Management Archives

3 Reasons Why We’re Addicted to Reactive Problem-Solving

Are you more likely to reach for an ambiguous solution or a clear one? How does a problem’s urgency affect your approach to solving it? Dan Heath argues that people should always strive for upstream solutions because they tend to have longer-lasting benefits and provide opportunities to reduce human suffering. But, we typically gravitate toward reactive problem-solving instead. Keep reading to learn three reasons why we’re biased in this direction.

Why Your Company Needs a Corporate Story & How to Craft One

Do you talk about your company’s timeline, only to have people tune out? How well do people know the journey that your organization is on? In his book Unleash the Power of Storytelling, Rob Biesenbach contends that you can make any message much more compelling by simply telling a story. He shares his practical template for a narrative that explains your company’s history, mission, and values in an engaging way. Read on to learn the importance of a corporate story and how to create one for your organization.

Upstream Data-Driven Solutions: Strategies & Challenges

When you’re implementing change, what metrics should you monitor? How can you protect the process when data fails you? In Upstream, Dan Heath explains how people can intentionally foster an upstream mindset to effect real change. He recommends several ways you can implement upstream solutions in any context. One of these is using data to guide experimentation. Read more to learn about data-driven solutions and some challenges that come with the territory.

How Storytelling in Presentations Sets Up & Bolsters a Message

Do you give presentations at work? Are you ever called on to make a toast? Does your company have an origin story that needs to be told? Stories have an important place in presentations, whether you’re pitching an idea, introducing a product, or giving a lecture. In Unleash the Power of Storytelling, Rob Biesenbach provides practical advice for using storytelling in presentations, including your corporate story and even a toast or eulogy. Keep reading to learn how to engage an audience by using storytelling in presentations.

Moving Upstream: Dan Heath’s Advice for Real Solutions

Do you want to solve a major problem in your organization or in society at large? How can you intentionally foster an upstream mindset with those around you? In Upstream, business writer Dan Heath explains a strategy for focusing energy on proactive, long-term solutions: upstream problem-solving. He shares recommendations for implementing upstream solutions in any context, and he points out three roadblocks that are likely to be in your way. Continue reading for Heath’s advice for moving upstream along with an exercise to help you implement his ideas.

Dan Heath’s Upstream: Book Overview & Key Takeaways

Do you feel like you have endless fires to put out—in your personal life, at work, and in society as a whole? What if you could work at the root of the problem instead, preventing crises from happening altogether? In his book Upstream, Dan Heath explains how reactive solutions (for which we have a bias) aren’t nearly as effective as proactive, long-term solutions. He calls these upstream solutions, and he provides advice on how to implement this type of problem-solving. Keep reading for an overview of this book that aims to help you solve problems before they happen.

Quick Tips for Delegating: Unloading the Necessary But Trivial

Do you have too much to do? What’s the best way to go about getting help with tasks? You’re busy doing big, important stuff. A certain category of tasks keeps getting in your way: necessary but unimportant. The lawn needs mowing, but you’re too busy making a living. This is where task delegation might be the right solution for you. Keep reading for a few tips for delegating that will help you focus on what matters most to you.

Mental Health and Leadership: The Link You Wouldn’t Expect

What’s the connection between mental health and leadership? How does mental illness affect management skills? Many of us consider good mental health to be an important quality for leaders. However, in A First-Rate Madness, psychiatrist Nassir Ghaemi argues that mental illness can make leaders better fit to lead during a crisis. Let’s break down why Ghaemi believes good leadership depends on the state of your mental health.

A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi: Overview

What is A First-Rate Madness about? What are the main takeaways of the book? For years, abnormal mental health has influenced successful leadership decisions during critical times of war and conflict. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi uncovers the pitfalls of being a mentally well leader and how mental health treatment affects leadership. Read below for a brief overview of Ghaemi’s A First-Rate Madness.

Big-Picture Thinking: The Top 3 Methods (+ Examples)

Do you consider yourself a big-picture thinker? Do you try to understand every problem or situation holistically? When we’re faced with a problem or a difficult decision, we tend to resort to our usual cause-and-effect, detail-oriented type of thinking. While this type of thinking is useful in some situations, it can obscure the bigger picture. As a result, the optimal solution may evade us because it lies outside the range of ideas where we are looking for it. With this in mind, here are three ways you can apply big-picture thinking to solve problems and make decisions.