Moving out of the box

Moving out of the box

In today’s world that is featured by information overload, speed and technology in all activities, the building of a constructive and efficient decision process is a cornerstone to become more efficacious and productive both in the profession and the private life. Twsm has interviewed Jana Kemp on this topic, on occasion of her recent book “Moving out of the box”.

twsm In which way have the new tools (web, e-mail etc..) changed the decision process?

jk Now many people get over-loaded by the volume of information available and can find themselves unable to make a decision at all. On the positive side, communication technologies do help people to gather information and keep in contact to manage post-decision implementation. Decision making processes are constructive when a clear

decision is made (whether it is a “yes” or a “no” decision); when people know exactly what they are to do as a result of the decision; and when people are committed to completing the actions needed to implement the decision

twsm Collaboration, Consensus, Cooperation, Command and Control: the words for “moving out the of the box”?

jk Collaboration – to work together willingly and share information freely so that decisions can be made. Consensus – to come to consensus means that a general agreement has been reached, without having taken a vote. Cooperation – to work together on a common effort or for a common benefit. Decisions may be reached by consensus or by taking a vote. Command and Control – This form of decision making can happen in two ways. First, a vote can be taken and the majority of the group’s vote is the resulting decision. Second, one person or an authorized team, can make a decision and direct others as to what action to take. In Moving Out of the Box, my primary point is that there is a time for making decisions by consensus and a time for making command and control decisions. For instance, when commitment to participate is needed by a large group of people, when time is available for generating solutions, and when a group or team is willing to share information, then making a decision by consensus can work. When time is limited or when a decision is needed urgently, then a command and control decision is the right one. I strongly believe that in this millennium, our business and government leaders need to be masters of both consensus and command and control decision making approaches. Employees expect to participate in making decisions. And employees expect to see leaders in charge and making decisions when a situation demands it.

twsm A checklist for Making Decisions Easier?

jk 1. Determine who must be included in making the decision. Who has the right knowledge? Who has the right authority to make the decision? Who will have the authority to implement the decision? Make sure the right people are invited to the decision table. 2.Gather relevant information about the costs, resources needed, staffing needs, available equipment and supplies, and all data that needs to be considered when making the decision. Be sure to share it with the people involved in making the decision. Agree not to keep information hidden from others. Good decisions are made when relevant information can be accessed. 4.Use the mindsets to invite people into the decision-making conversation. Everyone has a valuable and relevant idea or life experience to share in the decision making process. 5.When time is short, use a command and control decision and take a vote or have one person make the decision. 6.When a reasonable amount of time is available before the decision must be made, and when involving others in the decision making is important, use a consensus approach to making the decision”.

Alan Weiss; nancy

MacKay, The Talent

Advantage: How to Attract and Retain the Best and

the Brightest, John Wiley & Sons 203pp. ¤ 20,06 In today’s business world, traditional battles about market share, inexpensive labor, and time-tomarket are being superseded by a more fundamental and essential need: the quest for talent. This won’t be a mere battle, but an all out war, as organizations reach across traditional geopolitical and cultural borders to attract and retain the best and the brightest. In their work with hundreds of managers in particular and thousands of executives in general, the authors have discovered that the manager is the point person for this talent search. Extraordinary management is the key to the decisions, structures, processes, “and personal example” that attracts, secures, nurtures, and retains talent.

Todd L. Pittinsky,

Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference (Leadership for the Common

Good), Harvard Business School Press Book 288 pp. $ 35,00 Bringing groups together is a central and unrelenting task of leadership. CEOs must nudge their executives to rise above divisional turf battles, mayors try to cope with gangs in conflict, and leaders of many countries face the realities of sectarian violence. Crossing the Divide introduces cutting-edge research and insight into these age-old problems. Edited by Todd Pittinsky of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, this collection of essays brings together two powerful scholarly disciplines: intergroup relations and leadership. What emerges is a new mandate for leaders to reassess what have been regarded as some very successful tactics for building group cohesion. Leaders can no longer just “rally the troops.” Instead they must employ more positive means to span boundaries, affirm identity, cultivate trust, and collaborate productively. In this multidisciplinary volume, highly regarded business scholars, social psychologists, policy experts, and interfaith activists provide not only theoretical frameworks around these ideas, but practical tools and specific case studies as well. Examples from around the world and from every sector - corporate, political, and social - bring to life the art and practice of intergroup leadership in the twenty-first century.

