We ran across this terrific book by Aubrey Daniels last week and love his contrarian approach to “common sense” management. have a look.

When times are tough, managers are expected to reach into their bag of tricks and pull out the ones that will motivate employees.

Unfortunately, the ones that managers resort to all too often turn out to be illusions that backfire, inadvertently rewarding bad behaviour and punishing good.

Aubrey Daniels identifies 13 management practices that waste time and money, and prescriptions for how to change them:

1. Employee of the month

What’s wrong with it: It acknowledges just one employee and leaves out the rest.

How to right it: Acknowledge achievement when and where it happens.

2. Stretch goals

What’s wrong with it: Employees end up exhausted and frustrated if they fail to reach lofty targets.

How to right it: Set achievable short-term goals; chart employee progress month by month.
3. Annual reviews

What’s wrong with it: Universally despised by managers and employees; ignored the rest of the year.

How to right it: Give immediate management feedback whenever employee excels or falls short.

4. Ranking employees

What’s wrong with it: Even if there is little difference between employees, some end up at the top of the list and others at the bottom start to think of themselves as also-rans.

How to right it: Set performance benchmarks all employees are expected to reach. read more

A while ago I had the opportunity to spend some time with Jennie Willink, Blue Man Group’s Executive Producer, Senior VP of Creative Affairs, and “organizer of creative chaos.” Willink made the case for superior organization in creative teams.

“Making ideas happen,” Jennie Willink proclaims, “is pretty much all I think about.” After more than twelve years with Blue Man Group, Willink leads the company’s creative team - a 30+ person group that generates and executes ideas for new acts, music, advertising, and characters.

Members of the Willink’s creative team have one central responsibility: develop new ideas. Willink runs a tight ship. She’s affectionately referred to as the “Chartmaster.” And, in a “meeting-heavy culture” Willink needs to stay organized and maintain order. read more

Note on the ongoing series: I have always believed that quotes encapsulate concepts that are a catalyst for great insights and introspection. As such I will be sharing some of my favorite quotes on various topics along with some brief commentary. For this episode, we will focus on INNOVATION.

“Innovation” is a word that is thrown around way too often. I like to think of it as the discovery of new paths. Whether you are creating something new or something that already exists, innovation is all about finding new ways to do it. read more

Though it’s tougher for small businesses to come up with financing today than it was even a year ago, there are more resources to help locate capital that is available, says Wharton management professor Gary Dushnitsky, who studies entrepreneurs. And, he says, there are more opportunities for entrepreneurs to network with industry veterans and learn about previously unknown funding sources.

Dushnitsky says that entrepreneurs should take advantage of organizations such as Your Encore, which, according to the company’s web site, provides small businesses “with proven experience to help accelerate their pace of innovation.” Dushnitsky calls Your Encore a marketplace for business experts who retired from well-known companies. “They are available to help with marketing strategy and to think about operational issues,” he says. “This doesn’t mean hiring an expensive consultant, but you can still get expertise. You end up paying only for services you actually need.” read more

I don’t know too many small business owners hanging around looking for bailouts. The bailout of choice for the small business owner is innovation and determination.

It’s funny how every politician in the last cycle, Democrat and Republican alike, talked about Main Street, but I don’t think they really know where that is – ‘cuz it’s in Flo’s Diner in a back alley in Harlem and it’s in a Facebook Group for wedding photographers and it’s here – this is the new main street.

And if that’s so, and I believe it is, then it’s going to take new thinking to make real impact. There are some great opportunities for small business in the current bill and you should get with your accountant right now to talk about taking advantage of accelerated depreciation of equipment and the ability to carry back net operating losses as far back as five years.

And, while I don’t expect any economic stimulus package to properly acknowledge the role of small business as the economic engine that drives our economy, as long as the current administration is making noise about small business, let’s try to get a couple important things fixed.

1) Really fund the SBDCs and SCORE and every other group providing education, support and training for small business. read more

Note on the ongoing series: I have always believed that quotes encapsulate concepts that are a catalyst for great insights and introspection. As such I will be sharing some of my favorite quotes on various topics along with some brief commentary. For this episode, we will focus on DEVELOPING ONESELF.

Self-improvement is all about introspection and making an effort to push your own comfort zones. Exploring new terrain will push your capabilities in unexpected ways.

It is all too easy to remain stagnant and never push yourself when it is uncomfortable to do so. However, the investment in developing oneself is likely the one competitors won’t make. The greater your self-awareness, the more equipped you are to make an impact.

Here are a few quotes to consider on the topic:

“You’ve gotta leave home to become who you are.” -Amichai Lau Lavie, Creator of StorahTelling, NYC

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Note on the ongoing series: I have always believed that quotes encapsulate concepts that are a catalyst for great insights and introspection. As such I will be sharing some of my favorite quotes on various topics along with some brief commentary. For this episode, we will focus on SELF-DISCIPLINE.

Having ideas is easy, getting started on making those ideas happen is also relatively easy. However, enduring the pursuit to make ideas happen over time is very difficult.

The greatest barriers we face are not around us, but within us. Having the self-discipline and fortitude to manage and complete projects over time is one of the greatest traits of a leader.

Here are a few quotes to consider on the topic of self-discipline:

“Nothing is easier than saying words.  Nothing is harder than living them day after day.” -Arthur Gordon read more

Note on the ongoing series: I have always believed that quotes encapsulate concepts that are a catalyst for great insights and introspection. As such I will be sharing some of my favorite quotes on various topics along with some brief commentary. For this episode, we will focus on MANAGEMENT.

To me, leadership and management are two very different things. Leadership is about serving as the steward of a vision and motivating others to achieve it.

In contrast, management is, often times, about the minutia – the incremental challenges confronted and decisions that must be made along the way to achieving a goal. For people with passion for their work, management is often more challenging than leadership.

Here are some particularly interesting quotes on management:

“Life consists not in holding good cards but in playing those you hold well.”  -Josh Billings

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