Skillful negotiation solves problems and strengthens cooperation. But the path to a solution is sometimes bumpy, especially when a lot is at stake. I learned early on at the negotiating table how good negotiators deal with bottlenecks – and I learned from the best. Negotiate strategically – a lesson from top class negotiators My first…
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When external project managers encounter resistance As an external project manager, are you familiar with situations like that? The project kick-off 6 months ago was successful, and you could hardly wait to show your client that you are even more capable than he thought. As the project manager, you were full of energy when you…
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What can be learned – What is in leadership DNA – How can you change from being a rough diamond into a brilliant leader? My colleague is convinced that “You can’t simply learn leadership – it’s a talent. It’s just as innate as is common senseˮ. Master’s degrees, courses, seminars that promise the participants that…
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“Ms. Ionescu, I like your concept, I like you, but … you really ought to change your company name. Using a word like “Growˮ in this time, when facts clearly show that our economy is already being driven into a very deep trough, awakens false expectations. How can people and businesses grow when all ways…
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To lead or not to lead – that is the question “The project ended in disaster! Now I’m working on improving the mistakes made in the last months and getting the motivation of those involved back on track. I don’t understand what the problem was because we hired the best minds and the start was…
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“I make sure that the tasks get done. How do I do that? I give precise instructions and check carefully so that no mistakes are made. But then mistakes do happen and I don’t understand that.ˮ “When I let my team work independently on the last project, there were problems with clients and since then…
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‘This morning, the decision was finally made: The two units will merge. This means only one of 2 units will continue to operate, some employees will lose their jobs and … we will all have to apply for the jobs that remain.’ Does that sound familiar? It does to me; I have heard this kind…
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Many things that we knew or we thought we knew about management, turned irrelevant from one day to the next, following the Covid-19 crisis. The most popular theories, the success stories, the experience of the last decades partially lost their importance because the current situation is completely new and unique. It forces us to explore…
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Many things that we have read in management books and have listened to during leadership-trainings, became obsolete through the Covid19 crisis. Most of the widely known management theories and leadership styles lost part of their relevance because the current situation is new and unique. The current environment forces managers and entrepreneurs to improve their own…
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Tie and trackies – will that do? Virtual meetings at the kitchen table with the kids playing in plain sight – can I get away with that? You can get away with a lot of things if you have to. New circumstances require unusual action. For over 5 weeks now, managers have been suddenly and…
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