UNCOMMON ADVICE FOR COMMON BUSINESS PROBLEMS

OCTOBER 2018 NO. 146

Sometimes the right answer is far from obvious.

Learn why an introvert may be the best choice to lead your team, taking a pay cut might make you a better manager, and why you should not trust your gut when the pressure is on.

Time to think a little outside the box.

MAYBE IT’S TIME FOR SOME UNCOMMON ADVICE

Much has been accomplished by business leaders who turned left when told to turn right, who reached for the door instead of for the stars, who hired A when the search committee unanimously recommended B.

The following research conducted by the Harvard Business School celebrates such unconventional wisdom. Sometimes, as famed jazz trumpet player Miles Davis showed, adopting radical simplicity can be the best approach to team creativity.

And perhaps the best way to bolster innovation in employees is to draw a curtain around them, literally. It could well be that the best career decision you ever make is to take a pay cut in favor of a boss upgrade.

Click on the following highlighted links to learn more:

IS IT WORTH A PAY CUT TO WORK FOR A GREAT MANAGER?

Few of us want to take less money to move to another organization, but research shows that hooking up with the right manager—whether in sports or business—can quickly increase your value, even if the pay is less.

EXCELLENCE COMES FROM SAYING NO

Why it’s better to be excellent at one thing than good at everything.

INTROVERTS: THE BEST LEADERS FOR PROACTIVE EMPLOYEES
Think effective leadership requires gregariousness and charisma? Think again. Introverts can actually be better leaders than extraverts, especially when their employees are naturally proactive.

WHEN A COMPETITOR ABANDONS THE MARKET, SHOULD YOU ADVANCE OR RETREAT?
Companies pay close attention when a competitor drops out of the market. Too often, though, they come to the wrong conclusion.

HIDING FROM MANAGERS CAN INCREASE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
Forget management by walking around. Decreasing workplace transparency can increase worker productivity.

DEALING WITH THE ‘IRRATIONAL’ NEGOTIATOR
What to do when the other party’s behavior does not make sense.

WHY MOST LEADERS (EVEN THOMAS JEFFERSON) ARE REPLACEABLE
Leaders rarely make a lasting impact on their organizations—even the really, really good ones. Then out of the blue comes a Churchill.

SHOULD INDUSTRY COMPETITORS COOPERATE MORE TO SOLVE WORLD PROBLEMS?
If industry competitors collaborated more, big world problems could start to be addressed. Is that even possible in a market economy?

THE MILES DAVIS THEOREM: RADICAL SIMPLICITY ALLOWS CREATIVE MINDS TO SHINE
How business can benefit by relying on radical simplicity to free and empower employees.

WHEN NOT TO TRUST YOUR GUT </strong
Most of us trust our intuition more than we should, especially when the pressure is on in negotiations.

UNCONVENTIONAL INSIGHTS FOR MANAGING STAKEHOLDER TRUST
Stakeholders differ in regard to the kinds and degrees of vulnerability they face; what they need to believe before they will trust also differs.

Source: Harvard Business School | Working Knowledge

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