Management Archives

How to Instill a Proactive Mindset in Your Team

How can you develop leaders by helping them have a proactive mindset? How can a change in language make a big difference? A proactive mindset helps people take ownership in their work. It goes hand in hand with authority to make decisions and promote progress. It can be as simple as declaring an intention to do something—rather than asking permission or waiting to be told to do it. Read more to learn how to instill a proactive mindset in your team members.

Why Job Engagement Is Crucial to Performance

What does it mean to be engaged at work? In what ways do engaged employees do better? How can you increase your workplace engagement? According to Paul Marciano in his book Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work, employee job engagement is essential for your employees to produce their best work. However, studies show that most employees feel disengaged from their work. Here is why job engagement is so important and steps you can take to increase your employee engagement.

To Bring out Leaders, Delegate Responsibility

As a leader, are you delegating responsibility to develop more leaders? What are some practical ways to delegate responsibility? Captain David Marquet learned the power of delegating responsibility when he commanded the USS Santa Fe. He found that, when he communicated the goal in addition to (or rather than) giving orders, officers and crew were more involved in making decisions. When Marquet stopped providing solutions, his team found them on their own, and new leaders were born. Read more to learn how to develop leaders by delegating responsibility.

Business Strategy Design: A Holistic Approach

What makes a good business strategy design? What elements should you take into account when designing a big-picture strategy for a business enterprise? A good strategy is a well-integrated, tight design made up of parts (divisions, resources, initiatives, and so on) working together to form a coherent whole. Good performance is the result of a clever business strategy design efficiently harnessing an organization’s resources and capabilities to produce a competitive advantage. Read more about business strategy design from a holistic perspective and consider the consequences of a lack of a well-put-together strategy on a real-world example.

The RESPECT Model: Building Employee Engagement

What is the RESPECT model for engagement? Why is respect more important than monetary incentives? In his book Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work, Paul Marciano discusses the RESPECT model for engagement. He breaks down the five directions of respect: respect for the organization, leadership, team members, work, and the individual, and why each one is important. Here is what Marciano had to say about respect in the workplace.

Clear Communication in the Workplace: Think Out Loud

How can you achieve clear communication in the workplace? What is the “think out loud” method? Thinking out loud goes against Navy training and culture, which says that, when reporting something up the chain of command, you should say as little as possible. Submarine captain David Marquet threw out this tradition and instituted the “think out loud” method of clear communication in the workplace. It allowed him to keep quiet and let his team do their jobs. Read more to learn about this method of achieving clear communication in the workplace and how it worked for Marquet.

Strategic Goals of an Organization: Management Basics

What’s the main strategic goals of your organization? Are you clear about the direction in which you want to develop your company? According to Richard Rumelt, the author of Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, when it comes to setting big-picture strategic goals of an organization—no matter how large—it’s best to choose one or two narrow goals and abandon other goals that will only serve to spread your resources and focus. Further, don’t mistake growth as a goal: growth is a sign of a healthy company but it’s not a strategic goal in and of itself. Then, choose feasible objectives that you

The Value of Praise and Recognition in the Workplace

Why is it important to provide praise and recognition in the workplace? What are the most common excuses for not giving recognition? In his book Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work, Paul Marciano discusses why praise and recognition in the workplace are so important. When employees feel like their work is valued, they’re happier, they perform better, and the workplace becomes a more positive environment for everyone. Continue reading to learn the benefits of recognizing your employees’ work.

Transparency in the Workplace: Embrace the Auditors

How can you leverage transparency in the workplace to strengthen your organization? What if you created an atmosphere of embracing outside oversight? It can be tempting to handle organizational problems in house and keep them out of the view of auditors. David Marquet chose not to go that route. Instead, he embraced the inspectors, which necessitated transparency in the workplace. In this case, the workplace was a submarine. Read more to learn how transparency in the workplace can move your organization forward.

Organizational Weaknesses: Watch Out for Weak Links

Do you want to take your business to the next level? What are the main weaknesses your organization is facing? When running your business, you must not only focus on your strengths, but you must also be aware of your weaknesses. These weaknesses might be a weak link in your operations (a department that’s not functioning properly or a product that’s bleeding profits) or it may be the development of organizational inertia or entropy (stasis or disorganization). In this article, we’ll discuss common organizational weaknesses—inertia and entropy, and how to prevent them from compromising your business at its core.