Management Today articles from May 2009

Management Today archives from May 2009

Editorial: Where is your reputation?(Editorial)
May 1, 2009... During this recession, anyone who believes the damage done to the reputation of business is confined to the banks and the financial sector is kidding themselves. PR firm Edelman's annual Trust Barometer, published in January, found that...

Contributors.
May 1, 2009... PETER YORK - Lynda Gratton's Glow prompted an allergic reaction in York at first. The social commentator found himself sniffing at the book's 'Principles of Glowing', which sent him into an 'absolute tailspin of snobbiness, cynicism and...

Chartered Management Institute: In my Opinion.
May 1, 2009... Dame Mary Marsh, director of the Clore Social Leadership Programme and a Chartered Management Institute Companion, urges third-sector leaders to grasp the opportunities that arise in the recession. For charities, community organisations and...

The MT Diary.(Management Today)
May 1, 2009... BoJo's Thai pal; Aussie minister Swans in; praise from President Yudhoyono; Tsar turn. Over the past month, it hasn't been necessary to leave London to see the world. The world has come to us. A succession of presidents, prime ministers...

Don't you believe it ... That incentives do incentivise.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... They might create changes in behaviour, but not in ways you want. Large incentives encouraged bankers to destroy the global financial system in return for huge bonuses, which they still haven't paid back In your business, the damage is...

Do it right: Using social media.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Make it appropriate. We can't all be Obama, so don't use social media in every campaign. Think about what you want to say and who you are trying to reach. Traditional approaches can be effective too. Use the best channels. Know your...

Slogan Doctor: Atheist Campaign - 'There's Probably No God ...'.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... The slogan 'There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life', which adorned the side of 800 buses in the UK earlier this year and has been imitated around the world, was coined by comedy writer Ariane Sherine in the Guardian. ...

Critical list.(assisting the General Motors Corp.)
May 1, 2009... GENERAL MOTORS The wheels have fallen off the car giant, and may soon be bouncing around Motor City. The US Treasury gave GM a dollars 13.4bn fuel injection in December, only to refuse the car-maker's request to raise it to dollars 30bn....

Remember This.(Quotation)
May 1, 2009... 'Nothing is more difficult to initiate than a new order of things' - Machiavelli said it. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55 73 55 for more information or...

Decisions: Neil Norman, Human Recognition Systems, Founder and CEO of the biometric systems integrator.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... MY BEST... One of the best things that happened to me was being expelled from school at 17. It was for a silly prank call to a couple of teachers. It exposed me to the biggest risk at that age that I possibly could have experienced - and...

Ten ways to ... Shine at interview.(List)
May 1, 2009... 1. Do your research 2. Dress smartly 3. Be ready for difficult questions 4. Don't ramble, or fear the silence 5. Talk up your skills .. 6.... but be ready to admit weaknesses 7. Smile - but not all the time 8. Ask questions 9. Be...

Suffering from ... The Hawthorne Effect?(leadership style influences employee attitude towards work)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... In a bid to improve productivity, a Chicago firm called Hawthorne Works once asked for volunteers to try different shift hours. After a few weeks the volunteers reported much higher levels of job satisfaction and corporate loyalty. The...

Why business is like ... Numerology.(business planning)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Struggling to make the figures add up these days? Perhaps you can find solace in numerology, the esoteric belief that numbers govern what's going on in the physical world. Take the 23 enigma, the theory that all events are somehow...

Earning curve: Rewards of failure.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Lehman Brothers' New York staff, total bonus pot ('08) pounds 1.7bn DeLorean, UK contribution to the failed '80s car, the DMC-12 pounds 70m Rick Wagoner, GM's ousted CEO, pension pounds 15.4m Kevin Costner, fee for flop movie Waterworld...

Words-worth: Conglomerate.(conglomerate corporations)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... In these difficult days, conglomerates are unfashionable. When everyone is concentrating on their core businesses, trying to hold together a bundle of different enterprises seems reckless. The word's origins are in 19th-century geology: a...

Workplace rights: Trouble at the top.(negligence of senior executives)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... When can organisations hold their leaders accountable for failure? The issue is highlighted by the saga of Sharon Shoesmith, former head of children's services at Haringey Council, who is suing after being axed following the damning report...

Your route to the top: Cope with overload.(time management)
May 1, 2009... Take a moment. When a colleague dashes in with five new 'number one priority' projects, it's tempting to panic and leap straight into action. Stop. It may seem like a waste of precious minutes, but forming a plan will save you crucial time...

Stat of the Month: Bound by regulations.(red tape to businesses )(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... pounds 77bn - The cost of red tape to businesses since 1997 That's a staggering leap of pounds 10bn since last year. The figure comes from the Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Burdens Barometer, whose name neatly sums it all up. Nineteen new...

How he made his pile: Phil Knight, Sportswear magnate.
May 1, 2009... Who is he? Co-founder of Nike, the world's most powerful sports empire. Knight is worth dollars 10.4bn. How did he make his billions? He just did it. In 1964, Knight teamed up with Bill Bowerman, his university athletics coach, to form...

