To many companies try and copy others and falsely believe it will lead to success.

Instead of  copying what others do, they need to to copy how they think.”   The problem is that companies often have different strategies, different competitive environments, and different business models-all of which make what they need to do to be successful different from what others are doing.  They should learn from experience and use those experiences to get better at what they do then develop specialties and talents that can execute with consummate skill.

Why do so many managers want to copy others ?

It usually happens when people are overly influenced by deeply held ideologies or beliefs-causing their organization to adopt some management practice not because it is based on sound  logic or hard facts but because managers “believe” it works, or it matches  their (sometimes flawed) assumptions about what propels people and organizations to be successful.

How do you break free from this cycle where again and again business writers, experts, and managers act like old ideas are brand-new?

The short  answer is to treat old ideas as old ideas.  Certainly, people who have good ideas and communicate them well can  help organizations. But a focus on gurus masks how business knowledge is and ought to be developed and used. Knowledge isn’t generated by lone geniuses who magically produce brilliant new ideas in their gigantic brains.  This is a dangerous fiction.  The common   implication that business practices can be installed like a new machine  is especially dangerous.  ”Don’t forget, if someone tells you they have the answer, they  probably don’t understand the question.”

No drug is without side effects. Most surgical procedures have risks and  even when performed perfectly may have downsides.  In management, too many solutions  are presented as costless and universally applicable, with little acknowledgment of potential pitfalls.  As an example programs like Six Sigma  and TQM had been shown to drive out errors and improve efficiency, but it also stifles innovation.

Academics and other thought leaders may worship and believe in their own theories so fervently that it renders them incapable of learning from new evidence.  The bottom line is that every organization is different and you can’t just randomly apply management practices without first collecting all the information and then implementing programs that work within your environment.

Related articles

• Essential leadership skills (richsmanagementblog.com)
• Employees: Management practices need to change (richsmanagementblog.com)
• Cultivate In-House Geniuses to Inspire Innovation (openforum.com)

To pull this feat off, you’ll have to step out from behind whatever protection your job title affords and make yourself willingly vulnerable. In doing so, you are saying: “From my experiences, this is what is most important about living.” By disclosing how your unshakable view of life priorities was formed, you are offering proof of your commitment to these values. One well-known senior executive took this advice to heart and told her staff about a savage yet triumphant experience that she had never previously revealed to most of her friends—and certainly never to her employees—in a way that underlined just how strongly she felt about her connection to them.

Source: Revealing your moment of truth, McKinsley Quarterly

Related articles

• The Essence of Leadership (bowentherapyrd.wordpress.com)
• Developing Godly Leadership (faithbyhearing.wordpress.com)
• Where To Look If Your Employer Doesn’t Help You Build Your Management Skills (businessinsider.com)
• George Washington on Leadership (leaderchat.org)

YOUR BOSS IS UNFAIRLY CRITICAL

• everything you do is wrong: approach the boss with a positive spin and ask how the boss wants it done differently. Only the most insecure boss will not appreciate the fact that you solicited feedback and didn’t blame them.
• he wants to reinvent the wheel and his shit always stinks less.

HE/SHE IS A MICROMANAGER

• it’s never good enough: again, emphasize that you want to solve the problem and improve your performance.

HE/SHE IS A HOTHEAD:

• secretion of abnormal levels of adrenaline: this is a psychological response to stress or the fact that they are over their heads and fear that they will be found out for what they really are not.

YOUR BOSS IS INEFFECTUAL

• lazy, distracted by family issues, burned out, or over his/her head. Yep, I’ve seen this a time or two! You can’t change the boss, so get help from senior coworkers or other supervisors. They ask how you are but don’t really care that you have a fever and are sick as a dog, just get the work done.

YOUR BOSS IS UNETHICAL

• dodges work, gets credit for someone else’s work, and is a huge liar.Haven’t we all had one of these?  What is more disturbing are bosses who say “I really went to the carpet to try and get this for you but..” when they have not done anything and are basically lying to your face.

MISSING IN ACTION

• they are never around and that sets you up for failure or having to scramble for help with an unenthusiastic supervisor not over you.

BACKGROUND SHADOW

• they never defend you or acknowledge you exist: I’d have a hard time conceptualizing someone not acknowledging me…but then….

THE EVIL ONE

• see hothead: Dr.Jekyll-Mr.Hyde– how the hell do you approach this boss?
• they are the predatory boss that crushes your spirit and leaves you in tears.
• you are the scum of the earth, never forget that!
• you start second guessing yourself so much that you ask for a third party’s opinion.

GLORY HOG

• “I’ll do it because no one can do it right.”
• this will be the first person to speak in a unit meeting and the last person to speak in a unit meeting.
• people are afraid to approach this one. It could also be a coworker that fits this category…

If you work for a boss like this I have some bad news.  The chances are that in any battle he/she is going to win because they know how to play the system and the game better than you do.  Also remember that HR people are not there for YOU they are there to protect the company and your boss.

