Will Executives Listen to their Employees via Towers Perrin?

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 24, 2007 

You’ve heard the phrase, living well is the best revenge?? I must say it does bring a smile to my face when organizations pay me, as an external consultant, several times what I was making as an internal consultant?to say the same things they reviled me for saying while working inside an organization. In that […]

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Rethinking Accountability – Because the Hog Won’t Butcher Himself

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 23, 2007 

The?Nobel prize in economics was just awarded to a team that developed Mechanism Design, i.e. a design for arranging economic interactions so that when everyone behaves in a self-interested manner, the result is something we all like.? This includes the idea of Incentive Compatibility, i.e. the concept that way to get as close as possible […]

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Talent Management – Finding Our Way without a Map

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 20, 2007 

My family will be eating food on a toothpick for breakfast, lunch, and dinner this week, as no one showed at my party last night.? Could it have been the directions? It seems organizations are having the same issue with Talent Management.? Everyone wants to go there, but without a common language and total-systems model […]

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An Apology to My Seven Bosses – On National Bosses Day

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 16, 2007 

Having left the corporate world over 10 years ago, I believe I have enough distance and insight on the situation to offer a formal apology. Former bosses – I’m sorry.? My zest for achievement combined with my uninhibited extroversion likely made your?job as my manager?less than comfortable. I’m also sorry that the organizations for which […]

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Embedding Corporate Values into Operations Via Organization Design

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 16, 2007 

I talked yesterday about how exceptional customer service flows from sound organization design.???Regardless of?well-articulated and well-intentioned corporate values statements, your face-to-customer staff are your values ambassadors.? Although “customer focus” is a frequently cited corporate value, executives admit they have no best practices for embedding corporate values into operations.? This?shows in the disconnect between what is […]

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Exceptional Customer Service Flows from Sound Organization Design

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 15, 2007 

As you make your way through the world as a consumer, how often are you pleasantly surprised by the service you receive?? For me, I suspect it’s about 5% of the time.? What values do many face-to-customer systems telegraph? In spite of what a company’s corporate values proclaim, customers are an afterthought, if a thought […]

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What Values Does Your Talent Management System Telegraph?

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 14, 2007 

Despite what the corporate values statement on your website says, your organization?s actions speak louder than your lofty words.? I have seen very few sane-making talent management systems.? How many talent management systems reflect the following value set??? Employees are inherently broken and must be motivated, bribed, and coerced into giving their best. Although our […]

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Looking for Leaders – No Personality Required

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 12, 2007 

Leadership: the ability to set purpose or direction for others and then get them to move along in that direction with competence and full commitment –Elliott Jaques. Within organizations, leadership is an accountability of all managers. Leadership ability could fall into the hands of an intuitive, a senser, an extrovert, an introvert, a thinker, a […]

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We Don’t Work for Companies; We Work for Managers

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 11, 2007 

?Managers trump companies,? states First, Break All the Rules. Company reputation aside, as far as employees are concerned, one bad manager spoils the job. Despite perks and generous benefits, an employee?s relationship with her immediate manager will determine how long she stays and how productive she is. What do we want from managers? (A recap […]

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Misguided Motivation Attempts – Put Down that Carrot and that Stick and that Hot Dog

By Michelle Malay Carter on October 10, 2007 

Human beings are pre-programmed to be motivated to work. We, as a society, agree that bullying is not the way to motivate employees, although some managers resort to it. So, no question, the stick is out. But is the carrot all it?s held up to be? Instead of casual Fridays and employee picnics, why not […]

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