Theory X or theory Y? In the 1950’s Douglas McGregor proposed theory X and theory Y. He suggested that managers see their employees in one of two ways: Either — a cost that needs to be minimised and controlled Or — an asset that should be developed and valued It was an astute observation, but […]
How to Turn a Supertanker
Leverage There is a management metaphor that changing the direction of an organisation is a bit like changing the direction of a supertanker. It can be done, but organisations are big, cumbersome and it takes a lot of time to push them onto another course. A flawed analogy It is a nice analogy, but a […]
Hold Their Feet to the Fire
Accountability We spend a lot of time talking about accountability and responsibility. If you google “Accountability versus Responsibility” you will get at least 51 million hits. Most of them tell you that you can’t manage people if you aren’t clear about accountabilities and responsibilities. (Please don’t ask if I have looked at all 51 million, […]
Stating the Blindingly Obvious
High Performing Teams If there’s a subject that will get the good people in H.R. excited it is high performing teams. They are the holy grail of human resource management. Everybody wants a high performing team. Conventional wisdom tells you to get the “best-of-breed”. Find the most capable sales men, ops guys, marketeers and technical wizards and […]
Centre of Excellence or Management Folly?
The centre of excellence How many times have you heard the claim “We are building a centre of excellence”? Or, even more triumphant, “We are a centre of excellence!” It is great management speak. It shows strategic drive and direction. Every thrusting young manager wants a centre of excellence, why wouldn’t they? There are a […]
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