What to do ?

1. If you have decided that you stuck at your job and actually it’s not a bad job except for your Satan manager than keep a personal file at all times with correspondence that directly demonstrates bad management behavior.  This includes emails and hand written notes.

2. If the demon is only demonic in person than always send a follow-up email with the key points of his/her rant and keep a copy for your files.

3. If going to work on Monday gives you that sinking feeling in your gut than it’s time to really think about leaving.  You have to ask yourself “which is better the enormous stress that is taking years of my life or leaving to get a breath of fresh air”.   Even little things like working on your resume or jobs online can make you feel empowered enough to say “the hell with you and everyone who looks like you”.

4. Meet with others within your team and probe them to see if they feel the same way.  However be very careful because scum buckets could use this against you by going behind your back.  I know someone who met with 5 people in her group who wanted to go to HR about a really bad Director they worked for.  The end results was that 4 of the 5 people were transferred out of the department to really bad jobs they did not want.

5. Finally..the best advice comes from Michael Corleone (aka The Godfather).  Don’t get angry at your enemies, it clouds your judgement.  Remain calm and tactful and above all use logic over emotion.

Related articles

• What makes you a good manager ? The key list (richsmanagementblog.com)
• When is it okay to quit without giving notice? (cbsnews.com)
• Why Can’t We Get Rid of Our Boss From Hell? (psychologytoday.com)
• This is why your boss hates you (theglobeandmail.com)
• Damage done by poor managers (richsmanagementblog.com)
• The Boss (whatiwishiwouldasaid.wordpress.com)
• Know when to give up (cbsnews.com)
• This is why your boss hates you (business.financialpost.com)

Commanders vs. Coaches

When asked to report on leadership style, bosses and employees disagreed in certain categories. Only 15% of bosses described their own management style as commanding. About 23% of employees, on the other hand, reported their boss’s style to be commanding, and just 11% said being commanding was the desired style. “Bosses may not recognize how bossy they actually are,” the report says.

Similarly, bosses believe they are visionary leaders and good coaches; their employees disagree. “Nearly one in three bosses may think they are using a coaching style, but only one in five employees agrees,” concludes Adecco. Only 17% of bosses are self- styled visionaries, whereas close to 23% of employees view this as the preferred leadership style.

Respect the Team Player

More than one out of three employees think they are smarter than their bosses, even if they are more educated. Younger generations tend to think this way more: 41% of Millennials and Gen-X’ers believe they are smarter than their bosses, compared with just 30% of Baby Boomers.

Age difference is an integral part of respect. While the vast majority of bosses and employees share mutual respect, age disparity can cause significant problems with respect. Could you respect and work with a boss who is two years younger than you? 89% agreed. Ten years? Only 68% agreed. Twenty years? The number drops to 56% of respondents.

Do You Want the Top Spot?

Interestingly, though many respondents offered criticism of their boss’ style and approach, very few are interested in a management position. A surprising 70% said they did not aspire to have their boss’ job.

Moreover, aspiration also varies based on age, gender, and other factors. Around 36% of men aspire to have their boss’ job, compared with just 23% of women. Only 18% of Boomers aspire to the same positions, compared with more than double the numbers of Gen-Xers and Millennials. Lastly, respondents with kids at home were more likely to aspire to their boss’ job (39%), compared to 23% without children.

via Fast Company

In 2002, Andy Grove, Intel’s legendary CEO (1987–98), was interviewed by Harvard University’s Clay Christensen, who asked Andy how leaders can act and feel confident despite their doubts. He answered, “Investment decisions or personnel decisions and prioritization don’t wait for that picture to be clarified. You have to make them when you have to make them.” That’s why executives need to use what I call the faking- it-until-you-make-it strategy, which he also touched on: “Part of it is self-discipline, and part of it is deception. And the deception becomes reality. It is deception in the sense that you pump yourself up and put a better face on things than you start off feeling. But after a while, if you act confident, you become more confident.

When you “take command” in a new leadership position you have to wise enough to know when to listen and when to talk.  This means that occasionally you’re probably going to bite your tongue and want to interrupt people but good leaders know that interrupting too much can lead to a perceived abuse of power.

Good leaders listen and probe and the right time and when they make a decision they have to be able to say the direction we went was the right way to go even if they had doubts.

Studies show that for more than 75 percent of employees say dealing with their immediate boss is the most stressful part of the job. Lousy bosses can kill you—literally. A 2009 Swedish study tracking 3,122 men for ten years found that those with bad bosses suffered 20 to 40 percent more heart attacks than those with good bosses.

The effectiveness of a good boss can be the answered with a simple question.  ”Are people following you because you have a title and they are afraid or are they following you because they believe in where you are going ?”