If I had to start again ... Miles Templeman.
May 1, 2009... I could have gone into film production when I worked at Young & Rubicam. I loved that side of advertising and I'm good at working with creative people. But I chose the account executive route - which led naturally to management. After...

Crash Course in ... Closing a business down.
May 1, 2009... You're fighting to survive in the recession, but starting to wonder if the end is in sight for your business. What next? Look ahead. Make sure you're aware of the medium to long-term picture, says Martin Austin, a director of business...

Masterclass: Shareholder value.(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... What is it? Who owns public (ie, listed) companies? The shareholders. So who are these companies really working for? Not the customers, the staff, the suppliers or the wider community. No: a board director's 'fiduciary duty' is to create...

This Unfair Advantage.(nonworking spouses)
May 1, 2009... What price should be paid for a stay-at-home spouse? And is it an equitable means of aiding your climb up the greasy pole? There's a general consensus that those who can should work. The Protestant work ethic strongly influences our...

Books: Old masters of the universe.(Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World)(Book review)
May 1, 2009... Lords of Finance: 1929, the Great Depression and the bankers who broke the world Liaquat Ahamed Ahamed's riveting book views the 1929 Crash through the lives of its top four bankers - and the parallels with today are striking, says...

Books: Turning a gamble into a certainty.(You Bet: The Betfair Story: How Two Men Changed the World of Gambling)(Book review)
May 1, 2009... The Betfair founders' David-and-Goliath struggle should inspire entrepreneurs everywhere. It impresses Nils Pratley. You Bet: The Betfair story: how two men changed the world of gambling By Colin Cameron HarperCollins pounds 15.99...

Books: Three of a Kind - Smiling through the downturn.(Recommended readings)
May 1, 2009... How to Get a Job in a Recession Harry Freedman Infinite Ideas pounds 9.99 How to Survive the Credit Crunch Richard Browning Studio Cactus pounds 6.99 Surviving a Downturn Jeremy Kourdi A&C Black pounds 8.99 ...

Books: Come on baby, light my fire.(Glow: How You Can Radiate Energy, Innovation, and Succe)(Book review)
May 1, 2009... Business theory larded with self-help truisms make for an overblown read. He may not be all aglow, but Peter York finds himself strangely warming to its author. Glow: How you can radiate energy, innovation and success Lynda Gratton FT...

Britain's Most Admired Companies: The value of reputation.
May 1, 2009... A recent trust survey confirmed that management has lost public respect. It's not just individual businesses in the firing line, but business itself. MT brought together Most Admired leaders and other practitioners to debate the issue of how to...

The MT Interview: David Smith.(Jaguar Land Rover)(Company overview)
May 1, 2009... It's a torrid time to be in charge of any car company, let alone a niche maker of luxury models like Jaguar Land Rover. Its CEO is a former Ford Europe finance head who helped sell the firm to Tata of India and now finds himself in the driving...

Toast of the Town.(businesswomen)
May 1, 2009... Gail Rebuck is the latest winner of Veuve Clicquot's celebrated Business Woman of the Year accolade. Emma de Vita meets half a dozen of its 36 title-holders. In the elegant, sun-filled ballroom of Veuve Clicquot's London office are six of...

Dedicated follower of fashion.(Nicholas Coleridge)
May 1, 2009... At 11, Nicholas Coleridge thought a journalistic career would be an enjoyable doss; 40 years on, the Old Etonian is running Conde Nast UK with increased circulation, headcount and profits. He believes his beautiful products will beat the web...

What is HR Really for?(human resource directors)
May 1, 2009... Caught up with cost-cutting measures and making redundancies, the corporate 'people' department is in danger of becoming a bureaucratic pariah. So how can it eliminate the negative - the black humour and the resentment? Stefan Stern shows the...

Bodice-ripping Recession Busters.(management of Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd.)(Company overview)
May 1, 2009... Mills & Boon has always thrived in harsh times, when more people need a romantic read to banish grim reality. But the Anglo-Canadian publisher (founded 1908) leaves nothing to economic chance, finding digital pathways to a global readership....

Motor Mouth.(911 Carrera)(Product/service evaluation)
May 1, 2009... Long the wheels of choice for show-off City boys, Porsche's 911 held no allure for Sathnam Sanghera - until the Carrera 2 roared up. If there's anything that's going to ensure this car thing of mine remains a part-time pursuit, it's my...

Table Talk: Where Gerry Ford eats ..(Brasserie Max)(Restaurant review)(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... I don't routinely go out to lunch as much as your regular business guy - maybe once a week. Our company has a particularly hard-working culture, and so we often work through lunch. Truth is, I'm usually too busy for meetings at all, unless I...

What's Your Problem?
May 1, 2009... Q: I work in a company of 12 people. Times are really hard at the moment but because everyone has pulled together, we're doing okay. The problem is one of my team members, who has just returned from nine months' maternity leave to tell me...

What's Your Problem?(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Q: My boss has given up alcohol for a month and has become incredibly difficult to work with. It has only been a week but already we're dreading seeing him in the morning and we're also having to forgo our lunchtime and after-work drinks in...

