Management Training

Never happy with convention, Steve Jobs created Apple University to mold MBAs in his company’s image. His first hire was Joel Podolny, dean of the Yale School of Management. Podolny then hired Harvard University’s Richard Tedlow, a leading business historian. Now Apple has hired Morten Hansen, co-author of Great by Choice.

HR Law 101: Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Courts are increasingly taking a dim view of employers that don't take decisive action to prevent sexual harassment ...

HR Law 101: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) applies strict rules of conduct to employers during union-organizing campaigns. But whether you choose to accept the union or resist it, you can still exercise your rights effectively. Or, if a union has already won a representation election in your organization, you need to know how to prevent the union from encroaching on your management rights ... 

HR Law 101: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) of 1978 prohibits discrimination on the basis of "pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions." Employers can't deny a woman a job or a promotion merely because she's pregnant or has had an abortion ...

In his 15 years as CEO of ICICI Bank, K.V. Kamath says he spent 30% of his time mentoring employees. The 65-year-old native of India views mentoring as a natural part of communicating with high-potential subordinates.

HR Law 101: Employers have an obligation to provide a safe work environment for their employees. Those that don’t will pay a heavy price. Their workers’ compensation and other liability insurance costs will rise, workers may sue, and OSHA may impose heavy fines.

Most people don’t view paranoia as a plus. But Rashesh Shah sees its benefits. As chairman and chief executive of Edelweiss, a financial services firm in India, Shah favors “productive paranoia.”

If you’re advising a new manager to succeed, start by establishing guiding principles. Groom your managers to evolve into dynamic leaders by helping them develop these four skills and attitudes.

“If you look in the mirror and don’t see plenty of flaws, you’re delusional,” says tech consultant Steve Tobak. “And companies are entirely made up of imperfect people, just like you.” Still, he says, some leaders “more or less” know what they’re doing.

When you start your first job as a manager, don’t rush in and begin changing everything. Instead, get in learning mode, writes Dorothy Tannahill-Moran.