I believe there comes a time when we all have to make a decision on which path to take in our careers.  You can take the easy path with no hills but the view will never change or you could decide to take the path with some steep climbs to enjoy the view once in awhile.  It’s not a easy decision and all too often we choose to listen to our heads instead of our hearts.

We spend a lot of our lives working and unfortunately a lot of people have too many financial obligations on their back to make a choice of which path to take.  To them it’s come to work, get a paycheck, don’t rock the boat and pay the bills using what is left over to have a good meal out once in awhile.   That is not living folks, it’s existing.

Nobody can tell you what or how to choose the path your career will take.  It’s something that can be very personal for each of us but at the same time it also has to be something we love to do because when you love doing it your passion fuels your ability to exceed.

One thing is for certain.  While we all have to make compromises at work sometimes doing so consistently means that your career is becoming a job and with each task you do without asking why or why not you loose a little bit of yourself and become a cog in a huge machine.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and do what ever you have to do to bring back the fun and passion into your job.  Life is just too damn short to watch the clock and collect a check.

So, which witch are you? The good, or the bad?

Here’s how to tell:

1. You don’t micromanage: There are few things more frustrating than the boss who not only is not happy with your work, but tells you how to do it to boot! Great bosses trust that the people they hire are smart enough to do their job, even if you might do it differently.

2. You know how to have fun: People work for all sorts of reasons, pay is just one. We work to learn new things, meet people, sharpen skills, get ahead, and yes, socialize and try to have a good time. The best bosses temper work with fun, knowing that the latter reinforces the former.

3. You push, but know when to back off: Employees usually want to be challenged to do their best, and if they like where they work, they will strive to give that. Great bosses are like great coaches – they know when to push and when to back off so as to draw out the best from their team.4. You have good manners: Some of the items on this list are intuitive, others less so. Saying “please” and “thank you” may seem like a little thing but in actuality, it’s not. The boss who does not say please or thank you usually makes people feel crummy. Having some manners shows respect and garners respect.

5. You treat employees like adults: Good bosses know, for instance, that if Megan says she needs to come in at noon on Thursday, she probably has a good reason. The best bosses treat employees like adults and expect that they will act that way. This too fosters mutual respect.

6. You are fair: The hallmark of the bad boss is unfairness. He or she plays favorites, has strange priorities, and makes life difficult. The opposite is also true. The great boss treats people equally to the extent possible and make sure that the workplace makes sense.

7. You also make exceptions: Yes, fairness is important, but not everything and everyone is always equal; just like you have to respect the differences in your children, so too do you need to do so in your staff. For instance, one month, Phil may need to get all of the extra overtime hours due to his financial situation. Making exceptions, when appropriate, is usually the humane thing to do.

8. You reward good, hard work: Rewards can come in all sorts of forms. Monetary is best of course, but recognition for a job well done can sometimes be equally effective.

9. You create a team: Great businesses are ones where people get behind a goal and pursue it in unity. That requires a boss who can motivate the team, sell them on the goal, and lead them in that direction. Which also requires that…

10. You lead: You are not in business to be your employee’s best friend; instead, you are in business to create a business and make a profit. That requires that you have a vision for your business , sell people on that vision, and then lead them down the field in that direction.

11. You teach, and learn: The great bosses teach skills, business acumen, and sometimes, life lessons. They help employees get to the next level intheir development. And by the same token, a really good boss knows what he does not know and is willing to learn some new tricks.

12. You listen: Bad bosses rarely listen. Good bosses always do. You may not agree with what you hear (and then again you might) but your people know that you are fair and are willing to hear out a different point of view.

13. You don’t engage in petty office politics: Good bosses don’t gossip (mostly!) They do not pit one person against another. They do not take credit for someone else’s work. They don’t feel threatened when someone makes a good suggestion.

14. You make people feel valued: Bad workplaces are typically apathetic places because the employees fell disconnected because they think that what they do and think does not really matter. In contrast, the great boss engages people so that they feel empowered, respected, and valued.

15. You set realistic, achievable goals: People who work for you know what is expected of them, period.

16. You criticize, and compliment too: A really good boss knows that both compliments and criticism are needed to keep the ship afloat and that too much of one

or the other can throw things off-kilter.

17. You inspire: My best boss ever helped me realize, to quote the great Nathan Lane in The Producers, “There is more to you than there is to you!” The best bosses help people help themselves.

So, are you a great boss, or do you know one? Share your story below!

