Life Lessons From Benjamin Franklin - Business Insider Benjamin Franklin was a man of action. Over his lifetime, his curiosity and passion fueled a diverse range of interests. He was a writer (often using a pseudonym), publisher, diplomat, inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. His inventions included the lightning rod, bifocals and the Franklin stove. Franklin was responsible for establishing the first public library, organizing fire fighters in Philadelphia, was one of the early supporters of mutual insurance and crossed the Atlantic eight times. Benjamin Franklin was clearly a man who knew how to get things done. 14 Action Inducing LessonsLess Talk, More Action “Well done is better than well said.”Talk is cheap. “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.” This is probably one of the first quotes I remember hearing as a teenager. Be Prepared “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” You need a plan to accomplish your goals. Don’t Fight Change “When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” Wise Up
Confessions of an Ex-Manager Before I started writing full-time in 2001, I was a corporate manager for a large consumer electronics retailer. I had a large staff, mostly writers and designers plus a few business analysts. Now nearing the 10-year anniversary of my exit from the corporate world, I’ve decided to look back and evaluate how I did as a manager. In some ways, the passion and drive I have to succeed helped me get to a fairly high-ranking position, just one level away from the vice president of a then 50,000-plus employee company. 1. Many entrepreneurs I know suggest the old walk around the office to chit-chat with employees. 2. I made plenty of mistakes with my staff, but the one that sticks out the most was how I tended to avoid building relationships. 3. I grew up in a home that avoided conflict at all costs, so I overcompensated for this upbringing by addressing conflict at every turn. 4. I was always told that managers get paid more for the sleepless nights. OK, those are my lessons learned.
When Choosing a Job, Culture Matters - Bill Barnett by Bill Barnett | 4:08 PM May 2, 2012 Some organizations will excite you. They’ll stimulate your success and growth. Others will be stressful. They may lead you to quit before you’ve accomplished much or learned what you hoped to. With the pressure (or excitement) of finding a new job, it’s all too easy to pursue a job opportunity or to accept an offer with only a hazy view of how the institution really operates. Sean (name has been changed) is a master at this. The next step was a return visit, after which he’d decide to accept the offer. Surprisingly, Sean turned down the offer. As he learned more about the company, Sean questioned how he’d be viewed as the first CAO in a company where everyone else focused on bottom-line results. “I asked how they’d keep score on me, how they’d really know I was making a difference,” he said. It’s not uncommon for job seekers to enter organizations without understanding the culture and come away disappointed. 1. 2. 3.
Et le bonheur dans tout ça, une exploration du cas Zappos (partie 1) Fondée en 1999, Zappos est un leader de la distribution en ligne aux Etats-Unis spécialisé depuis sa création dans la distribution de chaussures (plus de 1000 marques) qui représente encore autour de 80% de son chiffre d’affaires. Depuis quelques années l’entreprise s’est diversifiée dans la distribution de vêtements, d’accessoires, de matériel de plein air ou d’électronique.- 1,2 milliards de chiffre d’affaires.- Cinq sites : Zappos.com (site de vente de chaussures et quatre sites spécialisés : chaussures haut de gamme, street wear, running et outdoor).- 1500 employés. L’ambition de Zappos est de se distinguer par l’expérience qu’elle fait vivre à ses clients.Ce que l’entreprise réussit parfaitement. Elle est en effet reconnue comme un benchmark en matière de culture client. Zappos est aussi classée parmi les « best cies to work for » depuis trois ans : 23ème en 2009, 15ème en 2010 et 6ème en 2011. Le moteur du succès de Zappos est décrit dans le graphique ci-dessous. Règle 5 : Formez.
5 Phrases That Can Boost Employee Morale I left the company years ago for another but I still run into former colleagues. Usually the ensuing conversation involves something along the lines of, “Hey, did you hear about the (latest management decision I think is really stupid) at the plant?” This question was different. “You worked there for almost 20 years,” my ex-coworker said. “Is there anything you wish you could go back and do over?" I thought about it later. Instead I most regret the things I didn't say: To employees who reported to me, to some of my peers, and to at least one person I worked for. It's too late for me, but it’s not too late for you. “That was great how you...” Feel free to go back in time. “Can you help me...?” Even though I could tell he really wanted to participate, I never let him. Asking someone for help implicitly recognizes their skills and value. And there’s a bonus: You get help. “I'm sorry I didn't...” Say you're sorry. Say you're sorry, say why you're sorry, and take all the blame.
