Collaboration and teams

“Where on earth is it?” Mark Landstad wondered aloud. He scanned the sea of files in his predecessor’s master folder on the company network one more time. “I know it must be here somewhere!” Walking to the window, Mark gritted his teeth and scratched his face, which felt itchy and hot. He surveyed the crepuscular […]

Recently, I posted a list of 12 Things Good Bosses Believe. Now I’m following up by delving into each one of them. This post is about the eighth belief: “One of the best tests of my leadership — and my organization — is “what happens after people make a mistake?” I have authored or co-authored […]

Size, skills, and structure help determine a group's success.

As the parents of two children with Down syndrome, the authors learned that 80% of people with disabilities in the United States are unemployed. They...

Leadership transitions go awry with alarming frequency, often the result of an emotionally charged power struggle between the CEO and his would-be heir. Four practices, however, can help successors defuse the crisis—and make it to the top.

Even walking to and from meetings together can build rapport.

When an executive comes from the private sector to a nonprofit, the usual understanding is that he or she is there to inject some business discipline. When I arrived at the American Red Cross, there were certainly problems to be tackled. The books were closed on FY08 just six days after I started, with a […]

Find people who disagree with you and cherish them.

The front man for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus on directing the attention of 20,000 people today while balancing 138 years of tradition on his back.

If leaders don't use it, no one will.

Too much teamwork exhausts employees and saps productivity. Here’s how to avoid it.

It's possible to keep things civil without an outright ban on talking politics.

Encourage your team to share stories of how they persevered through a crisis so you can apply these lessons to the next challenge.

Four ways to be the boss without seeming bossy.

Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart discusses the challenges of filling big shoes and managing a team whose members all aspire to be number one.

Jim Whitehurst, CEO of Red Hat, explains how to inspire, motivate, and empower people at all levels to act with accountability.

Cisco’s CEO on reading market trends before anyone else does

Learn best practices for overcoming decision-making pitfalls on complex, diverse teams.

Your CEO isn’t Goliath.

Human resources departments develop programs and policies that contribute to organizational culture, but managers like you are the single biggest influence...

This one-paragraph case adds to the data presented in the (A) case. A redisguised and updated version of earlier case 494-006.

Cameron (Cam) Barker, founder and CEO of Blake Sports Apparel and Switch Activewear, manufacturers and distributers of sports apparel and accessories,...

Frank Addante is a 28-year-old serial entrepreneur who is in the process of building his fifth venture. Of his first four ventures, two were sold, one...

Chronicles the launch of a Total Quality Management (TQM) program in Gillette Argentina. The case protagonist credits the initiative with a 40% benefit...

The HBR Women at Work series, based on the popular HBR podcast of the same name, spotlights the real challenges and opportunities women experience throughout...

Knowledge, creativity, adaptability, and the ability to learn are critical necessities in a world in which the pace of change is accelerating. Many of...

The night before the launch of the Challenger shuttle, officials from Morton Thiokol (Solid Rocket Booster manufacturer) and NASA participated in a teleconference...

Seize the benefits of the five-generation workforce. Generational distrust and ageism are seeping into organizations worldwide. Differences over communication...

Deals with key strategic challenges facing Eli Lilly, a highly successful U.S.-based drug company.

Presents Ralph Stayer's perspective on key issues highlighted in the case and a question and answer session with students.

MEET YOUR GOALS--ON TIME AND ON BUDGET. How do you rein in the scope of your project when you've got a group of demanding stakeholders breathing down...

When tasks are highly complex, demand a diversity of skills, or require a commitment from the involved parties, teams are usually the most effective way...

Master the basics of project management. You've been asked to manage a key project-or perhaps you've volunteered for an assignment that could advance...

Supplement to case IN1556

Includes a series of three negotiation exercises portraying management/labor relations at ABC over a period of seven years. ABC, initially a family-owned...

Why do good teams fail? Very often, argue Deborah Ancona and Henrik Bresman, it is because they are looking inward instead of outward. Based on years...

This technical note is employed in MBA, executive education, and undergraduate courses that cover the art of persuasion. It is used in the core Management...

In January 2020, Kombi Sports Inc. was at a strategic crossroads in a changing industry. The Montreal-based firm had evolved from a niche provider of...

This one-paragraph case adds to the data presented in the (A) case. A redisguised and updated version of earlier case 494-006.

Introductory slides for product #8867.

In our last issue, the authors introduced the overarching Linking Strategy to Operations (LSO) model, examining two elements of its component operations...

The Agile Manifesto offered a philosophy for accomplishing technical work efficiently; The Agile Enterprise builds on the previous text and outlines how...

Cameron (Cam) Barker, founder and CEO of Blake Sports Apparel and Switch Activewear, manufacturers and distributers of sports apparel and accessories,...

“Where on earth is it?” Mark Landstad wondered aloud. He scanned the sea of files in his predecessor’s master folder on the company network one more time. “I know it must be here somewhere!” Walking to the window, Mark gritted his teeth and scratched his face, which felt itchy and hot. He surveyed the crepuscular […]

Recently, I posted a list of 12 Things Good Bosses Believe. Now I’m following up by delving into each one of them. This post is about the eighth belief: “One of the best tests of my leadership — and my organization — is “what happens after people make a mistake?” I have authored or co-authored […]

Teaching note for case 521057.

Size, skills, and structure help determine a group's success.

Frank Addante is a 28-year-old serial entrepreneur who is in the process of building his fifth venture. Of his first four ventures, two were sold, one...