July
2003
For many businesses, Six Sigma programs have yielded big gains in productivity and quality. But once an organization has reaped the benefits of process improvement, what's next? Curt Coffman, co-author of Follow This Path, shares his thoughts on the next frontier for business: managing human performance and moving it toward excellence.
There is no such thing as a perfect manager and no ideal set of management talents, according to Gallup research. So then what separates the best managers from all the rest?
If you think performance reviews help employees become more productive, you're dead wrong. Most appraisal and review systems actually impede performance. Then why do companies do these reviews at all?
Sales managers are often caught between the company and their salespeople. They might disagree with a corporate strategy or decision -- yet they must publicly support it. Similarly, they must distill the comments they get from the field and firmly communicate any problems to top management. Here are some smart strategies for handling this "buffer" role effectively.