Nuggets of Storytelling Wisdom Nuggets of Storytelling Wisdom In this post, I return to one of my favourite themes that run through this blog: the importance of storytelling. Past posts on the subject include this one and this one. I recently came across a great TED Talk on storytelling by Andrew Stanton, a director and screenwriter at Pixar whose filmography includes the Toy Story series and Finding Nemo. In his talk—which opens with a ribald joke that didn’t offend me but did surprise me given that it was delivered at TED—Stanton speaks with noticeable emotion about how important storytelling is for human beings. Weaving personal anecdotes with short clips from movies on which has worked, he makes a compelling case for the power of a good story. Below is Stanton’s TED Talk. The next time you are working a story into a speech or presentation, have a look through those points. If you like what you've just read, why not share it with others? Like this: Like Loading... About John Zimmer
Coaching en entreprise : pourquoi ça coince par Nicolas Tissier - Chronique Management Retour sur une décennie d'émergence du coaching en France, un outil dont l'usage en entreprise reste en retrait par rapport aux pays anglo-saxons. Quelques éléments de diagnostic permettent de comprendre pourquoi et de dégager des perspectives d'évolution Au début des années 2000, la pratique du coaching en entreprise a pris son essor en Europe continentale avec les pratiques importées des États-Unis autour de l’école de Palo-Alto, de l’analyse transactionnelle ou encore de l’analyse systémique. Le coaching est un accompagnement individuel mené par un coach visant à permettre au coaché (manager ou executive) d’élaborer ses propres réponses aux questions ou problématiques qu'il ou elle rencontre dans son contexte professionnel (carrière, management d’équipes, gestion de conflit/stress, incertitudes…) pour augmenter sa performance individuelle au service de la performance collective.
Manager un négatif | Coaching de manager En tant que manager vous essayez de favoriser une attitude constructive dans votre équipe, dans un but d’efficacité. Vous avez compris que la contagion émotionnelle est à double tranchant dans l’équipe, et les mauvaises ondes peuvent nuire à la performance individuelle et globale. Alors quand un collaborateur se montre souvent râleur, critique, pessimiste, bref qu’il incarne le Schtroumph Négatif, que faire ? Comment s’y prendre pour prévenir une marée noire et assainir le climat de travail ? Je vous parle souvent de l’importance de notre perception. Vous l’observez quotidiennement autour de vous : devant une situation donnée, il peut y avoir autant de réactions que de personnes différentes. Ainsi, nous rencontrons parfois de vrais négatifs, des jamais contents. Parfois un regard négatif est utile, comme dans la critique : par exemple pour mettre en évidence un point de dysfonctionnement, un risque. Alors, comment manager un négatif ? Etape 1 : Observer et écouter Exemple : a) Recadrer Ex :
The Cost of Bad Project Management When it comes to project management, most organizations put their practices before their people. They place more emphasis on rational factors -- the process itself -- and less on emotional drivers that could lead to project excellence -- like their employees' engagement with the project and company. Large projects, especially those in the IT sectors, have a poor record. But forcing team members to adapt to project management processes and procedures makes it more likely that the project will fail. Gallup's behavioral economics research suggests a different, more powerful approach: behavior-based project management. Behavior-based project management applies the principles of behavioral economics to manage an organization's emotional economy. The high cost of failure Project management is integral to the business world. Yet large projects, especially those in the information technology sectors, have a poor record. Cost and time overruns also have a profound effect on national economies.
Make a Good Impression in 30 Seconds - Ron Ashkenas by Ron Ashkenas | 12:52 PM February 6, 2012 This post was co-authored with Holly Newman. Here in the U.S., the Super Bowl this weekend showed us the power of 30-second advertisements, and how influential they can be in promoting a company’s awareness. But how often do we craft our own 30-second spots with audiences that we want to influence? Most of us are not in the business of making TV commercials, but in conversations there is almost always a 30-second moment that can make the meeting memorable. Malcolm Gladwell touches on this phenomenon in his book, Blink. So how do you turn your moment into an award-winning spot? Capture your audience’s attention. Convey a clear message. Focus on differentiation. When you combine these three elements, you’ve got the potential for an influential “spot.” Our world is filled with noise, information, and distractions; so having someone’s undivided attention — even for 30 seconds — is an opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted.
8 Things Really Successful People Do Most people claim to want success. But not everyone is willing to do the hard work and the smart work to get there. Often opportunities present themselves and because people are distracted, they miss them or give up on them before things fully develop. Truly successful people don't leave much to chance. They are disciplined and focused. They constantly seek new methods to achieve more, in bigger and faster ways. 1. Fancy cars and houses are all well and good, but many foolishly focus on the byproducts of success, rather than concentrating on building sustainable success in the first place. 2. Success comes faster to those who are open, active learners. 3. People in your life require time. 4. Not all successful people are calm and nice. 5. Everyone has a vision of their own perfect body. 6. There are many highly successful people like Richard Branson and Warren Buffett who don't consider religion to be important or relevant. 7. Really successful people live by rules. 8. Like this post?
Réduisez votre temps de réunion de 90 % Comment réduire le temps consacré aux réunions de manière plus efficace. Suivre l'auteur sur LinkedIn "Les managers font bien les choses alors que les dirigeants prennent les bonnes décisions", Warren Bennis, universitaire et spécialiste en organisation. La plupart des conseils concernant les réunions se focalisent sur ‘comment’. Mais les efforts pour améliorer les réunions doivent démarrer par ‘quoi’. Pas en se réunissant plus rapidement sur les mêmes sujets mais en se réunissant sur moins de choses. Quel est Le Secret ? Le seul but d'une réunion est "de décider et de s'engager". Bien sûr, afin de décider et s'engager, il est nécessaire de partager l'information, suivre les progrès, fournir des mises à jour, réexaminer des documents, échanger des idées, analyser des options et évaluer les coûts et les avantages. Mais ce sont des objectifs intermédiaires, l'objectif final étant l’accomplissement Décider et s’engager La valeur de l'information Une Proposition qui Coûte Cher