About.com Management

How Can You Manage What You Don't Measure?

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:19:04 +0000

You can't manage what you don't measure. It is an old management adage that is still accurate today. Unless you measure something you don't know if it is getting better or worse. You can't manage for improvement if you don't measure to see what is getting better and what isn't. The article You Can't Manage What You Don't Measure will help you know what to measure and how.

How Can You Manage What You Don't Measure? originally appeared on About.com Management on Tuesday, February 9th, 2010 at 13:19:04.

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Snowmageddon Should Be A Wake-up Call For Business

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:49:17 +0000

A major snow storm hit the US East Coast late last week. President Obama, addressing the Democratic National Committee's winter meeting, called the storm "Snowmageddon". Most of the storm's impact was felt over the weekend, when many businesses were closed, but the ripple effects will linger into this week - and perhaps longer if the storm coming later in the week develops as forecast.

Is your business prepared for a "snowmageddon"? Are you ready for a major snow storm, an earthquake, a rash of forest fires, torrential rain and mudslides, or any other natural disaster? What would you do if your employees couldn't get to work? What would you do if they were stuck at work and couldn't get home? How prepared are you?

King County(Washington) created "3 Ways, 3 Days" as "public motivation campaign urging you, your family, and the community to prepare for emergencies and disasters". Their website includes a small business preparedness page. The page features a quiz for you to determine how prepared your business is for a disaster.

There is additional quidance in my article Survive the Unthinkable Through Crisis Planning and on our Disaster Planning Resources and Information page.

Snowmageddon Should Be A Wake-up Call For Business originally appeared on About.com Management on Sunday, February 7th, 2010 at 23:49:17.

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Key Success Indicators (KSI)

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:49:23 +0000

There are many activities and results you can measure, but which ones really matter? You should measure the things that are key to your success. By managing these factors, you improve your chances of success, regardless of how success is defined. These Key Success Indicators (KSI) are often called Key Performance Indicators (KPI).

Key Success Indicators (KSI) originally appeared on About.com Management on Friday, February 5th, 2010 at 06:49:23.

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How Well Do You Know Management?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:44:33 +0000

Can you explain the difference between Fixed Assets and Fixed Costs? Do you know your NDA from your KPI? Do you understand what Insider Trading really means? All of these terms are in our Glossary of Business Management Terms and most of them have links to articles with more details. If you need to brush up a little on the vocabulary of our profession, the glossary is the place to start.

How Well Do You Know Management? originally appeared on About.com Management on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 02:44:33.

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Job Interview Questions To Ask

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:34:27 +0000

It's an employer's market right now. There are many qualified applicants for every open position. But you still need to be careful in which candidate you select for the job.

Do you know the three things you need to find out about someone before you hire them? Do you know what it is about how someone answers interview questions that is more important than what they answer? The article Job Interview Questions to Ask can help you pick the best candidate. When the economy turns around you'll be ahead of your competitors.

Job Interview Questions To Ask originally appeared on About.com Management on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 22:34:27.

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Why Multi-tasking Is Bad and What You Can Do That's Better

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:59:02 +0000

Do you multi-task at work? Do you think that helps you get more done? It does not. You can actually be more productive by chunking rather than multi-tasking. The name isn't as exciting, but the results are impressive.

With chunking, you will get more done and it will be better work. So if you have allowed yourself to be pulled into the web of multi-tasking, read Use Chunking Instead of Multi-tasking to get yourself out of that web and on to a more productive day.

Why Multi-tasking Is Bad and What You Can Do That's Better originally appeared on About.com Management on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 00:59:02.

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Networking - It's Not Just Office Politics

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 01:33:13 +0000

No matter how you look at it your success in business depends on your ability to successfully network. Some people consider networking "office politics" and avoid it, but there is much more to it.

Networking is how you make the business connections you need to get your job done. You may not like office politics, but you must master networking. Read Networking: Better than office politics to learn how to build your networks and use them to help your career.

Networking - It's Not Just Office Politics originally appeared on About.com Management on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 01:33:13.

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The Coffee Cup As a Management Tool

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 01:21:12 +0000

"Let's grab a cup of coffee". That can be a powerful suggestion. When you want to focus on what someone is trying to tell you, when you don't have time for a business lunch, when you just need a few minutes in your day when you can focus on one thing at a time, take the other person out for coffee. It will be a nice break for you, a perk for them, and you'll learn more than you expect.

The Coffee Cup As a Management Tool originally appeared on About.com Management on Monday, January 25th, 2010 at 01:21:12.

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Mulally On Management

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 01:13:08 +0000

Have you become a fan of Alan Mulally yet? As President and CEO of Ford Motor Company he has proven that the management skills he demonstrated for so many years at Boeing are transferrable from one industry to another. While Chrysler and General Motors tanked, Mulally has kept Ford out of bankruptcy and moving ahead. In a recent article industry observers and Ford executives comment on Mulally's management style and the results he has achieved so far.

However, for me, the key paragraph in the article was this, "Mulally succeeded as an outsider in Detroit because "there was no grandiosity when he came in, there was just a sense of energy and enthusiasm," said Sonnenfeld, who runs Yale's Chief Executive Leadership Institute. "He's not some swashbuckling Iacocca type. He's the ultimate team builder, fortifying the institution."" In the end, management skill is more important than "flash".

Mulally On Management originally appeared on About.com Management on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 at 01:13:08.

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Cell Phones In Meetings

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 01:00:18 +0000

Should people be allowed to use cell phones in meetings? Is it a temptation that is just too distracting or simply part of doing business today? Can businesses that function at such high speed afford to be without instantaneous connectivity or are managers so overloaded with inputs that they need to minimize distractions and focus?

I tell you my perspective in my answer to the discussion mlupinetti started here on our Management Forum, but I'd really like your thoughts. So see the answers your peers have offered so far and add your thoughts too.

Cell Phones In Meetings originally appeared on About.com Management on Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 at 01:00:18.

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