Subscribe to the Three Star Leadership Blog

The Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training.

Request your free copy of Wally's Special Report: Managing Headcount in a Downturn.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check Wally's Three Star Leadership Letter

Find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.

Find out more about Wally's coaching services.

Here's my pick of the top five posts from this week's business blogs. I'm pointing you to posts on challenging received wisdom, forced rankings, tunnel vision, how work can literally make you crazy, and workplace conflict.

From Slow Leadership: It’s Time to Challenge Received Wisdom

"How much of our present mess is due to constant repetition of ideas about management that have not been explored as they should? I’m always struck by how readily some leaders still rely on ideas and theories going back to the 1930s or earlier, even though today’s environment for business has little in common with that time—outside of media headlines invoking the Great Depression to add to our sense of gloom."

Wally's Comment: Carmine Coyote picks apart the "received wisdom" and shares some of his own wisdom.

From Fistful of Talent: I LOVE Forced Rankings!

"Yep... I said it.  I love the idea of forced rankings.  Made famous by Jack Welch at GE - forced rankings became all the rage a few years back.  Everyone wanted to emulate GE - heck they were a powerhouse, and they were making money, taking names and kicking butt.  Forced rankings seemed to be the answer.  But, I know not everyone agrees with forced rankings."

Wally's Comment: Forced ranking of worker performance has fallen on hard times. No one likes it anymore. Even those who used to love it now swear it was never so. That's why we need posters like Paul Hebert to point out where forced ranking might work.

From Random Rantings: Tunnel vision – “in the end, there is only flux”

"We know, from running statistics on the performance of companies over time, that especially very successful firms have trouble staying successful, and adapt to changing industry conditions. We call this the “success trap”, “competency traps” or the “Icarus paradox” in business."

Wally's Comment: This is a good time for a review of the research on the problems that success and "focus" can create.

From Results vs. Activities: Work May Make You Crazy

"News alert (in case you might have not known already) — Work-related stress can be a direct cause of clinical depression and anxiety among employees."

Wally's Comment: For Ken Nowack, "crazy" is not just a metaphor. He shares some studies about the reality of workplaces that make people a little nuts.

From HR Web Cafe: Study puts workplace conflict cost in the billions

"Recent research puts the cost of workplace conflict at 2.8 hours per week or about $359 billion in 2008 for U.S. businesses. CPP Inc., a provider of research, training, and organizational development tools, polled thousands of workers from nine countries across multiple industries on the issue of work conflict."

Wally's Comment: I don't think much of the study that inspired this post, but I always love what Julie Ferguson does at HR Web Café. She's better than anyone else I've seen at bringing together really helpful resources on a topic. In this post, the topic is "workplace conflict," but this blog should be on your RSS feed so you don't miss any posts on other topics.

Wally's Working Supervisor's Support Kit is a collection of information and tools to help working supervisors do a better job. It's based on what Wally's learned in over twenty years of supervisory skills training. Click here to check it out.

Request your free copy of Wally's Special Report: Managing Headcount in a Downturn.

Request your free copy of "Meeting the Challenges of the Boomer Brain Drain: An integrated approach."

Wally Bock has helped people learn to be great bosses for more than a quarter century. His latest book, Performance Talk: The One-on-One Part of Leadership, makes learning key leadership principles almost effortless by teaching through a story and providing lists of resources for further growth.

Click here to find out more about Wally's coaching services.

For weekly tips and resources pointers, check our Wally Bock's Three Star Leadership Letter.

Click here to find out more about having Wally speak to your company or convention.