Goldilocks on Management

"The real work of negotiation takes place before the two sides even begin talking."

"Managers need to identify, encourage, and reward nontraditional actions that lead to innovative solutions."

"Contingency planning is a crucial part of any business strategy."

"When backed into a corner, an otherwise talented and committed employee may become dysfunctional, causing irreparable damage to a company."

"Knowledge and information are power. Deceptive information can therefore render you powerless."

"It is crucial to put the basics of any new business on paper before it gets rolling. Otherwise, the business could go up in flames all too quickly."

"We must remember to investigate things thoroughly before signing on the dotted line, no matter what carrots are dangled on a stick before us."

"To maintain market share, a business needs to be constantly on the lookout for new ways to use technology."

"In planning a strategy, rarely is the problem too much information; rather, it is typically too little critical review of the same."

"The managers who are the best at nurturing the innate abilities of their staff members, helping them to blossom into more effective employees, typically do not stop at the boundaries of their areas of responsibility."

"Companies that divert their energies and resources into a variety of products often find that the new products never catch on."

"Our natural inclination is to continue to do a lot of what we already do well, because it is comfortable and rewarding."

"Since every action (including inaction) yields some consequences, reactivity and inflexibility will have their own results"

"Accumulate political capital whenever possible, spend it sparingly, and always keep plenty of it banked."

"Employees usually feel better knowing the truth, even if it is negative, than not knowing and imagining the worst."

"Failure to validate credentials thoroughly may result in outcomes that are embarrassing, dangerous, and financially devastating."

"Whenever people have exceptional skills, they should be given the chance to succeed, even if?sometimes especially if?those skills don't happen to match the job they were hired for. "

"The more you can work out in advance of the consultant's engagement, the more likely you are to receive what you need?and what you thought you were purchasing. "

"Quality is the necessary ingredient for making (and keeping) any business successful and profitable."

"If you wish to manage with integrity, you should view any promise you make as a binding contract."

"Team selection rarely receives the careful attention it deserves, yet the selection of team members can often preordain a team's ultimate success or failure, well before its first meeting is ever convened."

"Because team functioning is often an alien construct within the traditional hierarchical structure of most organizations, team members may need time (and plenty of opportunity) to establish their own style of functioning."

"Successful organizations typically have a learning philosophy."

"The temptation to bite off more than you can comfortably chew is a seductive trap that every manager routinely faces."

"Staffs need to feel that if they perform well and contribute to the organization they will not be "rewarded" with a pink slip as soon as times get rough."

"The role of leadership is threefold."