by Esther Derby | Feb 24, 2011 | Leadership & Management, Systems and Complexity
There’s a buzz about systems thinking in the software world these days. Systems thinking isn’t new. Jerry Weinberg’s An Introduction to General Systems Thinking was first published in 1975. Senge’s Fifth Discipline came out in the 90s. Still, we haven’t turned the...
by Esther Derby | Feb 9, 2011 | Leadership & Management
It’s easy to be critical of middle managers. Some people view middle management as little more than a way station between “real” work and the executive suite. However, I believe middle managers have an essential role in enabling people and enhancing...
by Esther Derby | Dec 21, 2010 | Leadership & Management
I’ve seen a renewed cry for leaders in organizations lately. Too often in these discussions, the attempt to define the characteristics of a leader boils down to a role in which one individual creates a vision for others to follow. That’s not enough. We need more...
by Esther Derby | Dec 17, 2010 | Collaboration & Teams, Leadership & Management
Many managers ask me, “How can I motivate my team?” I’ve certainly seen many efforts to motivate teams. Contests, prizes, pep talks, badges, points, canned thank you notes, and recognition events. Most of this comes down to using rewards to motivate people to...
by Esther Derby | Dec 15, 2010 | Systems and Complexity
A while back I was talking to a manager who complained that “no one” in his organization was “accountable.” Of course, he exempted himself form that category. This manager, (I’ll call him Tom) feels like he’s accountable— he knows that if they people creating...
