Quake leaves residents looking to Prime Minister After an initial response slowed by the sheer magnitude of the disaster, Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has stepped up to his role as the head of crisis management for the beleaguered country. Following yet another explosion at the Fukushima power plant, Kan took the reins, as described …
In my new job, I have to make a presentation to upper management. In the past I’ve gotten tongue tied and failed to get support for a project. How can I get them to take my ideas seriously?” Take a step back for a moment. When someone doesn’t understand your ideas immediately, don’t label him …
Live auctions can have large payouts, and can be a lot of fun for the audience – especially when a bidding war on an item becomes major entertainment. I speak from experience. Many years ago, at a VIP reception prior to an event with both a silent and a live auction, the emcee for the …
I’m Tove Rasmussen and I’m the host of this blog. You can read more about me next to my picture in the sidebar. This blog will be about various aspects of starting and developing a business, and will focus especially on practical tips and tools in posts published at least once a week, including posts …
After Best Practices comes Wise-Guy Best Practices. If I have to listen to another Best Practices (BP) presentation… If I say that they don’t always work, someone is bound to say to me: “Okay, Wise Guy, why not? You probably want to substitute training for something that’s proven successful.” Let me say at the outset: …
When planning, it’s extremely important to match the nature of the planning process to the nature of the planners. For example, not all cultures prefer a linear, sequential approach to planning, that is, to decide mission, vision and values then subordinate goals and associated objectives. One of the most challenging aspects of any strategic planning …
As demands for Board effectiveness and accountability continue to grow, research and discussions about how Boards might operate differently, continue to grow, as well. There are a variety of new ideas for Board models. Networked Governance David Renz suggests that the effectiveness of governance could be enhanced when we realize that governance can include organizations …
Supervision is a widely misunderstood term. Many people believe it applies only to people who oversee the productivity and development of entry-level workers. That’s not true. The term “supervisor” typically refers to one’s immediate superior in the workplace, that is, the person whom you report directly to in the organization. For example, a middle manager’s …
We’re Carter McNamara and Marcia Zidle, co-hosts of this blog. You can read more about us next to our pictures in the sidebar. This blog will be about various aspects of supervision, and will focus especially on practical tips and tools in posts published at least once a week, including posts from guest writers. You …
(See Part 2 of 3) Warren Bennis taught me to ask three questions: What’s So? So What? What Now?” How we handle uncertainty and how we deal with it personally is critical in how we manage change. Given the uncertainty and complexity in our organizations, dealing with ambiguity is a critical skill for consultants. This …
