Okay, I admit it. I am a fair weather San Francisco Giants fan. I tuned in to the team in the last weeks of the series as they began their championship playoffs. I found myself playing catch up, learning the names and stories of the players. All of a sudden I really cared. As the Giants came closer and closer to winning the World Series, a goal that eluded them for 56 years, I put on my Tangle Doctor hat. How did the team's management orchestrate this turnaround? What can business leaders learn from a team that seemed so unlikely to win a championship trophy?
Three Lessons Executive Leaders Can Learn from the S. F. Giants
By Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC on Thu, Nov 04, 2010
Cough it UpTM How to Rid Yourself of Corporate Hairballs
By Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC on Fri, Mar 19, 2010
Active Listening Tips for Avoiding Strangling TanglesTM
By Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC on Wed, Apr 22, 2009
A Strangling TangleTM paralyzes organizations and can lead to plummeting profits, lost revenue, and precipitous falls in market share. There are a number of causes for Strangling Tangles. Based on my experience and research, organizations with corporate cultures that discourage speaking up and sharing bad news are particularly vulnerable. Leaders play a huge role in building, maintaining, and changing corporate culture. One way leaders can change the culture is by learning and demonstrating active listening skills.
Why Putting People Issues on Back Burner Is a Bad Move
By Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC on Mon, Nov 24, 2008
Three Tips for Heeding Warning Signs Before They Strangle Your Business
By Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC on Tue, Nov 18, 2008
Merrill Lynch's Culture of Fear Led to Strangling Tangle
By Marcia Ruben, PhD, PCC on Sun, Nov 09, 2008
According to Morgenson, E. Stanley O'Neal, Merrill's CEO, is described as an autocratic leader. Two of his lieutenants discouraged open communication between the risk management arm and the sales arm. One of the lieutenants was Osman Semerci. Semerci she wrote, "often played the role of tough guy . . . silencing critics who warned about the risks the firm was taking." He also "would chastise traders and other moneymakers who told risk management officials exactly what they were doing." We can only infer that important lines of communication and necessary discussions to determine true risk were cut off. Most likely, not talking about the obvious, unexpected, or anything out of the ordinary became the norm. Some employees described Semerci as intimidating. Like the frog who gets comfortable as the temperature of the lukewarm water rises, Merrill employees no doubt became used to the culture of fear and didn't speak up.