Have you ever wondered why the typical response to a fast changing business environment is often to implement more planning, processes, and measurements, as well as re-organize the structure of the company? It’s the illusion of control.
Read MoreI was talking with the COO of a small professional services firm the other day that had experienced 100% growth over the last year. When I asked him how he managed that spectacular growth, he said he’d hired thirty-one people during the year. He might have interviewed three or four times that many.
Read MoreSo, if you don’t make New Year’s resolutions, here is a list of items from my posts during the year that might make good subjects for reflection.
Read MoreGroup dynamics in meetings and decisions are influenced by the social pressures of the group. You’ve heard the cynical old expression that the best decision of a committee is worse than the best decision of any one individual in the meeting. Here are some signs that you may have a problem and what you can do about them.
Read MoreIn the past two posts, I’ve tried to answer why we, as humans, are so ready to agree with others, even when we know it’s wrong, or not what we think? The real question is what can we do about it?
People who know me might say I am a bit of an iconoclast, always questioning the prevailing norm (see There Are alligators in the Sewers of NY). But I often have others say to me after a meeting, “I wished I’d asked that question.” It’s a kind of a pain in the ass trait, and not one that will endear you to some management or others.
Read MoreA recent experiment and research at the Weizmann Institute by Prof. Yadin Dudai and his students may show why we are suseptible to group pressure. So what do you do when everyone around the conference table nods in agreement to an idea that no one individually would agree to?
Read MoreOnce my teenage daughter said she wanted to get a tattoo while on a trip we took to Playa del Carmen, Mexico. All her friends were getting them. Our dialogue on subsequent days, as we negotiated, went something like this….
Peer pressure and group think is especially dangerous in business, and it’s something that marketing or sales managers, and CEOs have to guard against.
Read MoreThere’s an old adage in coaching that says when the team wins, the reason is because the team played well, and when the team loses, the reason is due to the coach.
Read MoreOne of the teams they played was an inner city school, Como. Many of the kids at Como couldn’t afford good soccer equipment and often showed up in tennis shoes. The first time they played Cretin, they lost eight to nothing. The Cretin coach used subs, and made everyone pass three times, and shoot with their off foot.
Read MoreManagement and MotivationWe played a better team to a two-two draw at the end of regulation during a state semifinal game. It was a tough game. At the end of the first overtime, the other team scored on us, and they celebrated like they had won the championship. During the one-minute break before the second overtime, my U14 team came in dejected.
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