The mantra of “Clarity, Confidence, Commitment” is commonly invoked in organizational management best practices to stress the importance of Leadership inspiring confidence, and ultimately commitment, through clear communication of strategic objectives in the context of clearly defined organizational structure and processes. This clear communication and established structure will enable individuals to understand their role and objectives […]
My R&D Manager Quit!
Imagine walking in to work on a quiet Tuesday morning and you notice your R&D manager Julie has requested a meeting with you at 10 am. You’ve got an open-door leadership style and it’s not unusual for your staff to drop in for a quick conversation. Your R&D manager is a bit more structured and likes to […]
Originality and Value
Is anything ever completely new or original? I recently listened to a podcast from the TED Radio Hour on this topic and it encouraged me to think deeply about this idea of originality, newness and innovation. Let’s look at two popular examples: the iPhone and lean manufacturing. Was the iPhone new or original? Strong arguments […]
Interim Leadership
Losing a valued employee is disappointing and can most certainly have a deleterious effect on an organization. Management and HR will typically work to retain the individual but, broadly speaking, the company will likely continue on with minimal disruption. Losing a leader however, depending on the level and scope of responsibility of that leader can […]
When Clarity Is Most Critical in Dealing with an Orphan
So you are experiencing the trials of dealing with a non-strategic orphan. You recognize that you need to explore your options to optimize resource utilization and customer satisfaction moving forward. You start down the list of the viable options; divest, discontinue or harvest. Because you recognize that although the product line is non-strategic to you […]