SkillInside

Planning has long been one of the cornerstones of management. Early in the twentieth century  Henri Fayol  identified the job of managers as to plan, organize, command, coordinate, and control. The capacity and willingness of managers to plan developed throughout the century.  Management by Objectives  (MBO) became the height of corporate fashion in the late 1950s. The world appeared predictable. The future could be planned. It seemed sensible, therefore, for executives to identify their objectives. They could then focus on managing in such a way that these objectives were achieved. This was the capitalist equivalent of the Communist system’s five-year plans. In fact, one management theorist of the 1960s  suggested  that the best managed organizations in the world were the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, the Roman Catholic Church and the Communist Party. The belief was that if the future was mapped out, it would happen. Later, MBO evolved into ...

We love to complicate leadership in countless books, articles, and insights, but there is no formula. However, there is this gem that guides all great leaders. I've got a leadership challenge for you. You can do better. Read on. If the rift in popular sentiment around political leadership tells us anything, it's that we still value leaders, especially great ones. It is human nature to want someone at the helm to whom we can entrust the hardest decisions, even if we may vehemently disagree with him or her on them. It's not different in any field of human endeavor. From the Whitehouse to the boardroom to the playing field, we seek out the qualities that earn a person the mantle of leader. It's no surprise that so much is written about leadership. This month alone I've counted 24 articles posted  that speak directly to leadership. And that's typical. You'd think that with all of the attention paid to leadership, with all that's writte...

Long-term entrepreneurial success requires not just putting in the hours but using them well. Becoming a successful entrepreneur doesn’t happen overnight. While it’s possible to gain short-term success quickly, turning that into long-term success requires a mindset shift. Long-term success doesn’t come from luck or working extra hard for a month or two; it comes from having the right habits in place. Harvard Business Review recently published a study of nearly 30 CEOs (most leading large public companies), recording how each used his or her time over the course of a quarter. The CEOs’ executive assistants tracked their time in 15-minute segments, and the findings were consistent: These CEOs average 9.7 working hours every weekday, 3.9 hours on weekends and 2.4 hours on vacation days. Not everyone can lead a huge company to success, but those who do share some unique habits. It’s not enough to work long hours; those hours have to be put to good use. Here are five daily...

From one Sales person to another: The key to success in sales is doing what you are supposed to do. Success always follows the best prepared, self-believers, self-taught masters of their craft, risk takers of opportunity, responsible people. Unfortunately, success is an illusion to many, especially talented, lazy people who refuse to listen, learn and change. I am constantly amazed, but not surprised to see "Average" individuals emerge victorious. These folks consistently execute a simple but effective set of daily disciplines. They combine them with dedication and cap it off with desire. The result is most always " Success ". They recognize change as a constant. They learned if you don't change, you have not learned at all. For those of you willing to take a step towards success. I encourage you to look at the simple list below. If you are content where you are , it’s time to delete this message like all the other ones you ig...