Organizational Articles

Business » Management » Organizational | By Anna Johnson @ Thursday, 18th May 2006 @ 11:29 PM

You'd think we'd know by now - just because someone is fantastic at doing something... doesn't mean they're equally as good at managing others to do that same thing. After all, the skill set required to practice a specific profession - whether it's plumbing, hairdressing, engineering, selling, teaching, accounting or whatever - is entirely different from the skill set required to manage people. Yet organizations persist in promoting "doers" ... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Peggy Pattison @ Saturday, 29th April 2006 @ 8:28 AM

When reading “Scenes from the Culture Clash” in the January/February 2006 Fast Company Magazine and “Young, Female, and Demanding (Companies struggle to understand Gen-X’s lack of servility) in January, 2006, Inc. Magazine, I had a flash back of a friend’s experience with her, then, 7 year old child.My friend and I are both Baby Boomers (1046-64). Her child is a Gen X-er (1965-1977).Here’s my friend’s story……My little girl went to the telephone book while I was at work one day and phoned the p... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Ken Mathie @ Thursday, 27th April 2006 @ 11:18 PM

So, you're going to get into the resale rights business. Maybe you've seen just the product that you want to sell, or maybe you've decided that you're going to create your own resale rights package. Great! But where do you start? Hopefully after reading this article you'll have a pretty good idea of where to start and a decent foundation when you do. For starters, you better be prepared to do business on the Internet. This involves a number of things. ... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Peggy Pattison @ Monday, 17th April 2006 @ 4:00 PM

“Formula = How to Get Customers and Employees to Love Your Business” Why are so many businesses and organizations struggling? Why are many employees more disloyal today than ever before? How can managers and leaders continue to produce more, with fewer resources, with more organizational changes, and with an encroaching global market? How can managers maintain high performance while organizational chaos and dysfunction abounds? E-Mail Amusement or Management Reality Check? ... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Michael Hehn @ Saturday, 8th April 2006 @ 11:56 PM

Team players are usually the people that are known for sacrifice, sharing, and hard work. Does this sound like a reputation you'd like to have? Many strive to be a team player in the work place, but it takes more than just having a desire, it takes hard work. One piece of advice from a father figure of mine that embodies the concept of team work that he used to say to me was, "Usually doing the right thing is the harder thing to do in life". Being a team player often involves doing ... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Jim Hawkins @ Friday, 24th March 2006 @ 3:51 PM

The way I hear it, the “typical” annual rate of inventory shrinkage in the retail industry is in the order of 3 to 5% - let’s split the difference and say 4%. “Industry Experts” (whoever they are…) suggest that of that total inventory shrinkage, 50% is due to external theft; 30% is due to internal theft; and 20% is due to “messed up paperwork”. Other reasons for business losses, such as breakage, robbery, and vandalism, are separate problems that we’re not going to deal with here. Do ... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 3:00 PM

Anyone who's worked with a group or an organization has heard the old phrase, "There's no 'I' in team," as a motivation to work together and focus on the goals of the group. In its primary interpretation this is a good mantra to live by, but in this present day of entrepreneurship, new media businesses and self-ownership, a new perspective has developed concerning the 'individuals' role on a team. It is no longer the obscure employee, who is among ten people... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Dannielle Brantley @ Wednesday, 22nd March 2006 @ 2:59 PM

He’s a rapper, actor, poet, MC, comedian. He’s Mos Def. He’s making it happen and it feels right – for him. I attended a taping of Def Poetry Jam and experienced fluid, dynamic poetry, vocal symbolism and political storytelling that inspired me to put this newsletter together. Mos Def confided to the audience that he loves to host Def Poetry Jam and kids with Russell Simmons about not firing him and hiring Ciara, a new R&B artist who is an exceptional dancer. He candidly says, “I can’t compete w... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @ Wednesday, 22nd February 2006 @ 7:39 PM

I've ummed and ahhed about the title for this topic, not wanting to cause offence. So if I do, I don't mean to - the term "Chiefs and Indians" is a metaphor, not a culture statement, so bear with me, it will become clear. In many, if not most, business cultures, we still have pretty much vertical structures of hierarchy. Yet there is value in moving right along from this ancient creaking model... You start at the top with the best paid and end up with the humble w... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Gayle Lee @ Wednesday, 15th February 2006 @ 1:42 AM

