Heart of Management

Category: Organizational Culture

  • Are You Working Hard – But Not Moving Forward?

    Post 3 in the Time Management for Managers Series

    Many managers I meet feel like they’re busy from morning to night – yet they’re not making real progress.

    They end their workday feeling like they didn’t accomplish what truly matters, even though they worked non-stop.

    The problem isn’t the number of hours – it’s how they’re managed.

    Time management isn’t just about getting more done; it’s about dedicating time to what truly drives progress.

    But that’s nearly impossible when your entire day is filled with small tasks, endless meetings, and firefighting.

    So, how do you break this cycle?

    📌 Effective managers don’t just work harder – they work smarter.

    To manage time instead of being managed by it, shift the question:

    Instead of asking, “How do I finish everything?” → Ask “What should I really be spending my time on?”

    A small change in mindset can have a massive impact on your entire day.

    For managers committed to improving their time management, I created a unique Time Management Guide for Managers:

    🔵 It’s not about generic productivity tips – it focuses on how managers should manage their time to lead, influence, and create real balance.

    🔵 It comes with a bi-daily tips series – designed to turn insights into practical habits.

    🔵 The guide is based on 30 years of hands-on management experience, leading thousands of employees, hundreds of managers, and major brands.

    📥 Download it here – Link in the first comment

    (Currently, the guide is available in Hebrew only. If there’s enough interest, I’ll create an English version. If this interests you – let me know in the comments or via DM!)

  • Sustaining and Growing Meaning: Concluding and Continuing Your Leadership Journey

    The sixth and final post in the series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Managing with meaning isn’t a destination—it’s an ongoing journey. Throughout this series, we’ve explored discovery, learning, and practical application. In this final post, we’ll provide a brief recap of the steps we’ve covered and offer tools to help you sustain and expand your sense of meaning moving forward.

    Series Recap: Key Steps in Your Journey

    1. Discovering Your Inner Motivation:

    We started by identifying the core values and purpose that drive you in your role.

    2. Recognizing Your Moments of Significance:

    You learned how to pinpoint the moments, big and small, where you felt most meaningful and connected to your work.

    3. Turning Insights Into Daily Actions:

    We explored how to translate your discoveries into small, consistent actions that align with your values and goals.

    4. Identifying Where Your Impact Is Strongest:

    By asking the right questions, you learned to focus on the areas where your efforts create the most value.

    5. Turning Challenges Into Opportunities:

    We examined how to view difficulties as opportunities for growth, connection, and creating new meaning.

    Moving Forward: A Continuous Process of Growth and Reflection

    1. Pause for Regular Reflection:

    Every few months, take time to ask yourself: Am I still connected to my values? Does the meaning I’ve found still align with my role?

    2. Explore New Areas for Impact:

    Roles evolve, teams grow, and so do you. Look for new opportunities to create value and meaning in your changing environment.

    3. Share Your Journey With Others:

    Your sense of meaning can empower those around you. Sharing your values and purpose with your team can foster a more meaningful organizational culture.

    4. Celebrate Small Wins:

    Daily successes matter. Take time to acknowledge and appreciate them—they’ll keep you grounded and connected to what you do.

    To Summarize the Post

    This series was designed to give you tools and insights to embark on your journey as a leader with meaning. It’s a personal process, one that evolves with you and the challenges you face along the way.

    Remember: The meaning you find in your role is a powerful engine for growth—not just for you, but for your team, your organization, and everyone around you.

    Thank you for being part of this journey. Now, it’s time to continue and take action!

  • Turning Challenges Into Opportunities: Finding Meaning in Difficult Moments

    The fifth post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Management isn’t just about successes—it’s also about navigating tough challenges. Sometimes, the greatest opportunities for growth, change, and meaning are hidden within the hardest moments. In this post, we’ll explore how to view challenges through a new lens and find ways to create real value from them.

    Step One: Pause and Ask – What Can I Learn From This Challenge?

    When facing a difficulty, take a moment to stop and reflect. Ask yourself: What is this challenge teaching me? Is it revealing something about myself, my team, or the situation?

    Ask yourself: How can this challenge help me improve myself or the processes I manage?

    Example: If a team member is struggling to meet deadlines, this challenge might highlight the need to rethink how tasks are assigned or to introduce better tools for task management.

    Step Two: Look for the Opportunity Within the Difficulty

    Every challenge has the potential to hold an opportunity—whether it’s learning a new skill, strengthening relationships, or changing your approach.

    Simple exercise: Take your current challenge and write down the biggest opportunity it could present.

    Example: If you’re dealing with a team conflict, the opportunity might be to develop better communication and strengthen collaboration within the team.

    Step Three: Involve Your Team in Finding Solutions

    Challenges are also an opportunity to engage your team and empower them to contribute.

    Ask your team: How would you solve this challenge? What can we learn from it together?

