Industrial Management - November/December 2010
Contributors in this issue
Ask for a plan
By Dan Carrison
Asking employees for a brief, written plan where they describe how they intend to fulfill your instructions is the surest way to know that your subordinate has understood the mission thoroughly. It is also the surest way to know if you, as a manager, have communicated effectively.
By Society for Engineering and Management Systems Board
Toni Doolen details how engineering management can improve processes in healthcare, while Garry Coleman shows how professional service organizations should offer customers the right solution – which might not be the most technically advanced one.
How to train across cultures
By Mariah E. deForest
Special training can help transition foreign-born Hispanic workers into the ranks of supervision. Paying attention to differences in culture and leadership style can yield benefits to U.S. businesses for years to come as the country becomes more demographically Latino.
Is your organization a target?
By David J. Glew, Stephen C. Harper and Jonathan D. Rowe
Managers blind-sided by waves of change keep asking “How could we have seen this coming?” Being a little paranoid, understanding the limitations of mental models, considering different future scenarios, and practicing anticipatory management can help managers reduce their organization’s vulnerability, give it an edge over reactive competitors and contribute to its lasting success.
Building accountability and commitment
By Richard Lepsinger
Proper accountability includes setting people up for success and having a system to learn from mistakes. Failure to hold people accountable could lead to employees viewing you as an ineffective leader, which could infect the workplace with a culture of blame.
Profit from global capital flows
By Peter S. Cohan and Srinivasa Rangan
Cutting costs can save only so much money before investors want to see revenue growth. Using global capital flows and a solid methodology, managers of industries can increase revenues by merging with or acquiring companies in rapidly growing markets. Just be sure to consider the targeted market’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.