Choosing employee assessments can be complicated these days. The competition is immense with all the options available in the market today. However, there are a few tips to follow that will help your organization decide on the most appropriate assessment. 1. Know why you looking at assessments. Having a specific focus or issue will help you choose the right assessment for your organization. Many companies choose assessments without really doing th... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @ Tuesday, 14th February 2006 @ 6:34 PM

Time is of the essence. And in business, time is money. We all agree to that, but what do we seem to have the least of? And what can we do about it.... If you only had half the hours in your week, what work would you feel took priority? How would you be able to do just those things and still have time left to get on with other priorities? This week the challenge is to let go of some to the 'stuff' that gets in your way. And better, to stop doing much of what you do - espe... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @ Monday, 13th February 2006 @ 4:18 PM

How tempting is it to fix things? You know, you are passing by one of your teams cubicles and they are doing something you know all about. So you give a hand... And then it's fixed, and you feel a rosy glow all about how you've 'helped'. But who is this about, you or them. You see, it can be so frustrating, for someone already frustrated, when some smart-ass boss comes along to show their superiority. In fact, after it's fixed, all they get is a general fee... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @ Wednesday, 8th February 2006 @ 6:11 AM

In Steven Covey's excellent book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" he tells a well-worn story about the use of time. In the story, some professor guy (I think) stands at the front of a class, with a big jar. In the jar, first of all he puts some big rocks, and asks the class, "Is it full now". Mostly they say, "Yes". Then he gets some smaller rocks and these fit in quite nicely too, just between the big rocks. Again, he asks the same... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Gayle Lee @ Wednesday, 8th February 2006 @ 6:07 AM

There are many organizational issues I faced as a human resource professional of the past sixteen years that were not met head on. Oh, we were pretty good with the band-aid solutions versus delving into the core of the problems. Others may also relate to the above statements. As I have become older and wiser, I began to understand what reliable and valid assessments can do for an organization when used in the appropriate application. It is clear to me now that I should have used assessments in t... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @ Tuesday, 7th February 2006 @ 9:51 AM

You've been there and done it. You've got the tee-shirt and your experiences mean that you can cut so many corners. So you do. It's easier. You respond to all the requests, questions, challenges and mistakes of your people. By fixing them. And after a while two things happen. Firstly - You get exhausted, because everything revolves around you - every piddling decision, people wait for you. Secondly - Remarkably, your people start to leave - or give poor servic... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Debra Thorsen @ Wednesday, 25th January 2006 @ 7:04 AM

Most corporate culture surveys are not as effective as they could be. This article will help you to optimize your success and use the results to improve your corporate culture. Start with Your Goals When embarking upon a corporate culture survey project, you must start with the end in mind. What is your purpose in doing a corporate culture survey? Do you want to improve the corporate culture? If so, why? What are the main challenges that your company is facing? Do you have a good... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Robin Chandler @ Tuesday, 24th January 2006 @ 9:59 PM

Open Systems At the worst of times companies can look and act like badly functioning families: dictatorial, patriarchal, rigid and uncooperative. The staff are de-motivated, communication is poor, growth is slowed and team-spirit is non-existent. Like the Patriarch in a family who says, "Something needs to be done around here", someone in the company usually calls for a "Culture Change" or some similar course of action in order to address a potential or actual decli... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Cynthia Macy @ Tuesday, 24th January 2006 @ 5:39 PM

Small business/large business management and success is largely dependent upon customer acquisition, customer relationship enhancements, and customer retention, otherwise known as Customer Relationship Management, or CRM. CRM is a combination of enterprise strategies, business processes and information technologies that are used to learn about customers’ needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them. In the not-too-far past, CRM mainly consisted of a roll... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @ Tuesday, 24th January 2006 @ 10:08 AM

Remember the 80:20 rule? You may not get everything perfectly right, but getting most right will be much, much better than the majority of your competition. These Top Ten Tips for Customer Service will get you well on the way. 1) Be Your Customer Live the life of your customer and experience what they do. Stand in line, call your call-centre, soak up feedback. 2) Give Memorable Service Make the life's mission of everyone (yes, everyone!) to be customer focused - even tho... more...

Business » Management » Organizational | By Martin Haworth @

Rather than, 'We're doing Motivation today', making your place being a great place to work, it becomes a whole lot easier. Yes, there is a place for those external 'raft-builds', 'away days' and 'paintballing'! Get them in context; there is work to do up front to leverage those experiences and get the best value from them. Just build great relationships in your business or organisation, one-to-one - then have the fun day out and grow even more!... more...