When to stop doing what you’re doing?

Hi, how’s work?

Your team is working like clockwork, all your projects are delivered on time, your business is so profitable that it leaves the competition behind?

No? Yes, but…?

Then may be YOU HAVE TO CHANGE SOMETHING. Continue reading

Decision-Making and Strategic Planning: how to fight Uncertainty

Decision making and Strategy planning: How to fight UncertaintyDecision-making by its nature has a natural connection to long-term planning: by trying our best to make our decisions better we’re trying to influence the future. Taking into account our decisions and their possible consecutive outcomes is practically the essence of planning strategically. The problem is: how can we know the results of our future decisions to plan our next move? How can we fight the uncertainty of the future? Continue reading

Validating Skills on the interview – From Ask Anya mails

MailFollowing Post Thumb rule #1 for building your team

Question:

“I agree that ability to learn is really an important attribute. What would you consider a good indicator of this ability, i.e. how can you assess a candidate for that?”

Answer: Continue reading

How much is “Most People”?

How much is most peopleWhen I previously wrote about utilizing data and research in management, I mentioned that not always when people are using a certain word or term, they are understood the way they meant to. This is especially relevant when we’re trying to express quantities without using numbers. For example, how many people are “most people” or how frequent is “usually” ? Continue reading

Craftsman, Scientist or Artist – who are you? Three approaches to Expertise

Craftsmen Scientist Artist ExpertiseIn my post on communication I mentioned that language has its limitations when trying to explain something – for the simple reason of possible gaps in the understanding of terminology by the involved parties. We’ve already encountered this problem when trying to distinguish between Skill, Competence and Expertise, as everyone seems to understand these concepts differently. However, there is an elegant solution for this problem: Continue reading

Skills, Competence, Expertise – what is what?

Skills Competence ExpertiseHow do we know if someone is good at something? How do we know who’s professional enough to get the job done and on time? How do we know to choose the right consultant who’ll help us to push the project down the road with his extensive knowledge? How do we know to train our employees and ourselves to be better at what we do? Continue reading

Communication skill: more or better?

CommunicationWe are all aware of crucial role communication skills play in any endeavor; they can bring back a failing project from ashes and make a successful one sink like Titanic in a blink of an eye.

There are numerous training resources out there that call for communicating more, trying to break down into bits and pieces what communication is and how it should be done properly. So why do we still struggle so much in conveying our messages when we want others to do something for us or, at least, to understand what we’re talking about? Continue reading

Why the change doesn’t stick?

Continuous ImprovementThere are several professions (Process Improvement Engineers, Business Process Analysts, Organizational Development Specialists, all Six Sigma and other Lean followers) that specifically deal with bringing change and progress into organizations, helping companies to secure their chance for a long term survival. However notwithstanding the pride and sense of accomplishment that this activity brings, many change practitioners are Continue reading

Utilizing Data and Research in Management

Utilizing data in ManagementWhy would I choose to focus on this topic? It sounds so boring that I risk losing your attention already at the title.

But no, I haven’t lost my marbles. Lately, we’ve discussed at length the crucial role of the Manager in the Decision-making process, so it brings us naturally to the most crucial component of this process – the interpretation of information. Continue reading