To keep momentum in a project, you need to run great meetings. Make your next project meeting productive with these three guidelines:
management strategies
4 Perks Employees Love
In the dot com/bomb heyday, kooky perks became the icon of much that was wrong with start-ups, as they blew through investment money and got little to nothing in return. And that is unfortunate. When competition for talent is …
Develop a Strategy the Smart Way
Strategic planning fails when it has fuzzy objectives, too many people, and a rushed schedule. When your company faces uncertainty and needs to develop a strategy fast, do it the right way:
Get Your Team Thinking Like Entrepreneurs
Teams in large organizations can easily get tangled in bureaucracy. It takes a long time to execute on projects when waiting for approvals and gathering resources. But, you can get around this by helping your team members think and act like entrepreneurs. Try doing the following:
Before Promoting Someone, Do a Test Run
If you suspect an employee is ready for a promotion, don’t jump right in. Performance in a current role doesn’t always predict performance in a future one. Gather more information by designing an assignment for the employee that mimics the tasks and challenges of the new job. Be transparent and tell him that you are using this …
Make Time for Meeting Prep
With so many meetings, busy managers don’t always have time to think about the goals of those meetings. But showing up unprepared only makes a meeting longer and less effective. Try blocking out time on your calendar for prep work and to think about what you want to accomplish. If a meeting is an hour, you may need 30 minutes to …
Why the Job Search Is Like ‘Throwing Paper Airplanes into the Galaxy’
“Wanted: smart, creative, dedicated individual to design efficient system that matches companies’ job listings with people looking for work. Contact the HR industry.”
Put Yourself in Your Customers’ Shoes
If your company is looking to innovate, don’t waste time analyzing market research reports and delving into customer data. What customers say they will do is not necessarily what they end up doing. Instead, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Observe them using products and watch for frustrations they may not even notice. Don’t …
How to Save a Meeting That’s Going Nowhere
We’ve all been stuck in long meetings that bounce aimlessly from one topic to the next. Instead of rolling your eyes, take control. Be brave enough to propose a solution:
Compete To Be Unique, Not the Best
Most companies want to be the best at what they do. But in the vast majority of business, there is no such thing as “the best.” Trying to imitate rivals will get you nowhere: It’s impossible to do exactly what your competitors are doing and end up with superior results. Customers choose different products and services for different …
Embrace Distraction
Recent studies have revealed the productivity cost of interruptions. But as the world gets more distracting, can we truly uphold the ideal of undivided attention?
Define How Your Team Will Work
Most team leaders know to help their team define goals, but the conversation shouldn’t stop there. You also need to agree on the mechanics of how the team will get the work done. Here are four things that need to be clear on every team:
