Those of you who visit For-Managers on a regular basis must have realized that we have an uncompromising commitment to improving your management. We are continually introducing new tools, reflecting on aspects of skills management, showing the importance of enhancing IT management, and so on: for us, writing an article will only make sense if it can contribute to its operation on issues like these. With this thought, we will now talk about a management methodology that can be highly effective in improving your company’s processes. And this isn’t something we just came up with; it’s a tool that has been helping managers around the world for an impressive 70 years: the PDCA cycle.
Strategic management and Innovation
Global trends in talent management, according to Deloitte and McKinsey
Global trends in talent management are reshaping the workplace, the workforce, and work itself. After years of struggling to drive the engagement and retention of high-level professionals, improve leadership and build a meaningful culture, corporations have perceived the need to redesign their organizational models. To help companies and their leaders understand these changes, large consulting firms specializing in managing talent and human capital, such as Deloitte and McKinsey, have dedicated themselves to extensively researching the subject.
Focus on work and have more time for your life
Everywhere we look, we see people in a state of constant apprehension. While we initially thought that technology would make our lives easier, the opposite seems to be happening. Instead of having more manageable lives, people are becoming even more stressed. After all, with the advent of instant communications, we are not only exposed to receiving messages 24/7 but also forced to respond to them. And when we have to do everything at the same time, we end up do nothing right at all.
How to Lead a Team in Three Key Words
Great, you’ve just been promoted to a supervisor’s position, and now it’s your job to lead a team – be it two or twenty people. It’s always been a goal of yours, a chance to better show your talent. But there’s a big question that remains: do you know how to lead a team? Leadership comes naturally to some, and others can learn it. If you harbor some doubts as to where to start, we’ll summarize here, in just three key words, what it means to be a leader.
Work overload: an issue that your business can learn to work around
If we were to list the evils that bedevil the world as we know it, stress would undoubtedly rank close to the top. This symptom of psychological suffering or tension, which arises during our day-to-day activities, whether for personal or for work-related reasons is a mark of the contemporary world in which we live out our days. The principal problem is that in the long run, stress can lead to burnout – defined as physical or mental exhaustion brought on by overwork. And then, everyone’s health is at risk: yours, that of your employees and, of course, that of your company. Yes: welcome (or not!) to work overload!
How to get out of your comfort zone – and get your employees out of there immediately
Do you often feel that you’re performing your tasks by rote, without thinking about them or questioning precisely what it is you are doing? Are you afraid to take a step outside of your routine, even if it could lead to exciting developments in your career? These are characteristics of people who are stuck in their comfort zone, a state in which professionals prefer to preserve themselves, keeping anxieties at a tolerable level and their performance at a stable, though not optimal, level.
Leadership and motivation: 3 exercises to bring out your best
There are some foolproof tips for people who want to become good leaders (and since you’re reading this…), but others aren’t quite so clear. It’s the case with decision-making: which path should you follow? Joanna Barsh and Johanne Lavoie, who both work with the consultancy McKinsey, have released a book called Centered Leadership: Leading with Purpose, Clarity, and Impact, where they give tips for new models of behavior that can increase your ability of leadership and motivation – and to make that kind of leadership come to you naturally. If we were to sum up the concept in just a few words, it’s about how daily doses of leadership and motivation can turn us into born leaders. Enjoy!
“Ownership”: see why the concept of ownership must be a part of your company
“The master’s eye makes the cattle thrive.” It’s not the first time we’ve used this aphorism on our blog. The phrase refers to the level of attention that an owner focuses on their business. A sense of ownership is the differentiated mentality of people who want to see their company thrive, ensuring stability, profits and growth. Imagine if every one of your company’s employees and managers had this same mentality?
Trends defining the composition a high-performance team
Have you stopped to think about what happens when, in Formula 1, a racecar goes into the pit-stop? Consider the preparation required to make everything happen as quickly and efficiently as possible, to keep the driver competitive. Tire replacement, refueling, needed repairs, engine tuning, etc.: there’s a lot to do in a matter of seconds. Those teams don’t just need to be made up by the most skilled professionals; they need to be perfectly trained and synchronized to complete their task as planned. They are, without a doubt, some of the best examples of high-performance teams, a subject which we will discuss now.