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Improving the Practice of Management

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In Focus: A new deal

Charles Handy, the British management thinker and author, once said that “…most of management seems common sense. The trick is to glimpse the sense before it becomes common. That’s what gives you the competitive edge.” Mr. Handy was referring to and explaining the phenomenon of the management guru. Nevertheless, his words have particular value for management and labour today, at the auto companies and other organizations trying to come to grips with this recession. Some organizations are searching for a “new model;” others are wondering if capitalism is on the brink. They may be headed in the right direction, but my own feeling about what could work, and what offers the most hope, is based neither on introspection nor ideology. My best feeling is based on what’s probably been on the minds – though not on the negotiating table – of managers and workers for some time, that “us versus them” no longer works, and that a new deal must be struck. Trust must be built and attention must be paid to the enduring contribution that management and labour collaboration can make to the success of the organization. To me, this seems like eminent common sense.
Stephen Bernhut
Editor



 

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May/June 2009

REAL LABOUR-MANAGEMENT TEAMWORK: AN IDEA WHOSE TIME IS DUE
by Chris Piper
Never has the time been better to replace "us versus them" with collaboration on the factory floor and in the C-Suite. This author has excellent suggestions for building the foundation – and the trust.
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WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, JOE DIMAGGIO? JUST WHAT IS REALLY GREAT BUSINESS PERFORMANCE
by Michael E. Raynor, Mumtaz Ahmed and Andrew D. Henderson
Are the companies that are often held up as "success" stories really great performers or merely just average? These authors separate the wheat from the chaff.
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HOW GENERAL MOTORS LOST ITS FOCUS – AND ITS WAY
by Roger More
Cash is king, and never more so than in a liquidity crisis. Hard to fathom, perhaps, but a lack of cash can turn the once high and mighty into a mere supplicant.
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THE ORIGINS OF GLOBALIZATION: A CANADIAN PERSPECTIVE
by Karl Moore and David Lewis
The past can inform the present, which is why Canada can learn valuable lessons from the habits of highly successful trading nations of a long time ago.
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A BETTER WAY TO PLAN YOUR NEXT IT INNOVATION
by Rita Gunther McGrath
Uncertainty can tyrannize and derail important IT projects. This author describes how to manage that uncertainty and keep key personnel and projects on course.
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GLOW: THE NEW GREAT WORK EXPERIENCE
by Lynda Gratton
Radiating energy, in the way we work and the way we communicate, creates value for ourselves and the organization. Surprisingly, perhaps, it's a skill that can be learned, and this author has practical suggestions we can all use to make us "glow."
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MEGACOMMUNITIES AS TALENT MAGNETS
by Christopher Kelly
The company that can create a megacommunity - a values-based organization that is part of a larger community - will attract the best, young talent today. Here's valuable advice for winning that all-important war for talent.
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MANAGING A PORTFOLIO OF GROWTH OPTIONS: THE STRATEGIC TRADEOFFS BETWEEN GROWTH AND RISK
by Donald Baer and Bill Liabotis
Managers who assess options for growth and the risk profile for each option will be able to make more informed decisions once they’ve read this article.
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DOWNSIZING ISN’T WHAT IT’S CRACKED UP TO BE
by Henry Hornstein
It's often called a "last resort" but as this author describes, downsizing would never become an option if managers considered other tactics for creating efficiencies.
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