We need to start forgetting things. And we need to start soon. We computer users spend a lot of time learning new things: new operating systems, new troubleshooting techniques, new hardware, new software, new versions of old software, and so on. This is part of what keeps things exciting and invigorating, of course. There’s always [...]
Talking straight doesn’t mean you have to make others defensive. People get uptight when their control is removed or when their self-esteem is under attack. When you speak up, use clear, descriptive language. Avoid words such as “always” and “never” — even if you are complimenting someone. It’s a no-brainer that it’s infuriating to say [...]
Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place, and I don’t care how tough you are. It will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me or nobody is gonna hit as hard [...]
The number one reason some people get more work done faster is because they are absolutely clear about their goals and objectives and they don’t deviate from them. A major reason for procrastination and lack of motivation is vagueness, confusion, and fuzzy-mindedness about what you’ve supposed to do and in what order and for what [...]
Corporate culture has long been a vital, if elusive, element of a company’s success. Cost-cutting and entrepreneurial cultures, for example, have been credited for the long-term success of many companies. Conversely, culture clashes have been blamed for merger and acquisition failures and incompatible employees. But just how corporate culture can be measured is still a [...]
When a change-management consultant interviewed a group of workers, he realized they didn’t understand the impact of returned shipments. After that meeting, the consultant placed a pickle jar in the middle of the shipping department floor. For every successful shipment, management placed a quarter in the jar. For every shipping error, management removed $10. The [...]
Innovation is one of those words that can mean different things to different people — indeed, if you ask a group of your colleagues to write a sentence or two about what they mean by the term, you should expect a lot of variety, for example:
A new idea.
A really great new product.
Something different from the [...]
Under pressure to hit immediate performance targets, many managers inflate earnings, often by cutting expenditures. In a recent survey of 401 top financial executives by Natalie Mizik and Robert Jacobson, 80% said they would decrease spending on “discretionary” activities like marketing and R&D to meet short term goals.
It’s true that this kind of shortsightedness may [...]
America’s highly touted productivity may be destroying its legendary enterprise and many of its powerful enterprises. Many of the claimed productivity gains in recent years have amounted to productivity losses. Imagine what would happen if you fired everyone in your company and shipped from stock: Working hours would disappear while output would continue. That would [...]
Lessons from Ranjay Gulati, a professor at Northwestern’s Kellog School of Management, on how to avoid complacency:
Avoid the “post-pellet” pause. Lab rats always take a break when they find that pellet of food. Recognize that once an organization achieves success, it’s only natural to want to take it easy.
Look outside the industry. Comparing yourself only [...]