    This collaboration not only leads to better solutions but also strengthens team commitment and involvement.

    Example: If a project is delayed, instead of solving it alone, involve the team and encourage them to brainstorm ways to improve the process.

    Step Four: Empower Yourself and Your Team Through Challenges

    Every challenge is a chance for growth—not just for you but for your team as well.

    Ask yourself: How can I help my team learn and grow from this difficulty?

    Example: If your team is struggling with low motivation, use it as an opportunity to open a discussion, identify underlying issues, and provide tools to overcome them together.

    To Summarize the Post

    Challenges are an inevitable part of management, but they are also an opportunity to create meaning and build new skills. By approaching difficulties with a mindset of learning and growth, you’re not just solving problems—you’re creating positive change that strengthens both you and your team.

    In the final post, we’ll explore how to sustain and expand your sense of meaning in your role over time.

  • The Questions That Create Change: How to Identify Where You Truly Make an Impact

    The fourth post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    As managers, we juggle countless responsibilities, but not everything we do creates the same level of impact. In this post, we’ll explore how asking the right questions can help you discover where your influence is strongest—and how to focus your energy on areas that bring the most value.

    Step One: Ask Yourself – What Truly Matters to Me?

    To identify where your impact is greatest, start by asking a simple question: What’s most important to me in my role?

    Is it developing your team? Achieving results? Solving complex problems?

    Ask yourself: Which aspects of my role make me feel the most significant?

    Example: If you find that developing your team is what matters most to you, your greatest impact might come from one-on-one conversations or professional development initiatives.

    Step Two: Ask Others – How Do I Help You?

    Sometimes, the clearest view of our impact comes from the people around us. Ask your team members, peers, or even clients:

    “What do you think I do that brings the most value?”

    You might be surprised by what they say.

    Example: A team member might tell you that the guidance you gave them on a tough project made a huge difference—highlighting an area where your influence is particularly strong.

    Step Three: Evaluate How You Spend Your Time

    Reflect on your time. Where are you investing the most effort, and does it align with what truly matters to you?

    Simple exercise: Review your past week and highlight the moments when your impact felt the strongest.

    Example: You might discover that while you spent hours on emails, a single team meeting led to a significant breakthrough.

    Step Four: Focus on Where You Make the Greatest Impact

    Once you’ve identified where your influence is strongest, plan how to focus more time and energy on those areas. This doesn’t mean neglecting other responsibilities, but rather prioritizing what brings the most value.

    Example: If your greatest impact comes from mentoring your team, schedule regular one-on-one or group sessions to nurture those connections.

    To Summarize the Post

    Asking the right questions is the key to discovering where your influence as a manager is strongest. By focusing on what truly matters, you’ll not only become more effective but also find deeper meaning in your role.

    In the next post, we’ll explore how to turn challenges into opportunities and create meaning even in the most difficult moments.

  • Identifying Your Bright Spots: When Do You Feel Most Significant?

    The second post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Management isn’t just about tasks and challenges – it’s also about those small, powerful moments that remind you why you do what you do. These moments aren’t random; they reveal what truly matters to you. In this post, we’ll explore how to identify those moments and connect them to your daily work.

    Step One: Spot the Meaningful Moments

    Pause and reflect on the past month. When did you feel most significant?

    Maybe it was when you helped a team member overcome a challenge, led your team to success on a complex project, or solved a problem requiring creative thinking.

    Ask yourself: What exactly happened, and what made that moment feel so special?

    Example: Think of a meeting where you shared an original idea, and it was enthusiastically received and led to meaningful change. That’s a moment of real impact.

    Step Two: Find the Common Thread

    Look at several moments like these. Try to identify if there’s a pattern. Are your meaningful moments tied to leadership? Supporting others? Achieving results?

    Simple exercise: Write down three moments, and next to each, add a word that describes why it mattered to you.

    Example: If all your moments involve mentoring and empowering others, your sense of meaning might come from your ability to develop the people around you.

    Step Three: Learn About Yourself From These Moments

    These moments don’t just tell you what you do – they reveal who you are as a manager.

    They show you what truly drives you and gives you a sense of purpose in your role.

    Example: If you realize your most meaningful moments involve solving complex problems, it’s a sign to focus on challenges that require creativity and innovative solutions.

    Step Four: Plan for More of These Moments

    Now that you understand the kinds of moments that make you feel significant, start creating more of them.

    This could mean planning projects that align with your strengths, initiating conversations with your team, or focusing on challenges where you know you make the biggest difference.

    Example: If your meaning comes from personal connections with your team, set aside time weekly for one-on-one conversations that strengthen relationships and mutual support.

    To Summarize the Post

    The moments when you feel most significant are a mirror reflecting what truly matters to you in your role. By identifying and creating more of them, you’ll feel more connected to your daily work.

