So much good thinking in one issue

Anyone interested in strategic planning and leadership needs to keep current with trends, experience, the "cutting edge" and "what's next."   You can imagine that as a former financial/business journalist and publisher I am voracious in my consumption of business information.  I consume - off and on - The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, the business sections of my local newspapers, CNBC, Bloomberg, Market Place, all sorts of web sites, trade publications and more.

Perhaps a surprise to some, of all these outlets I find the Sunday business section of The New York Times to be the most instructive  business medium that I consume.  The Sunday section takes a step back and goes beyond the immediate facts to provide excellent perspective, commentary and insight.

Take yesterday's edition, for example.  Here are thumbnails of several articles and why you should consume them if you are interested in strategic thinking and strategic action.

• Howard Schultz of Starbucks is profiled. What stands out to me from this excellent article is that Starbucks is removing "coffee" from its logo so Starbucks can get traction in supermarkets; the company's "growth at any costs" strategy was jettisoned when Schultz returned as CEO in favor of improving margins; and the successful transformation Schultz made from an entrepreneurial mindset - "I know it all" - to a managerial mindset - "Together we can share knowledge and perspectives and figure this out."
  

• Google has applied its analytical approach to management.  The company decided to analyze its quarterly personnel reviews and team results to learn what traits made managers successful.  The New York Times article spends a considerable amount of time on the obviousness of the findings from the data crunching, but acknowledges that they are valid for Google, having come from the company's expereience.  The eight good behaviors of Google managers, in short, are:

          1. Be a good coach.
          2. Empower your team and don't micromanage.
          3. Express interest in team members' success and personal well being.
          4. Don't be a sissy: Be productive and results oriented.
          5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team.
          6. Help your employees with career development.
          7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team.
          8. Have key technical skills so your can help advise the team.

• "Tactful audacity" is the pithy term used by Romil Bahl, CEO of PRGX, a data mining and audit recovery firm, to describe how he believes one should give constructive feedback to clients.  Noting that "you don't win arguments with clients," he says, "If you aren't being audacious, if you aren't pushing back, you're on your way out the door, right?  You're done as the trusted advisor and partner.  It's about tone and how you pass along a difficult message."

There's more in this one issue, including trends in wireless monitoring systems, improving the commercialization of inventions emerging from university labs, and mining government data to help consumers, workers and companies. 

Be sure to pick up (or read online) next Sunday's New York Times.  I guarantee that what you will learn in the business section will improve the quality of your thinking and actions.