Asena ERDEM

One of the most common management challenges involves how to effectively manage all kinds of different people, not just people who look and think as we do. Which is why I was interested to see new  research  (from  Robert Half ) on generational differences in the workplace. Anything that encourages managers to think analytically and creatively about how to better understand their employees is constructive reading, far as I'm concerned. The research, which involved phone interviews with CFOs, examined workplace differences among different generations, with respect to key business attributes. CFOs were asked: "In which one of the following areas do you see the greatest differences among your company's employees who are from different generations?" The responses: 30% said "communication skills," 26% said "adapting to change," 23% responded with "technical skills," 14% responded with "cross-departmental collaboration," wh...

Is there such a thing as simply looking like a leader? A large body of research suggests yes. In a recent article published in  Current Directions in Psychological Science , John Antonakis (University of Lausanne) and Dawn L. Eubanks (University of Warwick) provide an overview of several studies suggesting that getting to the top of the corporate ladder may depend, at least in part, on the structure of a person’s face. “Given what we know about the predictors of leaders’ ability, facial appearance should play a small or a very limited role in observers’ selection of leaders; however, research convincingly shows otherwise,” Antonakis and Eubanks write. When judging candidates for a leadership position, selectors need accurate information on the competence and trustworthiness of the individuals concerned, the researchers explain. Ideally, company board members choosing a CEO or voters choosing a politician will rely on accurate cues of these characteristics to make their...

What is leadership? A simple definition is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. This leadership definition captures the essentials of being able to inspire others and being prepared to do so. Effective leadership is based upon ideas (whether original or borrowed), but won't happen unless those ideas can be communicated to others in a way that engages them enough to act as the leader wants them to act.   Put even more simply, the leader is the inspiration and director of the action. He or she is the person in the group that possesses the combination of personality and leadership skills that makes others want to follow his or her direction. Is Business Leadership Solely About Improving the Bottom Line? In business, leadership is welded to performance and any leadership definition has to take that into account. While it's not solely about  profit , those who are viewed as  effective  le...

The workplace can be a frustrating place for many employees and CEOs alike. In order to keep a place of employment running like a fine tuned machine, it often takes the efforts of many individuals. In many ways, this is where industrial and organizational psychology comes in. This branch of psychology is the study of the workplace environment, organizations, and their employees. Technically, industrial and organizational psychology - sometimes referred to as I/O psychology or work psychology - actually focuses on two separate areas that are closely related. Some professionals might liken it to yin and yang - one can't exist without the other. The industrial side of industrial and organizational psychology generally focuses on the individuals and his relationship to the workplace. This might cover such things as job analysis, employee safety, employee training, job performance measurement, and employee hiring systems. The organizational side of industrial and organizational...