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Category Archives: Communication

Same sheet of music

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Earlier this week, David Letterman, in his nightly comedy monologue, was discussing a meeting of one of the major US political parties. “The theme of this year’s convention is unity,” he noted, adding, “Unfortunately they can’t agree on how it works.” That’s not so unusual, is it? Whether we are talking about unity or leadership, or any buzzword in between . . .

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Crises in communications

Monday, August 25, 2008

The Economist magazine has a periodic feature in which it offers a summary of an article from one of its own books, “The Economist Guide to Management Ideas and Gurus.” This week’s was about crisis management. What comes to your mind when you, a manager, think of crisis management?

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A bit of slack

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Whether you keep your juniors on a short leash, or give them plenty of rope to hang themselves with, it’s worth remembering that you’re still left holding the other end. Ultimately, the CSI team is going to find you there. What have you been doing at your end of things?

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Magical thinking

Friday, May 2, 2008

I was speaking with an American CEO of a major enterprise in a Middle Eastern country. This outfit had employees from a range of cultures and countries that literally spanned the globe, and of educational and socio-economic backgrounds that covered all the ground. I asked him how he dealt with so diverse a group - how did he arrange organizational policy regarding, say, ethics, in a way that satisfied company requirements and incorporated diverse habits and beliefs?

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The loner

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Management observers have much to say about the personal characteristics of managers. This is often parlayed into discussions of the importance of communication - specifically, listening skills - and relationship building. The ability to build support behind specific initiatives and, more generally, to generate personal and organizational loyalty receives much attention, and it is well-deserved. It seems sometimes, though, to add up to an awful lot of pressure on us to be the hero to all of our constituencies . . .

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