Management – Erik Van Slyke

The Importance of Trust . . . It’s Not What You Think

August 28, 2020

A few weeks ago I was talking with a project manager who wanted an assessment of his team’s capability. The project was moving along without significant problems, but was approaching an intense period with several critical milestones. The project manager felt unsettled because his team was not providing the analysis and insight he expected. “I don’t think … More The Importance of Trust . . . It’s Not What You Think

Stop Hiding Behind Jargon

June 1, 2011

One of the surest signs that change leaders don’t know what they are doing is the excessive use of jargon. It’s easy to spot. Just listen for words like strategic, alignment, partnering, values, sustained, vision, execution, branding, methodology, governance, scalable, global, integrated, empowerment, enablement, or any other intelligent-sounding, yet empty clichés that assume speakers have … More Stop Hiding Behind Jargon

Read the Instructions

May 17, 2011

“When all else fails, read the instructions.” That simple, seven-word warning ought to appear on the instruction manual for everything that comes unassembled. It should appear in bold face, large font letters on every purchase from Ikea, every home theater system, every backyard play set, and every brightly-colored, multi-part plastic child’s toy packaged in an … More Read the Instructions

The Importance of Yellow Brick Roads

August 5, 2010

Change is a lot like going from Oz to Kansas. On one hand, it’s as uncomplicated as closing your eyes, clicking the heels of your ruby slippers and willing yourself from one place to another. Individuals and organizations have the ability to make change that simple—an uncomplicated choice, a straightforward decision, a path taken with … More The Importance of Yellow Brick Roads

Lead Like a Great Conductor

June 18, 2010

Orchestra conductors must exercise a unique style of leadership. They must listen intently, and without saying a word, draw out strong performances from their orchestras. This requires that they learn to be the ultimate collaborators, understand the unique capabilities of each musician and decide how best to blend them into a coherent whole. In this … More Lead Like a Great Conductor

Beyond How To’s

June 14, 2010

How to love. How to live. How to fix anything. How to lose weight. How to stop worrying. How to find your passion. How to train your dog, bird, cat or dragon. How to make money. How to get into college. How to stay in college. How to interview. How to get a job. How … More Beyond How To’s

Despots, Group Think and the Ugly Side of Institutional Optimism

June 11, 2010

In my personal life, I am an optimist. I believe fully in the power of positive thinking and the value of spreading good cheer wherever I go, if only because it makes life more fun and enjoyable. But when it comes to managing change, I believe in realism. A key component of the Architecture of … More Despots, Group Think and the Ugly Side of Institutional Optimism

Motivation Is Not About the Money

June 9, 2010

The economic crisis has called into question the pay practices of some of the nation’s largest financial services companies. In particular, the Federal Reserve and other regulatory organizations have found that many of the bonus and incentive programs led executives to make decisions that not only contributed to the worst financial crisis since the Great … More Motivation Is Not About the Money

The Mindset of a Great Boss

June 2, 2010

Robert Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University, has been researching great bosses for many years. His last book was the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t. His work suggests a number of techniques and behaviors that research has shown good bosses … More The Mindset of a Great Boss

Getting the Best Out of People

May 28, 2010

Why don’t we get the best out of people? It’s simple, really. Most “modern” corporations kill human capability the way we strip-mine and deplete the earth of natural resources. Think about it. We hire bright, ambitious, enthusiastic young people fresh out of the hope and idealism of school. We stick them in cubicles under fluorescent … More Getting the Best Out of People

Erik Van Slyke

Building Organizational Capacity to Lead Change

Tag: Management