Here is a simple idea: Whenever you have a new manager (project manager/departmental leader) joining in your organization, put him/her through a simple training program on how to manage people. Train existing managers as well. The premise: Most project managers/team leaders get work done through team. I have also seen that a lot of people […]
Building quality involves cost. You spend efforts and energy on preventing the errors (prevention cost) and then checking your work (appraisal cost). These are positive costs, or rather investments that ensure that you get it right the first time. The cost of rework when you or customer identifies a LOT of defects(internal/external failure costs) is […]
It pains to see teams where people work on a common goal but don’t get along well with each other. We work in teams and knowing how to get along well with others is extremely crucial. So how do you get along well with others and establish required comfort? Here are 10 broad pointers that […]
Last week, I had a short conversation with one of my colleagues in HR about the all important topic of employee engagement. In an impromptu conversation, we touched upon a very important point: People love (and remember) stories, not facts. We loved it when our grandparents wrapped important life lessons in form of stories. Vivid […]
Many years ago, I had a chance to visit a friend’s farm on a weekend. My friend owned a huge farm on the outskirts of the city where they had employed farmers. A farmer’s outcome was quality of the crop. To ensure this, the farmer worked the soil, got the best seeds from the marketplace, […]
Have you ever experienced the following? You complete a project and then do a small ‘post-mortem / retrospective analysis’ of what went well and what did not. You then document these lessons in a nice looking template and share it with all stakeholders before getting onto the next project. Next project looks exciting in the […]
June 2010 – a brilliant month as far as blogging is concerned. I wrote on a wide variety of topics and a lot of my writing was recognized by the blogosphere. That was satisfying. Recognitions raise the bar and help us to do better. June was also a month of anticipating some respite in heat […]
The rubber meets the road when you, as a business leader… deliver real business results to customers (not just deliver an excellent pitch with an impressive powerpoint) start executing relentlessly (not just define your strategy on paper at an off site planning retreat) implement improvements in your processes (not when you create that good looking […]
Here is a quick question: “Can a leader make a big difference (through a great team, organization or product) operating in a ‘survival’ mindset?” You guessed it right if you said No. They can’t. Here’s why: To make a big difference, a leader has to operate from the zone of “abundance”. Zone of “possibilities”. Leadership, […]