    In the next post, we’ll talk about turning these insights into clear, actionable daily habits that align with your values and goals.

  • What Drives You? Discovering Your Inner Motivation as a Manager

    The first post in a six-part series on finding meaning in your managerial role.

    Management is one of the most challenging roles. There’s so much responsibility, daily pressure, and constant problems to solve. Amid all this, it’s easy to forget why you chose this role in the first place.

    This post will help you reconnect with your personal “why” – to understand what truly drives you and find meaning in what you do.

    Step One: Reflect on Moments That Felt Right

    Pause for a moment and think about the times in your role when you felt truly meaningful and fulfilled.

    Perhaps it was when you successfully led a major project, supported a team member through a challenge, or tackled a complex problem and found a solution.

    Ask yourself: What exactly about that moment made you feel significant?

    Example: Think back to a time when a team member came to you with a personal issue, and you helped them find a solution. Seeing them return to work with renewed energy was a moment of real impact.

    Step Two: Identify the Common Thread

    Think about several similar moments and try to figure out what they have in common. Are they about helping others? Leading change? Or maybe it’s about your ability to handle challenges?

    Simple exercise: Write down three significant moments and add a word next to each that explains why it was meaningful to you.

    Example: If all the moments involve teamwork, your sense of meaning might come from connecting with people and supporting them.

    Step Three: Understand Your Inner Motivation

    These moments reveal what’s truly important to you in your role. Your motivation might be the desire to make an impact, a sense of purpose, or the determination to achieve big goals.

    This motivation is your personal “why” – the reason you keep going.

    Example: If your motivation is leading change, it might mean focusing on initiatives that allow you to drive meaningful projects forward.

    Step Four: Integrate Your Motivation Into Your Routine

    The most important step is turning your motivation into part of your daily work.

    This might mean planning time for projects that align with your values, having meaningful conversations with your team, or prioritizing challenges that need your attention.

    Example: If your motivation is solving problems, you could dedicate time each day to addressing the most pressing challenges and bringing them to resolution.

    To Summarize the Post

    Finding meaning in your role begins with identifying what truly drives you. Once you understand this, the path to building a deeper connection to your work becomes much clearer.

    In the next post, we’ll discuss how to identify the moments when you feel most significant and how to use them as a roadmap for purpose-driven management.

  • Regulators and External Bodies – The Rules That Define Reality

    Post 4 of 6 in the Series About My Stakeholders:

    After discussing your manager, employees, and colleagues, it’s time to move on to especially important external stakeholders – regulators. These are the bodies that dictate the rules and laws within which you manage your organization. Regulators are not a direct part of the organization, but their influence is evident in every decision and process. Of course, not every managerial role has significant regulators as stakeholders; it depends on the field and industry in which you operate.

    Why are regulators so important?

    When we talk about regulation, we mean government or professional bodies that ensure your activity complies with required regulations and standards. As businesses and managers, we are obligated to follow these rules, and sometimes this can be a significant challenge. Therefore, it’s crucial to build good relationships with regulators to ensure your business operates legally and smartly, and that you maintain good relations with them.

    How to manage relationships with regulators?

    The right way to deal with regulators is to create an open dialogue and understand their needs. Although we are required to operate within the rules they dictate, through proper collaboration, we can find ways to streamline the process and ensure that regulators are satisfied with how you manage the business.

    A Field Example: How I Solved a Complex Regulatory Problem

    In the past, I had a project where I was required to meet very strict regulatory conditions. Initially, the relationship with the regulator was tense because it wasn’t clear how to implement their guidelines. After several open meetings and discussions about the needs of both sides, we managed to solve the problem and reach mutual understanding. It was a process that allowed for smooth continuation of work without further delays.

    In the next post, we’ll deal with additional stakeholders: suppliers, customers, competitors, unions, and professional bodies that also influence your performance as a manager.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

  • Your Manager – The Central Figure Who Dictates What You Do

    Post 2 of 6 in the Series About My Stakeholders:

    After understanding who our stakeholders are, it’s time to dive deeper. Let’s start with the central figure who probably influences every decision or action you make as a manager – your direct manager. Whether your manager is a source of inspiration or a challenge for you, they influence your professional direction, decision-making, and your career in general.

    Why is my manager so important?

    Your manager can influence a variety of areas: the goals you need to achieve, your working conditions, career development, and even the balance between work and personal life. Therefore, it’s crucial to understand the relationship with your manager thoroughly – are they acting as a mentor who guides and accompanies you? Or do they prefer to dictate instructions without allowing room for dialogue? Every manager is different, and this has a direct impact on how you work together.

    So how can you improve the relationship with your manager?

    The way to improve this relationship is to understand what your manager truly wants to achieve, and how you can help them with that. Yes, even if you don’t always agree with every decision or approach, identifying your manager’s interests and goals will give you an advantage. A good relationship can open opportunities for you, help you advance, and influence your success in the role.

