| |
| |
|
Management Information |
|
|
|
Executive Humor at Meetings
I don't encourage managers to wear funny hats, appear in self-deprecating skits, or otherwise emulate Saturday Night Live in an attempt to manufacture an image as, "Look, folks! I'm just one a' the guys!" If clients insist, I do what I can to help. I want the money. But it's not usually such a hot idea. I know it's done. Frequently. And I read reports of the exhilarating effects created by executives who deliver call-to-action keynotes dressed as a gunfighter or sumo wrestler. I notice, also, that these reports are usually written by those who work for the speaker, or by meeting producers retained by the speaker's company. A field sales force may see their management only once or twice a year; usually at the annual sales meeting. They need to know that those running the store have a clear vision of where the company's going, and what it will take to get it there. And giving them Bozo the clown doesn't do a hell of a lot to convince a sales force their future is in good hands. Conventional wisdom tells us the confident and secure executive isn't compromised by a little benign buffoonery. Well, maybe. In my experience, however, confident managers are secure enough to bypass situations that often succeed in converting respect to ridicule. It's usually the uncertain manager who clutches at these moments in an attempt to create a public charisma that personal performance has never provided. The bottom line for the executive comic? Don't get beaten by your own shtick! http://www.thewritingworks.com John Mackenzie has been creating award-winning corporate communication elements for 30 years. He's also co-founder of The Writers Roundtable, a group of self-employed business communication writers who met (occasionally) at the Writers Guild of America in New York City. During 15 years of operation, The Roundtable maintained a standing door prize for any writer who had a client that paid in 30-days. The prize was never collected.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
The 70% Solution: Practical Testing and Version Control "What do you mean you need to push back the launch date?" Says the CEO. Says the CFO. Organize your Office- Seven Solutions 1. Create a filing system with broad categories such as "Insurance" and then break those categories down further into sub-categories (i. Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Senior Management and Directional Change This article relates to the Senior/Top Level management of an organization, and how a huge vision of directional change translates into the day-to-day operation of the company. AlphaMeasure defines senior management as the team of individuals at the highest level who have the day-to-day responsibilities of operating the organization. Are You At The Mercy Of Computer Geeks? Many business owners are sabotaging their business without even realizing it. They are completely out of the loop when it comes to all technology aspects of their operation such as websites, computers and software. Finding Proactive Solutions: A Key to Demonstrating Your Management Fitness In my book Talking Points: 25 Tips for Clear, Credible Communication, Tip #17 states: "Managers and professionals in positions of responsibility got there by finding solutions to problems. They didn't rely on someone else to come up with the remedy. Biometrics and "Return On Investment" At this time of tight budgets, the mantra of business is "Return On Investment!" With few exceptions, expenditures are measured against the bottom line. Outlays for capital expenses are strictly evaluated in terms of profitability and the total cost of ownership. Innovation Management - how will we make the go or kill decisions? Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation whilst innovation can be defined as idea selection, development and commercialisation.There are distinct processes that enhance problem identification and idea generation and, similarly, distinct processes that enhance idea selection, development and commercialisation. Effective Meetings - Quick Survey Here's an easy quiz to check the health of your meetings.1) Who leads your meetings? a) No one, b) Everyone, c) A facilitator2) What happens to the ideas in your meetings? a) If we had to think of ideas, it would be work, b) We make fun of them, c) A scribe writes them on a chart pad3) Are results obtained in your meetings? a) We eat all the donuts, b) And we drink all of the coffee, c) Yes!4) Do your meetings have an agenda? a) Is that some kind of cabinet?, b) I saw one once in an article, c) Yes!5) Who attends your meetings? a) We have bleachers to hold the spectators, b) The entire staff plus any homeless people in the neighborhood, c) Only those who can contribute6) How long are your meetings? a) I'll let you know when this one ends, b) All day, c) An hour or less7) During a meeting do you: a) Break a foam cup into bits, b) Prepare for the next meeting, c) Focus on the topic8) How soon after the meeting do you issue minutes? a) If you think I want to publicize how much time we wasted, you're nuts, b) Within a few months or so, c) As soon as possible, if not faster9) While someone is speaking, do you: a) Wonder about the strength of plastic foams, b) Plan a way to change the subject, c) Listen empathetically10) What structured activities do you use in your meetings? a) We sit on chairs, b) Everyone leaves at the same time, c) Process tools designed to gather information, make decisions, and manage participation. How To Write Commercial Collections Letters It is sometimes valuable to bring the sales manager into this step of the collection process. Information concerning the delinquency can often be obtained from the sales department. Turbo Charge Your Career With The Most Powerful Leadership Tool Of All: The Leadership Talk: Part 2 In Part One, I described the Leadership Talk and how it is a much more effective leadership tool than presentations or speeches.I also described two fundamental premises that the Leadership Talk is based on. Why Outsourcing Could Be The Best Thing You Do For Your Business While it's probably not true to say that the traditional 9-5 job is on its way out, it IS true that more and more businesses these days are starting to see the value of outsourcing the jobs they can't cover themselves. Things like copywriting, PR, programming - even secretarial and admin support - are being outsourced to freelancers working from home or running their own business. Integrity... Should It Matter? In our fast paced work culture, manned by technology savvy generation in a globally competitive environment, quality and productivity became the battle cry of corporations to stay in business. Though this is not necessarily bad, an equally important ingredient to succeed is seemingly taking the back seat. Stop Going to Meetings - 10 Questions to Ask Before Attending a Meeting - Get More Productive We get invited to attend so many "meetings" but do we need to attend them all? Use these 10 questions to assess if you should attend that next meeting invitation.What is the agenda of the meeting? Don't attend a meeting without a clear agenda otherwise you are wasting time. Understanding How Change Has Changed There seems to be an assumption that change is a single traumatic event that is thrust upon us and over which we have no control.In the recent past this was definitely true, in industry there would come a sudden realisation at the end of the financial year that unless we did something radical we were going to the wall. Keep Your Good Workers by Building Good Leaders A recent report from the American Hospital Association's Commission on the Workforce asked healthcare workers key questions about the performance of their front line managers. The study concluded that an employee's decision to stay with or leave an organization is primarily based on his or her relationship with an immediate supervisor. The 5 Things Great Managers Sense about their People, Every Day Using all of your senses, to help you test how your people are feeling in your business, is a learned skill. Once you start to use it, your abilities to notice become refined and you have a background sensor working for you, day after day. Improve Operations by Restructuring Transitioning from Vertical Hierarchies to Decentralized / Flatter OrganizationsThe need to restructure for traditional, bureaucratic firms is essential in the fast paced, dynamic business world today. Team-based organizations are largely successful in having all of the people in the firm feel accountable and responsible for the operation and success of the enterprise, not just a few people in senior management positions. The Higher You Go The higher you go, the cooler it becomes. Really? Let us begin from first principles. The Boss Didn't Understand Why His Staff Wasn't Reading His Mind Many people believe that everyone sees the world exactly the same way as they do. This is never true and was the source of much turmoil in Dr. Delegation: When to Delegate, Who to Delegate to There are some very simple guides for delegation.Most people delegate based on not wanting to do something.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
