Management Archives

Building Trust in a Team in Times of Change

Why is teamwork so important when it comes to making changes in an organization? How do you build trust in a team? In the fable Our Iceberg Is Melting, the main character, Fred, noticed that the iceberg his colony lives on is full of cracks and won’t survive the winter. He puts together a meeting to initiate change, but that’s only the first step when it comes to making major changes, The second step is to make a team. Continue below to learn how to to build trust in a team, according to John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber.

How to Stay True to Your Organizational Purpose

How to Find Your Major Definite Purpose in Life

What is organizational purpose? Do you feel like you often lose sight of your purpose as change gets in the way? Organizational purpose is the grand vision of an organization that pulls its different functions together. Although most businesses will have a purpose, many struggle to stay true to it as circumstances get in the way. There are five techniques to stay true to your and your organization’s orienting purpose as you navigate change.

Why Outside Ideas Are Critical for Dramatic Change

Is your organization in dire need of a change but you don’t know where to start? How can looking to outside sources help expand your options? In the fable Our Iceberg Is Melting, the penguins realize that their iceberg will not survive the winter but they can’t come up with solutions on how to fix it. Only when a seagull pays them a visit do they realize that their best course of action is to leave the iceberg altogether, something they never considered. Here is why outside ideas are crucial when it comes to making big changes.

Adaptive Leadership Skills: Do You Have What It Takes?

What is adaptive leadership? What does “leading adaptively” entail in practice? Adaptive leadership is an emerging leadership model which conceptualizes leadership as the ability to solve “adaptive challenges”—problems that have no known solutions. An adaptive leader has the ability to lead an organization through the difficult, uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous process of adaptation, and make it thrive while doing so. According to leadership experts Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, and Ronald Heifetz, there are six characteristics to consider when it comes to assessing yourself and your adaptive leadership skills.

How to Recover From Failure: Build Failure Resilience

How did the penguins in Our Iceberg Is Melting recover from failure? What advice do John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber suggest for overcoming setbacks during change? In their fable about leadership and change, John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber discuss how to handle setbacks during the change process in an organization. They talk about the importance of having failure resilience and of empowering employees to boost their morale. Continue reading for advice on how to overcome setbacks during change.

A 7-Step Guide to Better Team Decision-Making

What is the best approach for better team decision-making? Why is the financial plausibility test system flawed? The best way to approach team decision-making is to ask what needs to be true for the company’s strategy to be successful. This encourages creative ideas and holistic decisions, as opposed to the model-centric systems that discourage out-of-the-box solutions. The financial plausibility test is a flawed model for team decisions because it is expensive, model-centric, and stifles creativity. Read on to discover the step-by-step guide to better team decision-making.

2 Techniques for Motivating and Inspiring Employees

Do you feel like your employees have lost the drive to perform at their best? What can you, as a leader, do to motivate and inspire your team? Inspiring employees to go above and beyond requires a leader who is willing to show their emotional side. Everyone inherently has the ability to inspire, though everyone will do it differently depending on their purposes, communication style, and the challenges at hand. To inspire, use the following two techniques.

How to Keep Your Business Afloat: Be Non-Complacent

In an ever-changing and fast moving world, how can you keep your organization alive? Is it bad for your company to always be changing? In their fable about leading change, John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber talk about the importance of being non-complacent. The authors stress that leading one successful change doesn’t mean that your organization is safe—you need to be sure that your changes stick and that you’re ready to change again if need be. Continue reading to learn what John Kotter and Holger Rathgeber had to say about being non-complacent in their fable Our Iceberg Is Melting.

P&G Case Study: Strategic Choice Cascade in Practice

What is this P&G case study about? Why was P&G so successful in implementing the strategic choice cascade model? This P&G case study showcases how the authors of Playing to Win implemented the five steps of the strategic choice cascade to transform the company’s Olay brand into a hugely profitable product. The implementation was successful because the management was the key driving force behind the strategy. Read on to discover how this P&G case study showcases the successful implementation of the strategic choice cascade model.

5 Qualities of an Adaptive Organization: Adapt or Die

How to Have an Effective Strategic Discussion

Is your organization well-equipped to adapt to changing circumstances outside of your control? What can you, as a leader, do to increase your organization’s adaptive capacity? Every time your organization successfully addresses an adaptive challenge, it increases its adaptive capacity and is more prepared and equipped to handle the next adaptive challenge. You can additionally increase your organization’s adaptive capacity by building an adaptable culture. In this article, we’ll take a look at the five qualities of an adaptive organization.