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Struggling with winging process from scratch as if it was always the first time you’re running them? This article explores why frameworks matter, what their purpose is, and when to use them. But beware of those getting lost in improbable what if scenarios.
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The Peter Principle is the idea that people rise to their “level of incompetence.” But is that always the case? I say no—and here’s the good news: it’s entirely preventable! This article shows how unpreparedness, not inability, is the real culprit. With the right training, support, and a willingness to learn, you can break through…
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It’s common to find upper managers who lack domain knowledge about the products the company makes. This leads to ineffective leadership. Hiring trusted past connections can amplify the problems. Better predictors for a leader’s effectiveness include data, customer feedback, professional experience, and caring. Trust then emerges from good outcomes achieved.
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You are not a serf. Advice to work to make your manager “look good” is detrimental to you and your career. A functional working relationship requires manager and managed supporting each other to be successful doing the work.
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Have you imagined a corporate structure comparable to a planetary system and that they have a “gravitational” pull? Picture the CEO at the center, with concentric management layers. Too flat with many direct reports doesn’t scale, and managers will be overworked and ineffective. Too many layers, and communication breaks down, politics flourish, and bureaucratic processes…
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In “Halt and Catch Fire,” Gordon impulsively fires Brian after a car accident; that’s a case of poor management. Instead, set expectations, communicate well, manage negativity, and create a culture of feedback. Life doesn’t have to imitate art.
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Legitimate leadership is earned through trust, skill, and aligned goals. It’s not a natural state as it requires a partial and temporary surrendering of agency. Thus, it must be based on agreements that are neither imposed by force nor circumstances alone.
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The phrase “no good deed goes unpunished” reflects the feeling many professionals report when they are given more work without a matching recognition. Promotions are not merely rewards for good performance but indicators of consistently operating at the next level. Factors like budget and headcount availability are real constraints and can slow down career progression,…
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The meaning of leadership is invariable from scale, just like the number of degrees in a circle doesn’t change with its size. Larger teams may require more work, but not more leadership.
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Shortly after a recent reorg at my company, I found myself discussing the merits of different project management methodologies, rather than focusing on the work to be done. That got me thinking, at the scale of small- to mid-size projects, are the benefits among methodologies even noticeable? Read the article and find out how scale…