A Conversation on Management in the Public Sector
A web article based on remarks by William A. Eaton
Assistant US Secretary of State for Administration (2001-2005) with some useful ideas about management for everyone particularly public sector and development sector folks
Good morning, everyone. I want to talk to you today about reframing the conversation on management in the State Department. Let me start out with some bad news. And that is, Secretary Powell is going to be leaving us. Maybe not right away, but he’s going to be leaving in 2005, or 2009, or some time. And the question that brings to mind is, how do we sustain the sorts of management improvements that we’ve seen over the last several years once Secretary Powell leaves?…
Six Realities of Change Management
There are lot’s of things to take care of when introducing change in an organization - and there are lot’s of myths and hype as well about what works and what doesn’t. Change management is as complex as human beings are - so there aren’t any easy answers or recipes for success. But here’s a list of 6 key things to keep in mind as you think about creating a toolkit for change in your workplace…
Well-Rounded Teams
This is a brief extract from an article by Tom Rath and Barry Conchie that is adapted from the book “Strengths Based Leadership”
Individuals don’t have to be well-rounded, but teams should be
Gallup research based on study of thousands of executive teams has indicated that while members of a team may have their own unique strengths, the best teams had an overall grouping of certain strengths. In fact, it seems there are 4 principal domains of strength (arising as an aggregate of unique strengths of team members) that seem to exist in successful teams…
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The Management Octagon - 8 Ingredients for Organizational Succcess
Jack Welch, the great corporate giant who turned GE into a huge success, had a way of simplifying matters - he said that all things that are important in a business, whether it is a nuclear power plant or a corner grocery store, are the same : people, quality, service and cash flow. He mentioned a number of his strategies and insights for managerial and organizational success in his books and lectures. The following 8 (the management octagon if you like) are our favorites…
Double your Presentation Impact
Delivering effective presentations is a skill that is polished with practice and experience and there are no magic short-cuts. But here are some simple communication strategies that you can easily use to create additional impact in your presentation no matter where you are on the experience curve…
Persuasion - 3 Key Principles
People are persuaded to say yes to your product, service, idea, initiative, approach etc based on the quality of your proposition AND a positive impression about you. But how does one ensure this positive impression and enhance personal credibility?…
How We Really Make Decisions..
Ask one of your colleagues or a fellow manager or this person trapped inside your body how they make decisions and the answer is usually a considered and sensible one. “I think through all the available information and facts and look at all the alternatives and possibilities then decide”. Oh yeah? Not likely! The reality is that ninety times out of hundred, we make lazy, uninformed and emotional decisions that are based on the way we think about the world and the people around us…
