May–June 1999

Success brings profits, growth, and unbounded optimism. But it also has a way of blinding executives to the many organizational dangers that creep in at the same time. How much internal risk is hiding within your company? Use the risk exposure calculator to find out.

Traditionally, business viewed the social sector as a dumping ground for spare cash, obsolete equipment, and tired executives. But today smart companies are approaching it as a learning laboratory.

For the many organizations that depend on their rank and file to move the goods and delight the customers, motivation is an ongoing battle. The key to victory may be held by the Marines, who use five unique practices to spark extraordinary energy and commitment. Businesses can, too.

To thrive in the flexible new economy, people, like companies, will need to reinvent themselves. But when we shed our old selves, do we shed our souls as well?

The CEO wants to increase collaboration and cut costs with an open-plan work space, but the knowledge workers say they need their walls, their doors, and their privacy.

Many companies view each negotiation as a separate situation. But companies that take a more coordinated approach are making better deals and forging stronger relationships.

The key to success in business is action. But in most companies, people are rewarded for talking—and the longer, louder, and more confusingly, the better. The good news is, there are five strategies that can help you avoid the trap.

Manufacturers of brand-name goods have often thought that supplying private labels was tantamount to treason. They should think again.

Smart corporate strategists know that adaptable organizational structures drive winning strategies in turbulent markets. So they map and remap their business units swiftly against shifting market opportunities.

Lincoln assumed that its manufacturing prowess and fabled culture would allow it to succeed anywhere in the world. The company’s former CEO recounts how that thinking was put to the test.