Issues with three more ships raise serious crisis management concerns Just as Carnival escaped its position at the top of the news cycle following the drama surrounding the lengthy Triumph tow, another of its ships, Elation, reported steering issues and was escorted back to a nearby port by tugs. At that point, Carnival execs had …

Leadership is a team sport not a superstar sport. What happens over time is that some managers begin to believe it’s all about them. It’s not, it’s just the opposite. It’s about the people they lead. Allan Ditchfield, former executive at AT&T, realized that you cannot lead without getting involved. “When leaders remain behind their …

What is that exactly? Where do trainers come from? Are they born or made, as I like to ask my University students of “speakers.” Trainers are a little different. Trainers are made of parts, like the human body, and have many interacting functions or working parts. Without some parts they die. With others, they thrive. …

Mentoring doesn’t have to be based on tutoring, leadership development, careers or some other focused goal. I do and like that kind of mentoring too. But this bonding with girls that I have so much in common with and yet have differences with has something so special about it. I can’t find the few words to capture it. But we cross generations, cultures and economics and explore our common experience. They are interested in our past and we are interested in their future. Colleges and careers enter into easy conversation – not formal counseling.

[Editor’s note: In this guest post, Don Martin, president of Don Martin Public Affairs, outlines the dangers that arise when legal and PR don’t work together, as well as the benefits to be reaped when they cooperate.] In most corporate situations or crises the inevitable question arises about which role is paramount — the legal …

What do you see in your organization – people taking responsibility or pointing fingers at others? If it’s the latter, how do you stop the blame game and how do you start getting accountability? The word accountability – employees doing what they are suppose to do – seems to stir up frustrations for many managers. …

Second outbreak in as many months from Cardinal Meat Specialists As if the beef industry wasn’t in enough trouble with the entire horsemeat debacle, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed that two people have contracted food poisoning, caused by E. coli, after eating frozen beef burgers. The company responsible for manufacturing the burgers, Cardinal …

Moonshot #1: Management That Serves a Higher Purpose (1) As more companies embrace and begin adopting the frameworks of our intersection (see January 7, 2013 blog post), the role of managers, supervisors, and bosses is changing. With the rise of self-organizing and self-managing teams, one could ask: What is the Purpose of Management, period? To …

How do you measure whether or not a document is communicating what it should? How do you define good documentation? – I define it as being applicable, usable, and error free. Documentation has to be written for the target audience as everyone has different roles and responsibilities. The following questions can be asked via feedback …

Did Carnival learn anything from a similar 2010 incident? As passengers stranded on Carnival Cruise’s Triumph share stories of disgusting conditions, including cabin carpets soaked with water and urine, overflowing toilets, sewage leaking down walls and four-hour lines for hot food, one has to wonder just how seriously Carnival takes its crisis management planning. The …