Top 10 Management Lessons I Have
Learned From Training Videos
Dr. George Yacus
24 March 2015 / 8 AM
ODU HELC, Virginia Beach VA
Why I Love Business Videos
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Fun to watch
Good memories
Make friends
Better than a talking head
Garners emotion
Effective training tool
• Here are ten of my favorites…
Meetings, Bloody Meetings
Meetings, Bloody Meetings
• 1-START ON TIME, HAVE A PLAN AND USE IT
• Video Summary: John Cleese has a dream where
he is a courtroom defendant for running bad
meetings
• Tips: Don’t wait for late-comers…they should
have been there and you are insulting those who
behaved well. Have an agenda and use it and
stay on track. Don’t make it painful.
VIDEO
• Watch “Meetings, Bloody Meetings” video
The Abilene Paradox
The Abilene Paradox
• 2-DON’T JUST STAND THERE, SAY SOMETHING
• Video Summary: Several scenarios (e.g., bad wedding,
failing business project) where people are in agreement
that something shouldn’t be done but since they are
afraid to speak up, everyone does what they didn’t
want to, even though there was no conflict!
• Tips: See something, say something. Don’t wait for
someone else to speak up. Speak your mind. Truth to
power. Risk communicating.
Groupthink
Groupthink
• 3-LISTEN TO ALL IDEAS
• Video Summary: Several scenarios (e.g., Cuban Missile
Crisis, NASA Challenger explosion) caused by the group
decision makers thinking that they are invulnerable. If
contrarian speaks up, it is attributed to disloyalty
regardless of merit of argument.
• Tips: Don’t let group cohesion trump reason. Avoid
feelings of invulnerability and superiority. “They” are
NOT out to get us. Don’t go along to get along. Make
waves.
The Leadership Pickles
Leadership Pickles
• 4-DO IT RIGHT AND DO IT RIGHT NOW
• Video Summary: Mr. Farrell, owner of an ice
cream restaurant, shares several good leadership
principles. This principle especially powerful.
• Tips: Stop procrastinating. Don’t wait. Problems
don’t get better with age like wine. Make a list
and then do the items! Backlogs cause stress.
The Power of Vision
The Power of Vision
• 5-WITHOUT A VISION THE PEOPLE PERISH
• Video Summary: Joel Barker shows 3 cases where a
compelling vision brought personal and organizational
success (e.g., POW camp, Harlem school)
• Tips: Don’t skip “Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles,
Strategic Goals”. Have an Individual Development Plan
and review it. Share vision with others to get
consensus and good results. Strategic management.
Dealing With Conflict
Dealing With Conflict
• 6-THERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO RESOLVE CONFLICT
THAT ALL WORK
• Video Summary: Five scenarios compare
strategies of avoidance, competing,
accommodation, compromise, and collaboration.
• Tips: Sometimes problems go away. Sometimes
you gotta’ go to the mat, sometimes not.
Compromise gives you half of what you want.
Collaboration often makes a bigger pie for all.
The Goal
The Goal
• 7-YOU’RE AS STRONG AS YOUR WEAKEST LINK
• Video Summary: Company was improving
efficiencies and automating, but was not
increasing sales or revenue or reducing inventory,
so it was losing money! They measured the
wrong things. Plant was only as fast as its slowest
machine.
• Explanation: Identify and fix your bottlenecks.
Find out what your #1 thing is and focus on it.
The Pygmalion Effect
The Pygmallion Effect
• 8-PEOPLE WILL MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS
• Video Summary: Several scenarios showing that
if you call people winners they will be winners,
and if you call them losers they will lose. Students
that were told they were gifted performed better.
Our attitudes and behaviors towards
subordinates actually drive their behavior.
• Explanation: You get what you expect. People
respond to your cues.
Three Signs of a Miserable Job
Three Signs of a Miserable Job
• 9-APPRECIATE YOUR PEOPLE, LET HEM KNOW THEY
ARE IMPORTANT, LET THEM KNOW THEY ARE
WINNING AT THEIR JOB
• Video Summary: Dramatic presentations showing that
people don’t want to feel like a cog in a machine, want
to know that their life work is relevant, and want to
know if they are winning or losing:
• Tips: Treat your people like people want to be treated.
FISH
FISH
• 10-HAVE FUN AT WORK
• Video Summary: Seattle Fish Market becomes
world-famous just by applying four principles
that delight their customers.
• Tips: Play, Be There, Choose Your Attitude,
Make Their Day
Conclusion
• Take my advice and use my tips
• Videos are the new currency in
communication
• Work does not have to be miserable…have
fun!