Timothy Keiningham, Lerzan Aksoy, Why Loyalty Matters: The Groundbreaking Approach to Rediscovering Happiness, Meaning and Lasting Fulfillment in Your

Life and Work, Benbella Books 246 pp , ¤ 20,06 Loyalty-and its many ramifications-is the subject of the book, Why Loyalty Matters In. The authors offer readers a fresh way to view happiness and find more fulfillment in all facets of life. If you are a business owner or manager and want to improve your company in countless ways, show employees you deserve their loyalty. Beyond the workplace, however, loyalty is essential to maintaining stable family and personal relationships, high-functioning communities, and even governments. The authors demonstrate how loyalty is being undermined all around us-by market pressures, fragmented families and communities, and even technology-and point out the negative consequences of this trend. But they also provide solutions-practical ways to build more loyal connections with others in your personal and professional relationships, and reap significant benefits. Bill George, Sev-

en Lessons for

Leading in Crisis, Jossey-Bass 160 pp, $19,95 From business giant Bill George, the acclaimed author of Wall Street Journal’s bestseller True North, comes the just-intime guide for anyone in a leadership position facing today’s unprecedented economic challenges. The former CEO of Medtronic draws from his own in-the-trenches experience and lessons from leaders (representing an array of companies) who have weathered tough economic storms. With straight talk and clear directions, George shows leaders specifically what they must do to become strong leaders and survive any crisis. His seven lessons include: Face Reality, Starting with Yourself; Never Waste a Good Crisis; and Be Aggressive: This is Your Best Chance to Win in the Market. Seven Lessons for Leading in Crisis is a survival kit for anyone in a leadership position. Shawn Smith JD, Rebecca Mazin, HR

Answer Book, The: An Indispensable Guide for Managers and Human Resources Profes-

sionals, Amacom, 235 pp. $24,95 The HR Answer Book addresses 200 questions that every employer needs to deal with, from recruiting and hiring to discipline and termination, compensation and benefits to training and employee relations. Accessible and concise, this on-the-job companion offers expert guidance on all types of ”people” issues, enabling managers and human resources professionals to: save time, money, and trouble; increase employee productivity, satisfaction, and retention; attract and hire the best candidates while avoiding the inferior ones ; handle tough issues like sexual harassment, Internet and email usage, performance problems, and more -- fairly, sensitively, and legally. The HR Answer Book is an easy-touse problem solver that can be read cover-to-cover or as a quick reference in specific situations. An appendix of tools, templates, and lists of additional resources completes this excellent and valuable guide.

Adrian Robert Gostick, Chester Elton The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People, Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance,

Free Press 235 pp. ¤ 18,49 Revealing the groundbreaking results of one of the most in-depth management studies ever undertaken, The Carrot Principle shows definitively that the central characteristic of the most successful managers is that they provide their employees with frequent and effective recognition. With independent results from HealthStream Research, and analysis by bestselling leadership experts Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton, this breakthrough study of 200,000 people over ten years found dramatically greater business results when managers offered constructive praise and meaningful rewards in ways that powerfully motivated employees to excel. These managers lead with carrots, not sticks, and in doing so achieve higher:productivity, engagement, retention. In a new chapter, Gostick and Elton report on the results of an extensive study, conducted by leading research authority Towers Perrin, that confirms the extraordinary effectiveness of the Carrot Principle approach all around the globe.