Interpersonal skills

Denial dogged my travels around the world these past weeks. At a World Economic Forum gathering in Dubai just before Dubai World’s debt problems made headlines, the head Sheikh touted Dubai’s superiority over the West for problems that Dubai had seemingly avoided. But the idle cranes and empty buildings I saw were monuments to denial […]

If Marketing and Finance can learn to get along, both can advance their agendas.

Were you among the hundreds of thousands of passengers recently stranded when American Airlines grounded more than 3,000 flights in less than a week? If yes, I can tell you who to credit, yes, credit — Bobby Boutris and Douglas Peters. Never heard of them? Well, you should have, for they have done no less […]

Facing a crisis or an opportunity, leaders often fall back on the leadership style that has worked for them in the past. But to be effective, they need...

What to actually say to spark conversation.

Four practices to help us bridge divisions and restore a sense of community.

Recently the top executives of a major manufacturing plant in the Chicago area were asked to survey the role that listening plays in their work. Later, an executive seminar on listening was held. Here are three typical comments made by participants: “Frankly, I had never thought of listening as an important subject by itself. But […]

As a manager, you are responsible for clarifying an organization's direction and communicating team members' roles in supporting it.

This one little word can dramatically shift the tone of a conversation.

In this fictional case, an associate director of business development at a gaming company is selected for a prestigious cross-functional innovation group....

Lynne Tabor, an IT manager at manufacturing giant MMI, has a great team. Everyone works hard and gets along, except Max Dyer, a talented programmer who...

Soft management does not mean weak management, says William Peace in this 1991 article. It means candor, openness, and vulnerability, but it also means...

Seek to understand your boss as a whole person. Learn as much as you can about your boss's life goals, beliefs, and cultural background.

Sure, you could just argue with them. But if you have to work together, here are more productive ways for everyone to win.

A study found that when managers solicit ideas from employees, they often unconsciously take credit for them.

You and your boss play key roles in each other's success. Take the initiative in managing this important relationship by getting to know your boss well...

Avoid complaints and ultimatums.

Most executives know the basics of negotiation; some are spectacularly adept. Yet even experienced negotiators routinely leave money on the table, end...

Don't let your impulses run the show.

Operational budgets usually consist of a projected income statement and a series of supporting statements, such as budgeted sales, production costs and...