Management Issues https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/rss en-us The new rules for how business works On January 1, 2000, the Encyclopedia Britannica reached a rare milestone. The dawn of the new millennium meant that the encyclopedia - originally published in Edinburgh in 1768 - had survived across four different centuries, building its reputation through... On January 1, 2000, the Encyclopedia Britannica reached a rare milestone. The dawn of the new millennium meant that the encyclopedia - originally published in Edinburgh in 1768 - had survived across four different centuries, building its reputation through...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6347 Fri, 15 Nov 2019 03:00:00 -0500 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6347-the-new-rules-for-how-business-works Old Books Three inconvenient truths about corruption These days, I sometimes begin my classes on corruption with an unusual admission. I announce to my students - who may be judges, police officers, military investigators, bureaucrats or any other variety of public official - that... These days, I sometimes begin my classes on corruption with an unusual admission. I announce to my students - who may be judges, police officers, military investigators, bureaucrats or any other variety of public official - that...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6228 Tue, 24 Sep 2019 03:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6228-three-inconvenient-truths-about-corruption Corporate Corruption Faith, trust and teamwork Many people will be familiar with the feeling that their manager doesn't really believe they're working if they're not in the office. The reason isn't based on anything provable... Many people will be familiar with the feeling that their manager doesn't really believe they're working if they're not in the office. The reason isn't based on anything provable...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6166 Thu, 29 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6166-faith-trust-and-teamwork Geese in Formation We all need proper vacations A few years ago, New York University sociologist Dalton Conley coined the term: "weisure" - the result of blurring the line dividing work and leisure. More and more, it seems... A few years ago, New York University sociologist Dalton Conley coined the term: "weisure" - the result of blurring the line dividing work and leisure. More and more, it seems...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6139 Fri, 09 Aug 2019 03:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6139-we-all-need-proper-vacations Beach Vacation How collective intelligence can prevent business meltdowns On April 19, the car rental giant Hertz hit its former digital services partner Accenture with a $32 million lawsuit claiming breach of contract for a failed redesign of its website and mobile apps. Hertz hired the consulting firm in August 2016 to redefine... On April 19, the car rental giant Hertz hit its former digital services partner Accenture with a $32 million lawsuit claiming breach of contract for a failed redesign of its website and mobile apps. Hertz hired the consulting firm in August 2016 to redefine...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6019 Tue, 04 Jun 2019 02:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/6019-how-collective-intelligence-can-prevent-business-meltdowns Collective Intelligence All new ideas are made of old ideas Around, 460 B.C. Greek philosopher, Democritus, asked: If you divide a piece of matter in half and then in half again, how many breaks will you have to make until... Around, 460 B.C. Greek philosopher, Democritus, asked: If you divide a piece of matter in half and then in half again, how many breaks will you have to make until...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5982 Fri, 17 May 2019 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5982-all-new-ideas-are-made-of-old-ideas Lightbulb Perpetual Motion How firms can avoid the mediocrity trap Steve Jobs once noted: “A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players… A+ players like to work together, and... Steve Jobs once noted: “A small team of A+ players can run circles around a giant team of B and C players… A+ players like to work together, and...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5940 Mon, 06 May 2019 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5940-how-firms-can-avoid-the-mediocrity-trap The Mediocrity Trap Are your teammates competent? Do you trust your virtual team mates? I don’t mean would you leave your dog with them for the weekend (you don’t live near enough for that to be an issue.) I mean, do you trust them to put forth a lot of effort, do quality work, and meet deadlines?... Do you trust your virtual team mates? I don’t mean would you leave your dog with them for the weekend (you don’t live near enough for that to be an issue.) I mean, do you trust them to put forth a lot of effort, do quality work, and meet deadlines?...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5903 Mon, 22 Apr 2019 02:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5903-are-your-teammates-competent Meerkats The essential challenge in times of great change “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” This quote, often mistakenly attributed to Charles Darwin, was actually delivered in... “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change.” This quote, often mistakenly attributed to Charles Darwin, was actually delivered in...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5874 Thu, 11 Apr 2019 01:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5874-the-essential-challenge-in-times-of-great-change Snail and Shadow of Cheetah The cost of bad meetings There's a problem that involves all of us. We're all part of it and we're all guilty of contributing to billions (with a B) of easily-avoidable waste. Yet very little is ever done about it. Don't worry, I'm not going to get all tree-huggy with you (although... There's a problem that involves all of us. We're all part of it and we're all guilty of contributing to billions (with a B) of easily-avoidable waste. Yet very little is ever done about it.

