Mike Figliuolo's Blog, page 50
March 9, 2022
What is a Cross-Functional Team?
Learn what a cross-functional team is and why they can be so rewarding to manage.
Imagine an orchestra made up of nothing but trumpets. Imagine a baseball team of all catchers. Imagine a medical team that’s nothing but radiologists. Those aren’t good situations.
A cross-functional team is a group of people with different functional expertise working toward a common goal. It can include people from finance, marketing, operations and HR, and other key functional areas.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Imagine an orchestra made up of nothing but trumpets. Imagine a baseball team of all catchers. Imagine a medical team that’s nothing but radiologists. Those aren’t good situations.
A cross-functional team is a group of people with different functional expertise working toward a common goal. It can include people from finance, marketing, operations and HR, and other key functional areas.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
March 7, 2022
Seven Strategies to Manage a Micro-Manager
Everyone has horror stories about a micro-managing boss. Here are a few strategies to manage your micro-manager.
Today’s post is by Victor Prince, a principal here at thoughtLEADERS.
If you work long enough, you will have a micro-managing boss. They think they know your job better than you do. Maybe they had your job before they got promoted to management.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Today’s post is by Victor Prince, a principal here at thoughtLEADERS.
If you work long enough, you will have a micro-managing boss. They think they know your job better than you do. Maybe they had your job before they got promoted to management.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
March 3, 2022
How comfortable is your organization with making decisions in the face of uncertainty?
Our reader poll today asks: How comfortable is your organization with making decisions in the face of uncertainty?
Very: Uncertainty doesn’t deter us at all from taking action now 24.22%
Somewhat: We tend to try to resolve big uncertainties before acting 39.91%
Not very: We’re really hesitant to act until we have a clear picture 27.80%
Not at all: We won’t act until the vast majority of the uncertainty has been resolved 8.07%
Uncertainty is always certain.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Very: Uncertainty doesn’t deter us at all from taking action now 24.22%
Somewhat: We tend to try to resolve big uncertainties before acting 39.91%
Not very: We’re really hesitant to act until we have a clear picture 27.80%
Not at all: We won’t act until the vast majority of the uncertainty has been resolved 8.07%
Uncertainty is always certain.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
March 2, 2022
Breaking Big Problems Into Small Problems
Big business problems are overwhelming. Using a logic map to break a big problem into its smaller components can give you the clarity and understanding you need to solve it.
At one point, I worked with a financial services firm and we had a program where we were making offers to consumers. When that program first launched, we were making about $5 million a year. The problem was, after a few months, we started losing $5 million a year.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
March 1, 2022
Making No Decision is Still Making a Decision
The following is an excerpt from One Piece of Paper: The Simple Approach to Powerful, Personal Leadership (you can get your copy here). This post focuses on the importance of making decisions.
Enough with all the thinking already! Now you need to drive action. Ideas are great but someone has to put them in motion for them to be worthwhile, and deciding to do that is no easy task.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Enough with all the thinking already! Now you need to drive action. Ideas are great but someone has to put them in motion for them to be worthwhile, and deciding to do that is no easy task.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
February 24, 2022
Which function in your organization is the main driver of your business (they lead and everyone else follows)?
Our reader poll today asks: Which function in your organization is the main driver of your business (they lead and everyone else follows)?
Marketing 11.00%
Sales 28.02%
Operations 29.44%
Finance 9.93%
Research & Development 3.90%
Product Development/Management 6.73%
IT 2.12%
Some other group/function 8.86%
Who is the “alpha?” While there’s a broad mix of which part of respondent organizations “lead” the company, what you all have in common is there is one major function that leads decision-making considerations.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Marketing 11.00%
Sales 28.02%
Operations 29.44%
Finance 9.93%
Research & Development 3.90%
Product Development/Management 6.73%
IT 2.12%
Some other group/function 8.86%
Who is the “alpha?” While there’s a broad mix of which part of respondent organizations “lead” the company, what you all have in common is there is one major function that leads decision-making considerations.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
February 21, 2022
7 Tips for How to Use, Not Lose, Your Power at Work
Getting promoted comes with an increase in power. Use that newfound power wisely. If you do, your leadership position will improve. If you don’t, it could spell disaster for you.
Today’s post is by Victor Prince, one of our thoughtLEADERS instructors and co-author of Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results (CLICK HERE to get your copy).
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Today’s post is by Victor Prince, one of our thoughtLEADERS instructors and co-author of Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results (CLICK HERE to get your copy).
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
February 17, 2022
How does your organization approach strategic initiatives?
Our reader poll today asks: How does your organization approach strategic initiatives?
We focus on a small set of initiatives and execute them quickly 31.46%
We try to focus but often get distracted which leads to little getting done 27.70%
We bite off too many initiatives and never finish anything 26.76%
We rarely pursue anything strategic — it’s all tactical 14.08%
Focus, focus, focus.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
We focus on a small set of initiatives and execute them quickly 31.46%
We try to focus but often get distracted which leads to little getting done 27.70%
We bite off too many initiatives and never finish anything 26.76%
We rarely pursue anything strategic — it’s all tactical 14.08%
Focus, focus, focus.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
February 16, 2022
Scaling Up From Individual to Team
When scaling your consulting firm up from an individual to a team, you’ll have to decide whether to hire contractors or employees. Learn the pros and cons of each.
When you want to grow your consulting firm, you’re probably going to have to bring on additional people. There’s only so much of you to go around. Make deliberate choices about whether the people you bring on will be contractors or employees.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
When you want to grow your consulting firm, you’re probably going to have to bring on additional people. There’s only so much of you to go around. Make deliberate choices about whether the people you bring on will be contractors or employees.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
February 15, 2022
12 Services Every Leader Must Provide to Their Team
Great leaders get the best out of their teams by providing 12 core leadership “services”. The best leaders provide these services in an efficient and effective way.
Today’s post is by Mike Figliuolo and Victor Prince, authors of Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results.
Every leader wants to give their team all the help they need. That help can come in many forms.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
Today’s post is by Mike Figliuolo and Victor Prince, authors of Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results.
Every leader wants to give their team all the help they need. That help can come in many forms.
Read the rest of this post at thoughtLEADERS, LLC: Leadership Training for the Real World.
This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://www.thoughtleadersllc.com/blog for more.
