The Management Distillery

How to build an effective team/organization? One way is for the Manager to take notes!

Varun Malhotra — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 14:18:00 PDT

I use it and I have seen it work. And if you are a manager reading this post, there is no better way for you to be on top of stuff and completely digest it. Survey after survey shows that...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Are you the best for your customers?

Varun Malhotra — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:19:04 PDT

Note that I didn't say if you are the best in the world? I asked if you the best for your customers or said another way, are you the best for those you serve? There is much talk about being...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Best candidate – the law of diminishing returns

Varun Malhotra — Mon, 25 May 2009 17:17:03 PDT

Daniel Hamermesh makes an interesting point in his Freakonomics blogpost - Why Finding the Best Isn't Worth It. "Despite that, rational marital search, job search, or search for a high quality/low...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

The Organization’s Wish List

Varun Malhotra — Mon, 25 May 2009 16:48:53 PDT

Keeping an inventory of ideas and wishes for your organization can make you incredibly focused. I am a big proponent of keeping lists. They help us focus because we know that everything that needs to...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Luxury vs. premium – so relevant to consulting too!

Varun Malhotra — Sun, 17 May 2009 08:02:45 PDT

Seth Godin's latest post on Luxury vs. premium is relevant to goods and equally relevant to services, especially as we see them in the context of the consulting profession. "Luxury goods are...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Our role as the facilitators of change is more important than ever!

Varun Malhotra — Tue, 05 May 2009 10:32:15 PDT

I co-chaired the CBODN Annual Conference on May 1st (Organization Development and Change: Helping Organizations Navigate Tough Economic Times) and it's clear to me that we are living in unique times....

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

The Corporate Citizenship conversation

Varun Malhotra — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:24:20 PDT

It's a 'job security' tactic, rather than 'being excellent at what you do' tactic. Just like Corporate Governance has been the big wave, Corporate Citizenship is becoming more and more important for...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Underperforming employee = BIG opportunity

Varun Malhotra — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 06:16:13 PDT

>> And if you are having trouble getting motivated to put in this work….remember (a) as a Manager it's your job to take care of your people; (b) Regardless of the outcome, you gain the most out of...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Consequences of making decisions

Varun Malhotra — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:58:25 PDT

"Sometimes bad things happen when good people are unlucky and sometimes scoundrels get away clean. Judging decisions based on their outcomes will wind up condemning too many unlucky people and...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Starting off with Benefits and Concerns

Varun Malhotra — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:04:17 PDT

Benefits and Concerns is a facilitation approach to help a group bring out their thoughts and opinions about the initiative right at the outset. This helps baseline everyone's position and lays the...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

Characteristics of a good Project Management Methodology

Varun Malhotra — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 06:53:07 PDT

>> straightforward in explanation, intuitive in practice, and verifiable in compliance If you are thinking about taking your organization through a process improvement project, possibly pursuing a...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.

A 4-step management philosophy

Varun Malhotra — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:28:45 PDT

Set-up and manage expectations – a strong focus during the initiation and planning stages to ensure everyone is on the same page is the ONLY way you can bring project success. Primary deliverables...

This blog is a distillery for management thoughts, ideas, and stories.