Art Petty, Author at Management Excellence by Art Petty

About Art Petty

Art Petty is a coach, speaker and workshop presenter focusing on helping professionals and organizations learn to survive and thrive in an era of change. When he is not speaking, Art serves senior executives, business owners and high potential professionals as a coach and strategy advisor. Additionally, Art’s books are widely used in leadership development programs. To learn more or discuss a challenge, contact Art.

Product Manager does not Mean Product Emperor (and other helpful suggestions for success as a Product Manager)

t's long been my opinion that the Product Manager has one of the tougher jobs in an organization (see my post: In Support of the Product Manager as MVP). This position is one of those "all of the responsibility with none of the power" roles that grind up and spit out mere mortals with alarming frequency. There are a number of common mistakes that I've observed both new and experienced Product Managers make, that if understood and avoided, might increase the survival and success rate of this endangered species. In no particular order, these common mistakes and hopefully, helpful hints, include:

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:41-05:00April 24th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

Teammate Yesterday, Manager Today

ndoubtedly, one of the most difficult and awkward professional transitions is the jump from team member to team manager. The people that you've worked with side by side, joked with and shared lunch with are no longer your peers, they are your employees, and for good or bad, your relationship with them will never be the same. If you are truly interested in developing as a leader, this awkward situation is an outstanding rite of passage, complete with some hardcore lessons on what it takes for you to build credibility, motivate, direct, support and lead others.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:42-05:00April 22nd, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

When Projects Go Horribly Wrong: A Great Example

The folks that designed Denver International Airport's infamous baggage handling system can breathe a bit easier now. While the much publicized start-up disasters at Denver have faded into the past, apparently the lessons learned did not transfer across the pond to the teams responsible for the new Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:44-05:00April 20th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|2 Comments

How to Improve a Dysfunctional Meeting Culture Without Removing the Chairs

This is a follow-on to my recent rave against the time-wasting, dysfunctional debating society events that masquerade as meetings in many corporate settings. My drive to momentarily stay on my "effective-meeting" soapbox was galvanized yesterday, when I spoke with a good friend who had just started a new job. Her first day coincided with an operations meeting that she described as an all day rugby scrum where everyone got bloody, but no one scored.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:45-05:00April 17th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|1 Comment

Leader: Are Your Meetings Straight Out of A Dilbert Comic Strip?

My observation is that only a minority of leaders (managers, supervisors, executives, project managers) understand how to properly prepare a team for and run an effective, purposeful and productive meeting. Ironically, look at the Outlook calendars of most people operating inside corporate walls, and their schedules are filled with one meeting after another. With all of these unproductive meetings to attend, who has time to work?

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:46-05:00April 16th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

Why Strategy is the Leader’s Most Potent Tool

Leading is more than just being the person in charge. It's about selecting and developing talent, providing direction and motivation, creating the effective working environment and providing consistent and timely feedback on performance. The "direction and motivation" component comes directly from the leader's understanding of the firm's strategic environment (market forces, competitors, customers) as well as the direction and strategies (goals/actions) that have been selected by an organization's management. Strategy is context that gives meaning and purpose to individual roles and group activities and goals.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:48-05:00April 15th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|5 Comments

Coping Strategies for the Project Manager Facing an Executive Mandate on Schedule

A management team well attuned to rapidly emerging market forces might recognize an opportunity that can be leveraged for significant gain and competitive advantage if the organization acts quickly. It is management's prerogative and responsibility to identify and motivate the organization to act and seize these opportunities, even at the expense of order and business as usual.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:49-05:00April 13th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

Training for the Swimming Leg of the Leadership Triathlon

Feedback is the leadership triathlon equivalent of the swimming leg. Everyone knows that it is the difference maker in overall performance, but because it's hard, uncomfortable and easy to flounder with, many choose to de-emphasize or even ignore it.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:51-05:00April 10th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

Read Any Good Cultures Lately? Honing an Essential Career Skill.

Every organization has a distinct culture defined by its history, norms, values, and behaviors, and every team in an organization develops its own subculture. Learning to read a culture and adapt your style to fit (or at least complement it) is essential to success regardless of your level or role. It's also something that can be honed as a skill through increased awareness and consistent application of a few basic approaches.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:52-05:00April 9th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

Management by Jane: Leading Effectively from the Middle

"Jane" is a senior leader exerting broad influence on an organization, while sitting smack in the middle of the organization chart. She's a testament to the power of maintaining the right attitude on all fronts, and she clearly has learned several of the most valuable lessons of leadership: select great people, deal with them openly and honestly, provide opportunities and challenges and let them do what they do best.

By Art Petty|2024-08-08T13:50:53-05:00April 8th, 2008|1,770 Legacy Leadership Caffeine and Management Articles|0 Comments

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