last week that they would close three offices and lay off 100 full-time recruiters. Even though these are the first Google-hired employees ever to lose their jobs in a workforce reduction, it’s not news… not in this economy. In fact, 100 employees [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Digression, Leadership Observations One Response so far
Why Does My Industry Refuse to Use Data?
True story – of course, whenever anyone says or writes this it generally means that everything else they’ve ever told you is BS – anyway, true story: a highly compensated colleague wrote to a group of fellow highly compensated colleagues and asked “does anyone have any data on [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Management Training No Responses yet
Circuit City – Another One Bites the Dust
In what might be the least surprising business announcement of 2008, Circuit City filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Monday.
Wow, really? Color us shocked.
To be honest, we’re a little shocked it took this long. We’re also a little surprised that their creditors aren’t forcing them [...]
Filed in Business Situations, Leadership Development, Leadership Observations, Management Training One Response so far
