Management Archives

Peter Drucker: Contribution Equals Results

What unique contribution do you offer to your organization? How does your contribution improve the performance of the business? Your job as an executive is to determine your contribution to the organization’s performance and results and to maximize it. According to management consultant Peter Drucker, contribution should be focused outward—that is, on what you can offer, as opposed to what you can get. In his book The Effective Executive, Drucker outlines several ways in which you can focus your contribution outwardly.

Peter Drucker on Executive Decision-Making

How should executives make decisions? What are some things you can do to streamline your decision-making process? Executives’ decisions significantly affect the entire organization and its performance. Therefore, effectiveness in this area is a must. Management consultant Peter Drucker advocates a five-step approach to executive decision-making. In this article, we’ll first introduce Drucker’s decision-making steps and compare them to other executive decision-making approaches.

First, Break All the Rules: Book Overview

Is Marcus Buckingham’s First Break All the Rules book worth reading? What are its key takeaways? In his book First, Break All The Rules, Marcus Buckingham simply and clearly lays out proven management best practices. Then, he teaches how to hire the right people, create a productive working environment, and guide employees to success. Here is a brief overview of First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham.

Micromanagement in the Workplace: Sometimes It’s OK

Is micromanagement always a bad thing? Can overseeing every little detail of employees’ workflow ever be good? Micromanagement is a common practice in modern workplaces. Most of the time, micromanagement is toxic in that it hinders employee performance. However, there are occasions when micromanagement is the way to go. Here’s why managers think they must oversee every detail and when that can actually be helpful.

Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive: Book Overview

What is The Effective Executive about? What can you do to increase the effectiveness of your organization? In his book The Effective Executive, Peter Drucker argues that effectiveness derives from a set of five practices anyone can learn rather than from unique talents or charisma. Drucker’s five effectiveness practices are as follows: 1) manage your time, 2) focus, 3) make a unique contribution, 4) maximize your strengths, and 5) make sound decisions. This article examines how Drucker’s ideas on effectiveness hold up today and how others have built on them.

Why Was Amazon So Successful? Early 2000s Timeline

Why was Amazon successful? How did other companies influence Amazon’s growth in the early 2000s? How did “super saver shipping” affect Amazon’s profitability? Although 1999-2001 was a turbulent time in Amazon’s history, the years following held nothing but promise for Amazon’s future. Amazon rolled out its super saver shipping program which boosted their stock prices, integrated more automation, and lowered shipping costs. Continue reading to learn why Amazon was so successful in the early 2000s.

10X Companies: 3 Core Habits That Drive Success

What distinguishes 10X companies from the average? What are some of the key characteristics of businesses that manage to stay afloat through a crisis? Dispelling an entrenched myth, the research suggests that ultra-successful 10X companies are not more creative, more ambitious, or more visionary than the average. What sets them apart are these three behaviors: 1) fanatic discipline, 2) empirical creativity, and 3) productive paranoia. Keep reading to learn about the three core characteristics of 10X companies.

Employee Performance Management: Best Practices

What does employee performance management entail in your organization? What are the characteristics of a good performance management routine? Employee performance management consists of meetings and conversations that help you to focus on the progress and performance of your employees. An effective performance management routine must be simple, regular, future-focused, and tailored to each individual employee. Here are some things to think about as you design a performance management routine for your organization.

Amazon Company History From 1999 to 2001

What events from Amazon’s company history took place between 1999 and 2001? Why did Jeff Bezos decide to become CEO of his own company? What was the “milliravi” incident? The early 2000s started off rough for Amazon. Many people were skeptical that a middleman company like Amazon could survive, Amazon’s new CEO was a failure, and the milliravi error caused Amazon’s stock to plummet. However, during this time Bezos still somehow managed to keep growing Amazon. Continue on to learn more about Amazon’s company history.

20 Mile March: Steady Progress Meets Business Goals

What is the 20 Mile March in business? What are some of its key characteristics? To 20 Mile March in business means to hit specified targets year after year with a long-term view in mind. A good 20 Mile March has these five characteristics: 1) it specifies both lower and upper bounds; 2) it’s consistent; 3) it’s customized; 4) it’s achievable, and 5) it falls within a reasonable time frame. This article spotlights the key characteristics of a good 20 Mile March and how to put it to work for your business.