MIT Sloan Management Review

Employees spend increasing amounts of time in meetings and love to complain about them. But privately they see meetings as a productivity tool -- one that companies can learn to use better.

When a behind-the-scenes decision must be “downloaded” to employees, the way it is communicated has a lot to do with its acceptance and eventual success or failure.

Many executives talk about the need for greater flexibility and adaptability from their companies. But the truth is that most businesses have organized themselves in ways that inherently discourage change.

Companies have a number of internal and external conflict-resolution resources at their disposal. In addition, they should consider creating the new role of board ombudsman to mediate disagreements.

Most managers will tend to believe the "facts" that fit their views, even when faced with conflicting information or even outright contradiction.

A study of Nokia’s venturing program revealed eight important lessons that can help companies benefit from their investments in new ventures.

Managing change does not mean dealing with chaos. In fact, continuous change is a predictable cycle with four phases, each requiring certain resources and a specific type of champion.

Departing employees leave with more than what they know; they also take with them critical knowledge about who they know. That information needs to be a part of any knowledge-retention strategy.

Companies often make crucial mistakes when trying to protect trade secrets, sometimes relying on policies that actually lead to more information being divulged.

Some managers are discovering that the process of purposeful play can inject much needed vitality into their organizations.