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Management Observation Program Best Practice 2 – Program Alignment with Established Performance Standards

April 21, 2009 /0 Comments/in , /by

The goal of any observation program is to promote adherence to the performance standard delineated by management in order to consistently achieve superior results. Additionally, observation program credibility exists when those being observed can expect both repeatable evaluations by one manager and consistent evaluations by different managers for a given job performance relative to established standards. Therefore, management observations must be aligned with and focus on those critical standards required to ensure outstanding performance.

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 12 – An Interview with Nat Stoddard, author of The Right Leader

April 16, 2009 /0 Comments/in , , /by

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 12 explores the challenges and solutions to selecting executives who possess the needed skills and experiences while also being a good fit with the organization’s culture.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:05 — 55.1MB)

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Tactical Execution Best Practice 3 – Timely Reporting of Activity Status

April 14, 2009 /0 Comments/in , /by

Rarely does unique, creative, or exploratory work complete on-time and on-budget (accounting for personnel, material, and financial resources). Although planners make every effort to accurately predict task needs, the many variables and uncertainties associated with these types of tasks make highly accurate planning nearly impossible. Even highly repetitive tasks can suffer from unforeseeable circumstances that delay their performance or raise costs. Subsequently, buffers are often added to work plans to accommodate for the uncertainty. At times, these buffers aren’t enough. On other occasions, excess time and/or resources remain. Only through timely communication of activity status can managers proactively prioritize and adjust their operations or project plans to accommodate the unknown and recover excess time and resources.

Project Management Best Practice 4 – Team Calendar

April 9, 2009 /0 Comments/in , /by

Project complexity seems to increase exponentially with team size. Larger teams require greater division of work and additional managers and supervisors to oversee these disparate efforts. Subsequently, the number of meetings increases to coordinate and align efforts between work groups, communication with stakeholders, and gather requirements and ideas from the organization’s subject matter experts. Absent meeting coordination, team members and line organization sponsors and participants become increasingly double and triple booked; causing individual frustration and diminishing the team’s effectiveness credibility.

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 11 – An Interview with Marshall Goldsmith, author of Succession

April 2, 2009 /0 Comments/in , , /by

StrategyDriven Podcast Special Edition 11 – An Interview with Marshall Goldsmith, author of Succession explores the personal issues that arise during executive succession and how to overcome them; achieving a positive outcome for the departing leader, the successor, and the organization.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 32:44 — 45.0MB)

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