What Does Managerial Leadership Look Like? A Requisite Approach

By Michelle Malay Carter on July 2, 2008 

Elliott Jaques’ Requisite Organization model does a great job of defining a set managerial leadership behaviors which, within a Requisite Organization leadership framework, would become explicit accountabilities of all managers. 

Two way managerial teamworking
Context setting
Planning
Task assignment
Personal effectiveness appraisal of direct reports
Merit review
Coaching
Selection and induction
Deselection and dismissal
Continuous improvement

Simple?  Yes.  Practiced?  Maybe
These practices are simple on their face, but [...]

Filed Under Accountability, Corporate Values, Employee Engagement, Executive Leadership, Managerial Leadership, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Strategy, Talent Management | Leave a Comment

Why Perfect Candidates Still Fail on the Job

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 29, 2008 

Recruiting Effectiveness Metrics
I recently read a blogger proposing that recruiters should be measured not only by how many slots are filled or how quickly the slots are filled, but also by the first year’s performance of the candidates they place.  I agree that how many and how quickly will not tell the whole story, but neither [...]

Filed Under Accountability, Corporate Values, Employee Engagement, Executive Leadership, Managerial Leadership, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Talent Management, Work Levels | 4 Comments

Michelle Malay Carter Interview on the Epic Living Hour

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 23, 2008 

As promised, here is my Friday interview with Eric Pennington on his Epic Living Hour radio show.

I’m OK.  You’re OK.  Let’s fix the system.

Filed Under Corporate Values, Employee Engagement, Executive Leadership, Felt Fair Compensation, Managerial Leadership, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Talent Management, Work Levels | Leave a Comment

Organizational Structure - What If…

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 18, 2008 

Jack Fallow had this to say about my lamentation on organizational structural failures: 
Yes it is a problem that we under-engineer work environments and structures.
Typically, the engineer, first decides that weight bearing strength of 1000lbs is necessary, then adds 50% for security. Next, they choose the best material to carry the strain. Then, they make over-abundant [...]

Filed Under Corporate Values, Employee Engagement, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Strategy, Talent Management | 2 Comments

Structural Failures within Organizations - Close is Not Good Enough

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 17, 2008 

Steve Roesler throws out the concept of applied management in his latest post on employee survey research.  I couldn’t agree more that we need more applied management within organizations.
And I would ask, just what are we applying?
Is Close Good Enough?
Engineers take natural laws and science-based knowledge and use this inform to inform their designs.  If I [...]

Filed Under Employee Engagement, Executive Leadership, Managerial Leadership, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Strategy, Talent Management, Work Levels | 7 Comments

Are You Open to the Idea that You are Closed Minded?

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 15, 2008 

I came across a job announcement the other day and one of the personal characteristics they were looking for in a candidate was open-mindedness. 
My question is, if you asked 100 people if they were open minded, how many would say no?
I suspect that closed-minded people view themselves as being principled, right, or knowledgeable, but not [...]

Filed Under Managerial Leadership, Personal Observation, Requisite Organization, Talent Management, Work Levels | Leave a Comment

Performance Evaluation One Liners - A Friday Funny

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 12, 2008 

What you’d really like to say…

Bright as Alaska in December.
A room temperature IQ.
One neuron short of a synapse.
Still one step ahead of the law.
He’s so dense, light bends around him.
This person is not really so much of a has-been, but more definitely a won’t-be.
Needs a new title, e.g., jester, dunce, former employee, etc.
Gates are down, [...]

Filed Under Managerial Leadership, Talent Management | Leave a Comment

Help Candidates Self Select with Work Levels Job Descriptions

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 8, 2008 

Because we don’t have science-based understanding about work, i.e. that it occurs in discreet, measurable levels, we do a really poor job of writing job descriptions.
What About the WORK?
Most job descriptions are a mishmash of ambiguous competencies, personality characteristics, and often include arbitrary educational qualifications.  They do a lot of talking about the candidate qualifications but precious little about [...]

Filed Under Employee Engagement, Managerial Leadership, Organization Design, Requisite Organization, Talent Management, Work Levels | 4 Comments

Old Consultants Never Die - A Friday Fill in the Blank

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 5, 2008 

Old accountants never die, they just lose their balance.
Old chemists never die, they just fail to react.
Old cosmologists never die, they just go to another world.
Old doctors never die, they just lose their patience.
Old dynamicists never die, they just lose their attraction.
Old electricians never die, they just lose their energy.
Old lawyers never die, they just [...]

Filed Under Personal Observation, Talent Management | 6 Comments

Being True to Yourself is Hard Work

By Michelle Malay Carter on June 2, 2008 

Wouldn’t it be great to:
     1. be who we are
     2. to be accepted
Why do we so often have to sacrifice one for the other?
Is Who We Are Who We’ve Become?
It’s unfortunate but, we all suffer at the hands of the cultures within which we travel - our family, our church, our workplace, our society.  We [...]

Filed Under Employee Engagement, Personal Observation, Requisite Organization, Talent Management | 2 Comments

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