I met Damir at my course “Mastering Difficult Negotiations” which I teach for the Executive MBA Programs at the TU Vienna – Academy of Continuing Education. From the first hours of the in-class interaction I perceived him as a very attentive and patient listener who asked thoughtful questions and integrated the answers into practice. As…
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Just imagine that you are about to buy a new mobile phone and it is not as easy as you thought it would be, quite the opposite. The number of products on offer is generous, the budget rather limited, the decision-making process worrying. Only one thing can save you when you are spoilt for choice…
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4 things that you can do if you would like to have more role model quality as a leader “I have never been led in such a way that I can say, ‘That’s the kind of leader I would like to be’. I simply lack the role models.” I hear this from many managers, whom…
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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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