Related articles

• 10 Things Bosses Never Tell Employees (inc.com)
• How to be a Great Boss (socyberty.com)
• 7 tips to manage your boss — and yourself (cbsnews.com)
• How can I manage my manager? (career-advice.monster.co.uk)
• What are the different types of boss I could be? (career-advice.monster.co.uk)

3. Failing to develop a cost-effective, customer-centric infrastructure: Sears’ hodge-podge of trained service technicians, substandard software systems, and inadequate training of customer service reps are diluting its brand. For example, complaints abound about the system for obtaining and installing replacement parts for appliances. Such issues suggest problems with inventory systems and, like Toys”R”Us, the outcome is almost surely lost sales and excess personnel costs.

4. Using inadequate hiring practices: Since 2005, Borders has had four CEOs. Its board either failed to understand the skills required, to recognize which candidate had those skills, or to give the CEO authority to make needed changes. Faced with unprecedented industry upheaval, Borders lost valuable time and advantage.

5. Not implementing a system to ensure accountability: The poster child for this problem is BP(BP_). After the fact, investigators discovered that authority and responsibility on the rig weren’t clear. BP owned the well; Transocean(RIG_) owned the rig. Which company’s manager was responsible for rig safety? Unclear. Critical parts used for the well violated BP’s guidelines, and its engineers warned about the violations in writing. Who was responsible for proceeding in spite of the warnings? Unclear. The lesson: Failing to clearly define authority and responsibility can be deadly.

Navigating todays business environment is not easy and mistakes can be very costly as companies like Netflix are learning.  It is essential that organizations build in processes so they can react with speed if they see a storm approaching but too many senior managers are too busy playing politics and head strong to admit they may have made a mistake.  This is especially true for executives whose golden parachutes remain in tact regardless of serious errors in judgement.

Today being a successful marketing manager requires a broad range of skills.  It’s not enough that you might be an excellent marketer you also have to be an excellent communicator and implementer within your organization.  From my experience this is where most people fail.

Marketing is changing and to keep up with the changing business environment marketers have to stay abreast of the latest trends.  With the information overload this in itself is a full time job but as we learn more about what consumers and customers want we also have to able to translate these needs into quantifiable business objectives that can be understood by non-marketing business executives.

How should you do this ?  The first step is to collect the data from various sources. I find that following the right people on social media provides me with a wealth of new marketing information and case studies.  Once you have the information though you can’t just send out Power Point decks to everyone.  You need to summarize the information and, more importantly, provide actionable recommendations to your audience. Too many people get too much information and frankly a lot of people have a problem prioritizing the information that crosses their desks.

Finally, I recommend that you send out information periodically. If you send out too much information than it will go in the “read later” pile.  If however you send out information that is useful and only when you have good insights you’ll find that it is read more often than not.

Change is sometimes best when it’s evolutionary not revolutionary.  Give your audience the pieces of the puzzle they need to form a complete picture and you’ll find that you’re going to get a lot of people who support what you’re trying to do.

Consider these numbers:

•14.6 – The percentage of U.S. workers who visit nonwork-related Web sites “constantly” while at the office.

•8.3 – The number of hours an average employee spends weekly visiting such sites.

•7.9 million – How many U.S. workers visited dating sites while at work in 2002.

•70 – The percentage of their traffic that pornographic Web sites receive between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.

•56.3 – The percentage of U.S. workers who “send up to five personal e-mails” daily.

•25 million – The number of days that employees faked illness in order to take a day off from work in the U.K. in 2003.

•25 – The percentage of Europeans who have napped in their offices. •148,000,000,000 – The estimated dollar cost of hangovers to the U.S. economy.

These numbers indicate that huge numbers of people are not contributing in the workplace. And yet, little public discussion takes place about the lot of the “living dead,” because people at all levels of society deny that they exist.

Managing the Undead

Another reason so many employees are underutilized and underinvested in their jobs is that their supervisors manage them poorly. Studies have found that workers’ commitment to their supervisors is directly correlated to their performance. Managers who do not inspire commitment do not have productive employees, since people are unlikely to feel motivated by an abstraction, such as the company itself. Salary, benefits or brands cannot inspire people the way individual managers can if they know how.

Companies must improve the quality of their managers. They must reconsider the way they select managers, and they must improve the status and salaries of gifted managers. Sadly, most companies just go through the motions, because of the “self-delusion of corporate success,” practiced by most company leaders. Three factors contribute to this fog:

1.Corporate leaders’ “natural self-aggrandizing tendency” – Leaders tend to believe they succeeded because of their work ethic or innate ability, but when they do not understand the circumstances that led to their success, they cannot communicate the skills necessary to manage people properly.

2. Underestimation of “how bad management often is” – Leaders exacerbate such misinformation when they refuse to visit the front lines or to invest time in bridging the gap between themselves and the troops on the ground.

3.Leaders’ unwillingness to admit they chose bad middle managers – Not only do leaders often make poor hiring decisions, but they also make these decisions for the wrong reasons, such as to reward a good employee. Successful performance in a particular tactical role does not necessarily indicate management potential.