    A Story from the Field: How I Understood the Difference Between Types of Managers

    In the past, I had an interesting experience with two different managers. One was my partner in every decision, gave space to raise ideas and think together, while the other preferred to dictate instructions and leave me only to execute. This required me to learn to adapt, recognize each of their working styles, and find ways to bridge the gaps. Over time, the manager who was used to giving precise instructions began to trust me more and more, and stopped dictating instructions when he recognized that I knew how to lead independently. Once trust developed, our relationship became a true partnership.

    In the next post, we’ll talk about additional important stakeholders – your employees and colleagues, the people you work alongside daily, who influence your success no less.

  • Post 5 out of 5: The Impact of Organizational Culture on Ff Performance – How to Build a Culture That Leads to Success?

    After discussing all the advantages and potential dangers of organizational culture, it’s time to ask the most important question – how do we ensure we have an organizational culture that leads to success? A culture that builds strong teams, drives good performance, and improves quality of work life?

    1. Clear Definition of Organizational Values

    One of the first and most important steps is defining the values that guide the organization. Note – this isn’t about writing nice sentences “because we have to,” but about values that will be expressed in daily life. Let’s take HubSpot as an example – the company defines its values as “HEART” (Humility, Empathy, Adaptability, Remarkability, Transparency) and emphasizes them at every stage of employee life.

    2. Transparency and Open Communication

    An organizational culture that promotes transparency and openness allows employees to feel they have a voice in the organization. It’s important to keep employees updated about what’s happening and be honest even about difficult decisions or challenging situations. A Harvard Business Review study showed that organizations where employees feel they’re updated with relevant information are more successful in dealing with changes and increasing team engagement.

    3. Aligning Processes with Values

    Once organizational values are defined, they need to be reflected in work processes. If one of the values is “flexibility,” then ensure that organizational processes are indeed flexible and not rigid. For example, Zappos – the online shoe company, leads its industry by allowing employees to make decisions independently, thus expressing the value of autonomy.

    4. Building a Culture of Learning and Development

    A learning culture is central to building strong teams. This doesn’t just mean sending employees to courses – it also means encouraging knowledge sharing within the organization, giving feedback, and creating an atmosphere that promotes growth. A LinkedIn study found that employees who feel their organization invests in their personal development tend to be more satisfied and engaged in their work.

    5. Eye-Level Leadership

    Managers in the organization are role models. When managers themselves implement organizational values, all other employees will act similarly. The “eye-level leadership” approach encourages managers to be accessible, human, and connected to their teams – and this radiates throughout the organization.

    One Step Forward – Not Just Talk, But Action

    Building a good organizational culture isn’t a one-and-done deal. It’s an ongoing process that requires attention, commitment, and flexibility to changes. Organizational values need to be integrated into daily actions and be present in every decision and process.

    Summary

    Organizational culture isn’t something you can define and leave behind – it’s living, breathing, and affects every aspect of the organization. Investing in it is an investment in people, performance, and long-term success.

  • Post 4 out of 5: The Impact of Organizational Culture on Performance – When Does Organizational Culture Actually Harm?

    In previous posts, we discussed how strong organizational culture can lead to success. However, there are cases where culture can actually hinder the organization and even damage it.

    What does a “negative” organizational culture look like?

    1. Poor Communication and Information Hiding

    Communication is key to a healthy culture. But when there’s a lack of transparency, or when things go through organizational politics “filters” – that’s a bad sign. A McKinsey study showed that poor communication hurts the ability to handle changes and improve performance.

    2. Culture of Blame and Fear of Failure

    In places where failure is seen as “dangerous,” there’s less room for creativity and experimentation. A “blame-finding” culture stifles initiatives. An example of this is Kodak, which was a market leader but feared the transition to digital – something that led to its collapse.

    3. Work Overload and Poor Balance

    An “always working” culture leads to burnout. A WHO study showed that long working hours are harmful to employee health. Organizations that foster healthy balance gain more satisfied and productive employees.

    4. Lack of Transparency and Absence of Engagement

    When employees feel they have no idea what’s happening in the organization, alienation develops.

    5. Inflexibility and Resistance to Change

    A culture that’s not open to changes leads to a stagnant organization. When managers make change difficult, the organization might fall behind and fail to progress.

    6. Over-involvement in Decision Making

    Team involvement in decision-making sounds good on paper, but sometimes it leads to slowness and delays. When every team member needs to voice their opinion on every decision, processes can take too long and the organization loses its ability to respond quickly. The key is finding balance – knowing when to involve others, and when to make decisions and act fast.

    Summary

    Not every good intention creates a good outcome. In the next post, we’ll discuss how to build a healthy organizational culture that leads to real success.