Constant change of human resources – how to reduce its impact, Part 2: Retaining the Knowledge

600-00983926Let’s admit it – people always leave.

May be we let them go, may be they’ve found something else and may be their time has come and they’re retiring. In any case, your organization is left with an open void that needs to be filled as soon as possible. The sooner and the better you’ll fill it with somebody else – the smaller would be the amount of time and energy swallowed by that void. In order to do that you not only have to find Continue reading

Constant change of human resources – how to reduce its impact, Part 1: reducing the volume

Do not goMy previous post dealt with some of the reasons for negative influence of constant change of human resources on our projects. Despite the fact that many Managers still consider this phenomenon a “necessarily evil” and an integrative part making things done, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would argue that no attempts should be made at mitigating this “evil”. Continue reading

Constant change of human resources – the impact on our projects

change of human resourcesIn my previous post, I provided an extreme example of how critical to organization could be the loss of knowledge and expertise in some cases. Even though in many other, more usual cases, the loss would not be felt immediately, the cumulative effect could be more than Continue reading

Human resources – are they really that dispensable?

RainmanEvery manager that ever needed to let an employee go knows that it is one of the worst experiences that comes with the job. However, there is hardly a more profound manifestation of your managerial powers. There is something very basic and primeval in us exercising our right to decide who we want to work with and who is to look for a different place to work. Continue reading

How can I convince my team to try improving decision-making skills?” – From Ask Anya mails

Ask Anya MailFollowing post on “The need for better decisions – why now?”

“I completely agree with everything you said about the urgency we all should feel in regard to improving the quality of our decisions. But how do I convince the people I’m working with that something should be done about this issue? What can I offer them as an incentive to try improving their decision-making skills? ” Continue reading

The need for better decisions – why now?

Better wayMy previous posts about the costs of our mistakes lead to a discussion about the awareness of our colleagues in regard to the importance of the subject. After all, it seems clear to anyone who has some actual experience with management that there always be mistakes and therefore – the risks associated with them. Even more than that, the actual situation of the market today doesn’t suggest any tangible improvement being made in this regard, so is the need for better decisions really understood by today’s Managers or is this just an illusion? Continue reading

5 Managers’ Mistakes No One Talks About (Part 2)

5 managers mistakes no one speaks about 2Last week we discussed the first two Managers’ Mistakes No One Talks About, now let’s continue with the remaining three.

Managers should beware of doing something like: Continue reading

5 Managers’ Mistakes No One Talks About (Part 1)

Portrait of man with mouth covered with tapeIn my previous post I mentioned that the issue of mistakes, especially in the field of Management, has become pretty popular recently. There are many sources, both written and online, where you can find more or less comprehensive lists of “mistakes managers make”, altogether with some recommendations about how to avoid them. Continue reading

The cost of our mistakes – can we really pay it?

Cost of our mistakesLately we hear a lot about all kinds of mistakes made by people around us: investment mistakes, foreign policy mistakes, personal relationships mistakes and so on. In many cases we find it very easy to identify ourselves with the heroes of the story because we made similar mistakes or were about to make them. Nevertheless, why did the subject of making mistakes become so popular? Continue reading

5 Thumb Rules for Management in times of Austerity

AusterityThere are several terms not so pleasant to our ears that seem to dominate the news lately, terms like sequestration, spending cuts and most of all – austerity. The abundance of these subtractive terms in the media may well mean that they pretty much define the current situation, and we, as Managers, will need to adjust to function in this situation, because it’s unlikely to dissolve quickly.

Let’s try to understand what Austerity means from Management perspective and what tips we may use to lead our teams successfully despite the harsh environment. Continue reading