Crises and Firefighting: How to Avoid Managing by Exception

"Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude." -- Colin Powell, former four-star general and U.S. Secretary of State. In recent years, I've observed the increasing popularity of "management by exception" in business. This concept basically boils down to leaders making decisions and assessing performance based on significant deviations from a project's goals, while otherwise ignoring its daily execution. Leaders who practice it don't want to be bothered unless something goes seriously wrong. But there’s a difference being agile and being disengaged. Given the nature of business today, this comes as no surprise. First of all, fewer managers juggling more projects means they can spend less time on traditional management, even as they face demands for higher productivity. New … [Read more...]

Business Productivity: Crises are Flying Saucers

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), gives advice on mitigating the effects of unexpected crises. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]