Graziadio Business Report Blog

Nancy Dodd, MFA, MPW, Academic Editor

I have been teaching with Frances Grimes in the Management Communications program here at Graziadio this fall and so business communication is on my mind.

Face-to-face business communication is difficult—attempting to read body language, facial expressions, and gestures (although some gestures speak for themselves), can be a challenge. Not to mention cultural differences that can blur the meaning to any one or all of the above.

Even more difficult can be written communication when there are no expressions and gestures to guide us. Add poor grammar, haphazard punctuation, and misspellings… well, we all know where that can lead. Then mix in the language of different cultures and disciplines, and you can really have a problem.

I once wrote an email to someone in another department who was handling our IT. Since we were just starting to develop audio and video, I needed extra help with a particular project. In the email I wrote that I just needed a download of the file in a new format for “audacity.” The recipient of the email responded not quite in the way I expected, offering to do something quite different than I requested. Continue reading ‘5 Simple Rules for Better Email Business Communication’

Wayne Strom, PhD

Today’s harsh economic realities continue to impact everyone. Hundreds of thousands have been losing their jobs each month. In California, even firemen and policemen are being laid off (California firemen are being laid off even as we approach fire season!). It does not matter if you work for a private enterprise or a tax-supported agency.

Everyone is somewhat at risk. Everything is somewhat on the line.

An attorney friend once told me, ‘When you have a fire, you get to choose: you can pour on water, or you can pour on gasoline.’ This is absolutely true in our business relationships.

When people feel at risk, they become anxious and can easily rise to defensiveness. Negotiations, even over the smallest issues, can become brittle.

But to pour on gasoline does not mean that one is operating from a position of strength and confidence! It does not signal the other person that you are competent to deal with what is happening. If I anxiously enter a business conversation, or if I am even just a little apprehensive (a form of defensiveness), or perhaps a little pushy, I may be setting the stage for a defensive push-back or confrontation. Continue reading ‘The Business Imperative for Staying Calm During Stressful Times’

Can’t see the video above? Click here to watch or you can read the transcript.

In this video interview, Kurt K. Motamedi, PhD, Professor of Strategy and Leadership at the Graziadio School of Business and Management, discusses strategy, strategy execution, leadership styles (including neurotic managers and their impact), keeping employees motivated, and the shift away from economic opportunism occurring in the U.S. and worldwide. Continue reading ‘The Art of Strategy During a Recession’

Can’t see the above video? Click here to watch or you can read the transcript.

In this video interview, Matthew May, supporting faculty at the Graziadio School of Business and Management, and author of the recently released book, In Pursuit of Elegance:Why the Best Ideas Have Something Missing, discusses the four principles of elegance: symmetry, seduction, subtraction, and sustainability. Instead of having a to-do list, May says, find elegance in your professionial life by creating a NOT-to-do list.

In Pursuit of Elegance debuted at #1 on 800CEORead.com and #2 in the Creativity & Genius category on Amazon. Professor May was also a long-time consultant to the University of Toyota and the author of the critically acclaimed The Elegant Solution, which won the Shingo Research Prize for Excellence. Continue reading ‘What’s on Your NOT-To-Do List?’

Can’t see the above video? Click here to watch or you can read the transcript.

In this video interview, Kevin S. Groves, PhD, Assistant Professor of Organizational Theory and Management at the Graziadio School of Business and Management, discusses his research on executive development and succession planning, managerial thinking styles, social and emotional intelligence, and organizational change.

Dr. Groves’ article, “Integrating Leadership Development and Succession Planning Best Practices,” earned him a Highly Commended Award for Outstanding Paper from the Emerald Publishing Group as part of the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence 2008. Continue reading ‘Values-Centered Leaders More Successful in the Long Term’

Can’t see the above video? Click this link to watch or you can read the transcript.

In this video interview, David M. Smith, PhD, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and Associate Professor of Economics at the Graziadio School of Business and Management discusses the impact the proposed Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) would have on employers, unions, and the workforce. Continue reading ‘The Employee Free Choice Act: Playing the Union Card’

(Left to Right: Roberta Romero (Drucker), Jenny Sheng, Tanya Stevens, Candace Olfati (all CGU/Keck Graduate Institute), Joyce Zhang, Sirish Upadhyay (both Graziadio), Henry Du (Drucker), Jaya Soedradjat (Graziadio), Me)

On May 2nd, the world gathered in Omaha, Nebraska to listen to Warren Buffet at the 2009 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting. We tried to parse the future from his words, and wondered if this was the most optimistic that Charlie (Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway Corporation) has ever been. Some hailed the new format as much more focused, giving the audience a better chance to understand the genius of Warren Buffet.

Two days later, the market reacted with the Dow posting a 200+ point advance. And since Warren doesn’t really care about the market, let’s just say that the reviews have been uniformly—cautiously—optimistic.

This year, I attended the meeting with 7 students and recent graduates from the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management, the Keck Graduate Institute, and Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Management. I teach as an adjunct professor at Drucker and the Graziadio School and it was a delight to be joined by a group of delightful, energetic, and bright leaders of our future.

I’ll try to avoid the usual reporting (you can read several media reports on what was said during the meeting), but here are some of the my takeaways: Continue reading ‘Impressions from the 2009 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting’

Times are tough. The demand has never been greater for regulatory oversight. Public outcry to punish those who failed us has reached the ears of our leaders and politicians.

The dismissal of GM’s chief by the Obama Administration was a shock and a signal to the automotive sector: This is a time in which risk taking will no longer be tolerated. We must learn to play it safe.

Or not. Continue reading ‘Experimentation, Risk Management, and Breakthrough Performance’

The results of the first GBR poll on the economy and workplace productivity are in!

• The majority of participants said their workplace has been affected in some way by the stress of the down economy
• 56% say that people are working harder to keep their jobs
• 15% say that people are too obsessed with what’s going on to focus on their work

The GBR Blog asked Charles D. Kerns, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science, at the Graziadio School of Business and Management, to comment on the results and offer some practical advice on coping with workplace stress. He wrote:

Continue reading ‘5 Tips to Boost Workplace Happiness During these Tough Times’

The GBR Blog wants to know:

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What’s going on at your work? Tell us in the comments.

UPDATE: This poll was closed on March 30, 2009. Read our analysis of the poll and get “5 Tips to Boost Workplace Happiness During these Tough Times,” by Charles Kerns, PhD, Associate Professor of Applied Behavioral Science.