Comments on: One Simple Question http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/ It's not a lesson in learning to be nice to people. Management is about leverage and impact. Tue, 6 Jan 2009 22:43:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: sudhakar http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3476 sudhakar Sat, 16 Sep 2006 19:47:22 +0000 http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3476 I think a good management means 1)Making people work, with time-dependent attitude 2)Helping people work, when time-critical situation arises 3)encouraging people, work time-sensitive to goals I think a good management means
1)Making people work, with time-dependent attitude
2)Helping people work, when time-critical situation arises
3)encouraging people, work time-sensitive to goals

]]> By: Tom Foster http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3471 Tom Foster Wed, 13 Sep 2006 09:17:30 +0000 http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3471 Timo, One of the reasons that sports makes good examples for management is that so many things are even for competitors. The field is exactly the same size. The length of the game is the same, the ball is the same. The difference in winning now comes down to management issues. This is why sports teams spend so much energy on recruiting talent. That is where the biggest payoff is. Still, talented teams have to possess discipline, a good playbook system, technique and stamina. But all of these issues are so much easier with talented players. Timo,

One of the reasons that sports makes good examples for management is that so many things are even for competitors. The field is exactly the same size. The length of the game is the same, the ball is the same.

The difference in winning now comes down to management issues. This is why sports teams spend so much energy on recruiting talent. That is where the biggest payoff is.

Still, talented teams have to possess discipline, a good playbook system, technique and stamina. But all of these issues are so much easier with talented players.

]]> By: Timo Söderlund http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3470 Timo Söderlund Wed, 13 Sep 2006 03:43:25 +0000 http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3470 Dear Tom. Again i agree fully with You. 5 years ago, i took on an assignment with a company that was very close to bancrupcy. It was quite small (100 people). The key factor for the turn-around was rebuilding the team. >50% of the staff was exchanged in 2 years (including all top managers). This is the very extreme, and should not have to happen, but it did. Today the company has 90 employees, has made earnings the last three years, and people are happy, safe and confident again. The last 2 companies i worked with, both with large scale problem situations, where changed, mainly by finding the right management-team, and they then built the rest of the team. Adn this is one of the main responsibilities of the management, to keep the team together, and to keep them motivated. And i also like the comparison with sports. It gives the picture in a very good way. The team has to share the same vision, strategy, and set the same goals and targets. The winner on the field, is the one with the most skilled and motivated team. Many greetings from Sweden Dear Tom.

Again i agree fully with You.

5 years ago, i took on an assignment with a company that was very close to bancrupcy. It was quite small (100 people).
The key factor for the turn-around was rebuilding the team.
>50% of the staff was exchanged in 2 years (including all top managers). This is the very extreme, and should not have to happen, but it did.
Today the company has 90 employees, has made earnings the last three years, and people are happy, safe and confident again.

The last 2 companies i worked with, both with large scale problem situations, where changed, mainly by finding the right management-team, and they then built the rest of the team.

Adn this is one of the main responsibilities of the management, to keep the team together, and to keep them motivated.

And i also like the comparison with sports. It gives the picture in a very good way. The team has to share the same vision, strategy, and set the same goals and targets.

The winner on the field, is the one with the most skilled and motivated team.

Many greetings from Sweden

]]> By: Tom Foster http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3469 Tom Foster Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:12:27 +0000 http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3469 Thanks to Harpreet and John for important insights. It's great to see thinking going on. Thanks to Harpreet and John for important insights. It's great to see thinking going on.

]]> By: John http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3468 John Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:57:07 +0000 http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3468 I have to disagree with your sports analogy. Small teams can and do overturn great opponents. A good team on paper is no guarantee of a good team on the field. Surely hiring and firing are skills that are, or should be, rarely required? I could hire the greatest team in the world, but if I lacked good core management skills they would leave within months. I have to disagree with your sports analogy. Small teams can and do overturn great opponents. A good team on paper is no guarantee of a good team on the field.

Surely hiring and firing are skills that are, or should be, rarely required? I could hire the greatest team in the world, but if I lacked good core management skills they would leave within months.

]]> By: Harpreet http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3467 Harpreet Tue, 12 Sep 2006 10:11:49 +0000 http://www.managementblog.org/archives/2006/09/12/469/#comment-3467 I do not believe "hiring and firing" are the key skills required. It is very important but not the critical skill. Moreover a manager may not have the liberty to choose people. A manager may choose the right people but may end up doing all the work himself. Another manager may choose "ok" people but may trust his employees enough to distribute work and also be able to keep their motivation level high. "Trust and Motivation" are for me the barriers that a manager faces. Harpreet I do not believe "hiring and firing" are the key skills required. It is very important but not the critical skill.
Moreover a manager may not have the liberty to choose people.

A manager may choose the right people but may end up doing all the work himself. Another manager may choose "ok" people but may trust his employees enough to distribute work and also be able to keep their motivation level high.

"Trust and Motivation" are for me the barriers that a manager faces.

Harpreet

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