Eric Jacobson On Management And Leadership

According to David Grossman , author of the new book, You Can't Not Communicate -2 , here are eight things employees say managers don't do: Don't keep employees informed. Don't explain the "why" behind decisions. Don't communicate frequently enough and in a timely way. Don't update employees on changes happening in the business. Don't share regular business updates and how the team is performing. Don't ask for feedback. Don't ask for or listen to concerns. Don't act on feedback (or at least close the loop as to why feedback wasn't incorporated into a decision) This is a great reminder for leaders of what not to do.  And, perhaps number 8 on the list is the one where most managers fall short -- not explaining why they didn't incorporate feedback into their final decision.

There's a great article in the June issue of the Harvard Business Review by   Daniel Kahneman that includes a 12-question checklist that is designed to unearth cognitive biases of teams making recommendations that leaders take into consideration before they make their decisions. The questions include those the leaders should ask themselves and questions they should use to challenge the people proposing a course of action.  Here are some of the recommended questions : Is there any reason to suspect the team making the recommendation is motivated by self-interest? Has the team fallen in love with its proposal? Were the dissenting options within the team explored adequately? Are credible alternatives included along with the recommendation? Are the recommenders overly attached to a history of past decisions? Is the recommending team overly cautious? Where did the worst case scenario come from?  How sensitive is the recommendation...

Southwest Airlines is celebrating its 40th year and was kind enough to share in its in-flight magazine 40 lessons it learned since 1971.  The lessons provide good tips for business leaders. If you missed the full list, here are some of the highlights: Invent your own culture and put a top person in charge of it .  A crisis can contain the germ of a big idea . Simplicity has value .  For Southwest, simplicity means using 737s for most of its fleet, which makes maintenance more cost-effective and allows more efficient training for flight crews and ground crews. Remember your chief mission . Take your business, not yourself, seriously. Put the worker first .  For Southwest, that meant being the first U.S. airline to offer a profit-sharing plan, in 1974.  Employees now own 13 percent of the airline. The web ain't cool, it's a tool .  Southwest was the first U.S. airline to establish a home page.  By 2010, Southwest.com boasted more unique visit...

As a leader, you likely have asked yourself, " How do I want to be remembered as a leader ?" But, perhaps the more important question is, " How will I be remembered as a leader ?" The answer to that question is likely going to be based on the valuable lessons you shared with those you led, among other things. The Kansas City Star newspaper last year wrote a story about Marion Laboratories and its 60th anniversary. In its heyday, Marion had 3,400 employees with sales of nearly $1 billion and in 1989 merged with Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Ewing Kauffman, fondly known as Mr. K, led Marion during its peak, and is remembered as one of the most effective, influential leaders ever in the Kansas City area. Former employees quoted in the newspaper article remember Mr. Kauffman as a leader who shared these lessons with them: "You can do anything you want if you set your mind to it and if you study your competition." "You can...

Can't decide what one business book to take on your summer vacation to accompany your "fun-reading" books?  I recommend David Grossman's, You Can't Not Communicate, 2 ."  Why, because this updated installment of his previous best-seller with virtually the same title is an easy read and one you can finish in an afternoon. More important, David gives you lots of practical, real-world, wise, straight-forward advice on how to communicate more effectively as a leader -- all tips and techniques you can start to do when you return from vacation.  So, taking an afternoon to read this book even while you are on vacation will be well worth it! Particularly helpful are the: Top 10 must-do strategies for persuasive presentations Five easy strategies for managing the company rumor mill Twelve must-have skills for effective two-way communication David also explains: the importance of having a "messagemap" ways leaders at all ...

Walk up to the order taker at the new Unforked restaurant in Overland Park, KS and you'll be greeted with, " How may I make you smile ?" Chances are just hearing that will make you smile. And, how refreshing that is to hear versus, "How may I help you?" This small, but creative wording change is a sign that the leader of the team at Unforked is thinking out of the box . As out of the box as the menu you'll find at Unforked, which includes burgers, tacos, salads, quesadillas and tortas -- all with a variety of out-of-the-ordinary ingredients. The new restaurant is a Sheridan's invention; the same company that serves its signature frozen custard from a number of locations throughout Greater Kansas City. Jim Sheridan, founder of Sheridan's Frozen Custard traveled the U.S. for the past 18 months researching restaurant concepts. Unforked's menu options reflect the growing trend toward offering foods that are free from gluten, antibiotics and hormon...

Twenty-some years ago, my supervisor taught me to ask job candidates, " If you are stranded on an island and could choose to have with you only one book and one magazine, which book and magazine would you choose ?" Over the years, some of the same books and magazines were often named by many respondents, but the range of mentioned books and magazines was quite varied.  As the candidate's future leader, his/her answer gave me a deeper insight into that person , particularly when I would ask the person to provide the reason for their choice. But, what does one ask today?  Perhaps the new question is, " If you are stranded on an island and could choose only one media channel, which one would you choose ?"  And, perhaps you offer the candidate this list of options instead of leaving the question open-ended: Facebook Twitter Google Yahoo Hulu I wonder if the answers to this media channel question will be as, more, or less revealing than...