Don't worry, I'm not going to get all tree-huggy with you (although...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5864 Fri, 05 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5864-the-cost-of-bad-meetings Disengaged Employee The cure for the loneliness of command Recently, I was listening to the CFO of a large industrial firm who complained non-stop about her CEO. At the start of his tenure, the CEO regularly interacted with his top team, but now seemed to spend most of his time brooding in his office. In meetings... Recently, I was listening to the CFO of a large industrial firm who complained non-stop about her CEO. At the start of his tenure, the CEO regularly interacted with his top team, but now seemed to spend most of his time brooding in his office. In meetings...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5824 Mon, 25 Mar 2019 02:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5824-the-cure-for-the-loneliness-of-command Solitude Engaging change: six tips for surviving and thriving The only thing that stays the same in business is change, and such seems to be its pace that every day presents new challenges and opportunities. So how managers adapt to the changing horizon can make the difference between surviving or thriving. In other words... The only thing that stays the same in business is change, and such seems to be its pace that every day presents new challenges and opportunities. So how managers adapt to the changing horizon can make the difference between surviving or thriving.

In other words...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5800 Fri, 15 Mar 2019 00:00:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5800-engaging-change-six-tips-for-surviving-and-thriving Butterfly and Chrysalis How regret can be your friend Dealing with regret is a universal human experience. All of us have made poor or foolish choices that we regretted later. All of us have felt disappointment and sorrow at what could have been. But while regret reminds us that we made some unfortunate decisions, it also... Dealing with regret is a universal human experience. All of us have made poor or foolish choices that we regretted later. All of us have felt disappointment and sorrow at what could have been. But while regret reminds us that we made some unfortunate decisions, it also...

]]> http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5741 Mon, 25 Feb 2019 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5741-how-regret-can-be-your-friend Dog with Yarn Ten Habits Of Bad Management If you're looking to run a High-Performance Organization (HPO), you need to be able to be able to recognize the signs of bad management. If non-HPO managers are not checked and dealt with, an organization will never be able to become an excellent. Here are ten habits to look out for that HPO managers ought never to put up with:... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/2058 Mon, 11 Feb 2019 07:23:00 -0500 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/2058-ten-habits-of-bad-management Bowling Five remote team new year's resolutions The new year is a great time to ask some fundamental questions about how your project team works together and what needs to change. It's not that there's anything special about January 1, except that http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5629 Fri, 25 Jan 2019 00:00:00 -0500 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5629-five-remote-team-new-years-resolutions Back To Work Is Your Organisation A Cult? Why would anyone be attracted to a cult? Most quiver at the thought of the Manson family, the Heaven's Gate millenarian cult or the Jonestown cult, whose fanaticism led to either murder or mass suicide. Of course, cults can also take somewhat more innocuous forms such as the Hare Krishnas, New Age groups or even cults of personality or gurus. More broadly... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5554 Tue, 20 Nov 2018 10:30:00 -0500 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5554-is-your-organisation-a-cult Shadow People Do You Run Meetings Or Lead Them? Why do some online meetings get the job done, while others don't? Sometimes a team can jump on WebEx or GoToMeeting and move your project or team forward while others times they just suck the psychic marrow from everyone's bones. What's the difference... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5451 Mon, 22 Oct 2018 08:37:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5451-do-you-run-meetings-or-lead-them Three Lessons In Crisis Leadership Poor leadership is costliest during a crisis. When two security officers forcibly removed a passenger off an overbooked United Airlines flight last April, viral video footage of the incident led to widespread outrage and prompted customers to call for a boycott. Back then... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5436 Fri, 19 Oct 2018 12:26:00 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5436-three-lessons-in-crisis-leadership New Ways Of Thinking And Acting Today's business leaders face a daunting and unprecedented challenge: The world is changing much faster than their organizations. Every business in every industry has been overwhelmed by a relentless accelerating pace of change. What makes this challenge so difficult is that there are no signs that things are going to slow down anytime soon. In fact... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5353 Fri, 07 Sep 2018 12:14:37 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5353-new-ways-of-thinking-and-acting The Key To Cultivating Agility In Decision Making Let's say a store has been selling large snow shovels for $15. The morning after a major snowstorm, the store raises its price to $20. Is this acceptable? A large majority of business people in my seminars answer that yes, it is acceptable to raise the price of shovels after a storm. They invoke the law of supply and demand; they quote... