DescriptionIn the aftermath of seismic debacles like those that toppled Enron and WorldCom, corporate boards have been shaken up and made over. Most of the changes are primarily structural and don't go to the heart of a board's work: making the choices that shape a…
DescriptionCompetition on the Internet is breaking down industry barriers and creating fierce battles between industry giants and small-scale start-ups. The Netscape-Microsoft battles show how start-ups can avoid those conflicts by moving quickly to uncontested ground and, when that's no longer possible, by turning the strengths of dominant players against them. This article, which originally appeared in the January-February 1999 Harvard Business Review, is offered in audio form exclusively through Audible.
DescriptionWhen some managers take over a new job, they hit the ground running. They learn the ropes, get along with their bosses and subordinates, gain credibility, and ultimately master the situation. Others, however, don't do so well. What accounts for the differ…
DescriptionSome companies automate knowledge management, others rely on their people to share knowledge through more traditional means. Emphasizing the wrong approach - or trying to pursue both at the same time - can quickly undermine your business. In this article from Harvard Business Review, the authors will help you determine which knowledge management strategy is best for your company, whether it's codification or personalization, and how it should reflect your competitive strategy. This article, which originally appeared in the March-April 1999 Harvard Business Review, is offered in audio form exclusively through Audible.
DescriptionFrom the pages of Harvard Business Review hear former AlliedSignal CEO Larry Bossidy on "The Job No CEO Should Delegate, " Harvard Med School Dean Paul F. Levy on "The Nut Island Effect: When Good Teams Go Wrong, " and more. These articles, which originally appeared in the March 2001 issue of Harvard Business Review, are offered in audio form exclusively through Audible.
DescriptionYou depend on your mid-career employees. They make up more than half your workforce and work longer hours than anyone else in your company. But, many of these solid performers between the ages of 35 and 55 are not happy. In fact, they're burned out, bored, and bottlenecked, new research reveals. Welcome to middlescence. Like adolescence, it can be a time of frustration, confusion, and alienation. But it can also be a time of self-discovery, new direction, and fresh beginnings. - From the March 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review…
DescriptionEven for the most gifted individuals, the process of becoming a leader is an arduous, albeit rewarding, journey of continuous learning and self-development. The initial test along the path is so fundamental that we often overlook it: becoming a boss for t…
DescriptionThis article from Harvard Business Review asks whether you know where the money's being made in your industry. The authors provide a 4-step process for mapping a profit pool, discuss applying the process, and more. This article, which originally appeared in the May-June 1998 Harvard Business Review, is offered in audio form exclusively through Audible.
DescriptionEmployers can choose from lots of tools when they want to encourage employees to work together toward a new corporate goal. One of the rarest managerial skills is the ability to understand which tools will work in a given situation and which will misfire. Cooperation tools fall into four major categories: power, management, leadership, and culture. Choosing the right tool, say the authors, requires assessing the organization along two critical dimensions: the extent to which people agree on what they want and the extent to which they agree on cause and effect, or how to get what they want. From the October 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review .
DescriptionIn 1976, Genentech, the first biotechnology company, was founded by a young venture capitalist and a university professor to exploit recombinant DNA technology. Thirty years and more than $300 billion in investments later, only a handful of biotech firms have matched Genentech's success or even shown a profit. No avalanche of new drugs has hit the market, and the long-awaited breakthrough in R&D productivity has yet to materialize. This disappointing performance raises a question: Can organizations motivated by the need to make profits and please shareholders successfully conduct basic scientific research as a core activity? From the October 2006 issue of Harvard Business Review .
