Tag Archives: business

Stop Blabbing About Innovation And Start Actually Doing It

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By Aaron Shapiro

These days, every established company is at risk of having its industry–and its own business–disrupted by a startup. Cognizant of this, companies devote a lot of time to talking about how important it is to innovate. But here’s the truth: most companies can’t innovate because everyone is paid to maintain the status quo.

This is the single biggest reason companies fail to do anything new or exciting. You and everyone else are maxed out making sure your company is doing what it’s supposed to do; innovation is what the weekends are for. Continue reading →

Why Work Is Lonely

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80-gianpiero-petriglieri-2 by Gianpiero Petriglieri

There is an old cartoon I often show to the managers I work with. It portrays a smiling executive team around a long table. The chairman is asking, “All in favor?” Everyone’s hand is up. Meanwhile, the cloud hovering above each head contains a dissonant view: “You’ve got to be kidding;” “Heaven forbid;” “Perish the thought.” It never fails to provoke awkward laughter of self-recognition.

I have a name for this cocktail of deference, conformity and passive aggression that chokes people and teams. I call it violent politeness. Continue reading →

5 Things You Must Do to Keep Your Best People

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by Peter Economy

Your top performers are the lifeblood of your company. Recent surveys suggest many of them are looking for new jobs. To hang on to them follow this essential action plan.

No matter how carefully you hire, inevitably your employees will differ in important ways. Some will be good-humored, intelligent, have a strong work ethic, and always be eager for new challenges. Others will be less so, or worse. You want to do everything you can to keep the first group, because they are critically important to the company’s success. Here are five things you should do to retain your top performers. Continue reading →

Three Questions to Advance Your Career

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80-john-beeson by John Beeson

 

 

 

In most organizations, professionals who want to move up get lots of feedback. Did you hit your numbers? Make your budget? How did you perform in managing a major project? Many companies provide you with so-called 360-degree feedback based on anonymous surveys from your boss, peers, and direct reports. And there is also, of course, your annual performance review. In reality, for managers seeking promotion, such feedback is of only marginal benefit because its frame of reference is how you’re doing in your current job, at your current level. To maximize your career progress, you need answers to three questions that focus on upward mobility — the answers to which are elusive in the vast majority of organizations. Continue reading →

Invasion of the VUCAns

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by Kathy F. Bernhard

 

What, another generation of Star Trek extraterrestrial humanoids to contend with?

Mercifully, no.  Look carefully, and you’ll see we’re not talking about Star Trek Vulcans; rather it is a real life, non-fiction uber-challenging force facing all of our organizations, the advent of the VUCA world. Continue reading →