Management Skills

An Olympian feat of volunteerism

February 1, 2010
From Feb. 12–28, Vancouver will host the Olympic Winter Games. Nearly 30,000 volunteers will do everything from pick up trash to provide medical services.

When two stars collide, beware of epic brawls

February 1, 2010
People who hog credit and dislike playing second fiddle may work to undermine high-flying peers. You need to encourage teamwork between titans.

Three goals for February

February 1, 2010
Draft contingency plans as a training tool … Clarify two-way expectations with staffers … Let employees brag about their triumphs.

Use ‘Five Whys’ to problem-solve

February 1, 2010
More than 60 years ago, managers at Toyota, the Japanese car company, devised an ingeniously simple technique, later known as the “Five Whys”, to fix problems in its manufacturing process. The same approach can help you lead teams to identify solutions.

A tough choice

February 1, 2010
Gus, a director at a natural gas utility firm in the Northeast, discusses his attempt to preserve morale amid a series of companywide reorganizations.

Three goals for January

January 1, 2010
Run collaborative meetings that engage people … Keep to-do lists to manage time better … Enhance training by assigning experiments.

Are you an impostor?

January 1, 2010
Psychologists refer to the impostor syndrome to describe people who feel as if they’re faking it. These individuals lack faith in their abilities and assume they haven’t earned their success.

Ace the cross-cultural test

January 1, 2010
American managers typically adopt the egalitarian, empowerment-driven model while those from some other cultures (such as many Asian nations) favor a hierarchical approach.

Put the fun in weight loss

January 1, 2010
Most weight-loss regimens bring a frown to a dieter’s face. In January, spread awareness for healthy weight loss while injecting fun into the proceedings.

Fight the complacency of success

January 1, 2010
A few years ago a manager bragged to me that he ran a “well-oiled machine.” As we enter 2010, the man is miserable …