Over the last couple of years, many HR professionals have argued that performance appraisals should be abandoned. Their point is they are awkward to give and they are biased. They…
Empowerment Requires Forceful Leadership
‘Empowerment’, especially when discussed by HR professionals, is a topic that can get out of hand with respect to just how independently employees can operate while maintaining some semblance of…
Warren Buffett’s Talent Criteria
About a year ago Warren Buffett paid $37 billion for Precision CastParts (PCP) Corporation, a highly successful company that makes complex parts primarily for the aircraft engine industry. Buffett praised…
The Secret to Organisational and Personal Progress
The Statistician J.D. (Dave) Power is often referred to as the high priest of customer satisfaction. The company name of J.D. Power and Associates is well known for its high profile…
A Valuable Lesson from Harley Davidson
Recently Harley Davidson, posted better than expected profits in the US for the latest quarter, with revenue up 3,8% versus year ago. Over the past two years the company has…
Just Starting a New Job? Here’s a Framework for Success.
Several years ago there was an article in the Harvard Business Review that really stuck with me. It was about an individual moving into a new managerial job and what…
Common Performance Appraisal Traps
A couple of years ago I read about a company that struggled through all of the classic problems companies encounter when they attempt to improve their performance appraisal systems. Related: 3 Steps…
What Advertising Can Teach Leaders
In the advertising business, effective frequency is the number of times a person, on average, must be exposed to an advertising message before it is well understood by the viewer.…
The 3 Simple Steps That Saved Ford
In 2006, Ford Motor Company was in a dreadful shape. Its stock price had fallen 50% in just two years and the company was on its way to losing $17…
Beware of Silos and Fiefdoms
General Motors’ ignition switch problems that apparently led to several reported deaths have received a lot of publicity of late. The problems were reported to low levels of management as…