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5324 Fri, 24 Aug 2018 12:38:12 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5324-the-key-to-cultivating-agility-in-decision-making From Strategic Planning To Strategic Discovery One of the most common and enduring practices of traditional management is the annual strategic planning retreat. These multi-day offsite gatherings of senior people are often the primary vehicles for charting the future course of the business. During these strategy sessions... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5299 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 08:54:52 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5299-from-strategic-planning-to-strategic-discovery Disaster Equals Energy Plus Misinformation In 1976 "The Failure of Foresight," a PhD thesis, was completed by the Organizational Sociologist, Barry A Turner. Two years later, this thesis became a book entitled... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5288 Mon, 06 Aug 2018 11:01:15 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5288-disaster-equals-energy-plus-misinformation Earning Attention On Webinars In the decade or so that I've been teaching people to present online, there is one theme that comes up over and over again: how do we get people to actually pay attention to the webinars we present? The greatest concerns of online presenters during webmeetings, webinars and... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5263 Fri, 20 Jul 2018 10:26:22 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5263-earning-attention-on-webinars Why Power Seekers Give Advice It is safe to say that the average CEO feels more powerful than anyone else on the same payroll. Rank will ensure this much. However, a company janitor, coming to the rescue of his CEO whose children have clogged the toilet next to the board room with action figures a couple of hours before the board members are due, is likely to... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5237 Fri, 13 Jul 2018 08:49:05 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5237-why-power-seekers-give-advice Culture Fit Vs. Authenticity Last year I had the opportunity to speak to the 75 most senior women from one of the Fortune 100s we work with. This is the kind of opportunity I love. Women with passports from all over the world dealing with all the issues that come with leading across borders for one of the most global brands in the world. The women took... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5209 Fri, 29 Jun 2018 13:44:23 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5209-culture-fit-vs-authenticity Butting Heads Managing Risks In A Hyper-Connected World A simple fact of life is that life is not risk free. Every time we step into a car, shake another's hand, or even eat a meal, we are exposing ourselves to the risks of an accident, catching the flu, or contracting food poisoning. Granted these risk possibilities are generally very low probabilities, but... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5171 Mon, 11 Jun 2018 05:50:24 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5171-managing-risks-in-a-hyper-connected-world 10 Characteristics Of Customer-Focused Businesses The challenges facing many businesses today are greater than ever. Ever-rising customer expectations, intensifying competition (coming from further afield), greater transparency, reduction in trust and customer loyalty, the increasing pace and dramatic effects of change, not to mention squeezes on resources and margins: these are just some of the issues today's business leaders tell us they face... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5158 Fri, 01 Jun 2018 05:51:52 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5158-10-characteristics-of-customer-focused-businesses Are You Addicted To Power? Greg, a top executive at a large financial institution, enjoyed the status that came with his job. He liked receiving attention and having people defer to him. He also relished rubbing shoulders with others in power. At the yearly meetings of the World Economic Forum in Davos... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5111 Fri, 11 May 2018 12:45:08 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5111-are-you-addicted-to-power Take Your Team From 'Me' To 'We A major sporting event has just come to a close: the Winter Olympics, which saw some of the best athletes from across the globe come together for the ultimate showdown in winter sport. Unlike most other sporting events, at the Olympic Games, even when you don't play a team sport, you're still on a team. This highlights the power of... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5009 Mon, 26 Mar 2018 07:07:07 -0400 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/5009-take-your-team-from-me-to-we Moving Beyond The Hazards Of Human Bias In 2002, Daniel Kahneman was awarded the prestigious Nobel prize in economics. This feat was even more impressive because Kahneman is a psychologist. Although he was recognized by the Economist in 2015 as the seventh most influential economist in the world, Kahneman holds no formal academic credentials in the field of economics. How does a psychologist so earn the respect of colleagues in a completely different field... http://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/4958 Fri, 09 Mar 2018 09:46:45 -0500 https://www.businesswatchnetwork.com/articles/4958-moving-beyond-the-hazards-of-human-bias