What's Your Problem?(Brief article)
May 1, 2009... Q: A colleague has won an industry award that paid a substantial amount, but she has refused to share her winnings with us. A pint or an M&S sandwich would have been nice, but she's being really tight and the resentment is starting to build. Do...

First-Class Coach.(leadership styles)(Column)
May 1, 2009... The morale of the leader always has a direct impact on how the rest of the company feels. Q: I started a small, dynamic company seven years ago and sold out to a bigger group last year. I find having to fit in with their systems and...

The Sharp End: Hotel doorman for a day.(Personal account)
May 1, 2009... It's hard on the feet, but Rhymer Rigby likes the job's meet-and-greet social side. My day as a doorman started badly. I went to the wrong door - the one at the Marriott County Hall, occupying the impressively large former seat of the...

MCA Management Awards 2009: A positive force for the economy.
May 1, 2009... Plenty of people assumed that management consultancy would be off the agenda once the credit crunch turned into a full-scale recession. Isn't consultancy 'discretionary spend'? But for many companies and organisations, the opposite seems to be...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Platinum Award winner and winner, Environment category.
May 1, 2009... DELOITTE WITH TRANSPORT FOR LONDON. The Platinum Award is given to the outstanding entry across all 12 categories in the MCA Management Awards 2009. The winner of all winners took the award in the Environment category. Many millions of...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Best Small Firm and winner, Customer Engagement category.
May 1, 2009... PROPAGANDA WITH SEABROOK CRISPS The Best Small Firm Award is given to the best entry made by a small firm (under 50 full-time consultants) across the 11 remaining categories after the Platinum Award has been made. If you're of a...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Best Private Sector Project and winner, Change Management in the Private Sector category.
May 1, 2009... KPMG WITH APACS The time it takes to clear cheques and other payments has been a longstanding gripe among personal and business banking customers. Under pressure from the Office of Fair Trading and the Treasury, the UK banking industry had...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Best Public Sector Project and winner, Operational Performance in the Public Sector category.(Atos Consulting and the National Health Service South Central)
May 1, 2009... ATOS CONSULTING WITH NHS SOUTH CENTRAL Making an impact in an organisation of the complexity of the NHS is about as easy as trying to gain control of a small country. Yet a team from Atos Consulting figured out a way of helping NHS South...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Operational performance in the private sector Winner.(Trinity Horne)
May 1, 2009... TRINITY HORNE WITH EIRCOM Eircom is Ireland's leading fixed-line telecoms company with 1.2 million customers, and its main internet service provider. But in just five years, the firm has undergone three changes of ownership and experienced...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Change management in the public sector Winner.(General Teaching Council and Hay Group)
May 1, 2009... HAY GROUP WITH THE GENERAL TEACHING COUNCIL It's hard enough to raise the standard of teaching in just one school - ask any head teacher. But what if you're responsible for improving the teaching provided to 8 million students by half a...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Business Strategy Winner.
May 1, 2009... NAVIGANT CONSULTING WITH TESCO PERSONAL FINANCE SERVICES They say fortune favours the brave, but launching a bank? In a credit crunch? Still, having established a successful personal finance business 10 years ago as a joint venture with the...

MCA Management Awards 2009: International Winner.(UK Border Agency)
May 1, 2009... CSC WITH UK BORDER AGENCY From Taipei to Islamabad and Jamaica to Mumbai, the world comes to this little island of Britain. And many come seeking to stay for more than just a holiday. Around 2.75 million visa applications are received each...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Technology Winner.
May 1, 2009... ARUP WITH BAA Heathrow airport, it's fair to say, has its critics. So when, back in the mid-1990s, BAA began planning a fifth terminal, its vision was of a building that didn't feel like an airport terminal. Instead, it wanted one that...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Innovation Winner.(Department for Children, Schools and Families)
May 1, 2009... DIGITAL PUBLIC WITH THE DCSF You don't get an easy ride in the press if you're a teenage dad. And in some cases, the criticism is justified. Yet academic research shows that the education, behaviour and even health of kids with teenage...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Outsourcing Consultancy Winner.(Management Consultancies Association)(Deloitte)
May 1, 2009... DELOITTE WITH UNILEVER Innovation and outsourcing - not two words you expect to see in the same sentence. But that's what was required of Deloitte when Unilever explained that it wanted to sell, rather than set up, two shared service...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Human Resources Winner.(Management Consultancies Association)(Thomson Reuters and Deloitte)
May 1, 2009... DELOITTE WITH THOMSON REUTERS Good relationships are founded on give and take, and it's as true in the world of business as in marriage. But when Canadian information publisher Thomson acquired UK-based Reuters in 2007 for dollars 18bn -...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Sponsors' Profiles.(Management Consultancies Association)
May 1, 2009... The Management Consultancies Association (MCA) is the representative body for management consultancy firms in the UK. A positive force for the economy, the MCA is integral to the industry, engaging with key industry stakeholders, producing...

MCA Management Awards 2009: Project Summaries of the Finalists.
May 1, 2009... BUSINESS STRATEGY - Accenture with Oxfam India Merging six Oxfam affiliates to create a single Oxfam India capable of managing dollars 20m of programmes was the challenge accepted and met by Accenture Development Partnerships - an...