Management & Leadership Vocabulary: 225 Key English Terms

A long-term plan that sets out where an organisation wants to go and the main choices it will make to get there, such as which markets to enter and what to stop doing.

Something a person, team or company wants to achieve, usually described in broad terms and over a longer period, such as becoming the market leader.

A specific, measurable result that a team or organisation plans to achieve by a certain date, usually as one step towards a wider goal.

A clear picture of what an organisation or team wants to become in the future, used to give people direction and a reason to work towards the same aim.

A short written statement of an organisation's purpose: what it does, who it serves and what makes it different, often shared with employees and the public.

A plan that shows the main steps, projects or product features an organisation intends to deliver over time, usually in the order they will happen.

A planning tool that lists an organisation's internal strengths and weaknesses and the external opportunities and threats it faces, used before making strategic choices.

Short for objectives and key results: a goal-setting method in which each ambitious objective is paired with a few measurable key results that show whether it was achieved.

A plan that describes what an organisation will do if something goes wrong or an unexpected event happens, such as a supplier failing or a key person leaving.

Something that allows a company to do better than its competitors, such as lower costs, a stronger brand, better technology or more skilled people.

A state in which teams, goals and actions support the same strategy and priorities, so that different parts of an organisation work in the same direction.

The process of putting a plan or strategy into action and delivering results, as opposed to only designing or discussing it.

A sustained ambition that directs an organisation's efforts beyond what its current resources seem to allow.

The gradual loss of fit between an organisation's strategy and its changing environment.

A pattern of strategic action that develops through experience without having been fully intended in advance.

A strategic pattern carried out substantially as it was intended and planned.

A deeply developed organisational capability that contributes strongly to customer value and can support several products or markets.

An organisation's abilities to renew and reconfigure its resources and competences as conditions change.

An approach to strategy that explains competitive advantage through the resources and capabilities a firm controls.

The linked activities through which a business creates and delivers value, including primary work and supporting functions.

Exploring several plausible future situations to understand how strategic choices might perform under different conditions.

A systematic search for early signs of developments that could affect an organisation in the future.

Starting with a desired future state and working backwards to identify changes needed to reach it.

An examination of political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental influences on an organisation.

A framework examining industry rivalry, new entrants, substitutes, supplier power and buyer power as influences on competition.

Expanding ownership or control into earlier or later stages of the activities that supply or distribute a firm's products.

Expansion by combining with businesses operating at the same stage of production or distribution.

A cooperative arrangement between independent organisations to pursue shared strategic aims while retaining separate identities.

The ability to improve and use existing activities while also exploring new possibilities.

A set of firms in an industry that follow similar strategic approaches or compete with comparable positions.

A major shift in the conditions of a business that can require a fundamental change in its strategic direction.

A person responsible for a team, department or area of work, who plans the work, organises people and resources, and answers for the results.

A person who guides the daily work of a small team, usually while still doing some of the work themselves, and who normally reports to a manager.

A diagram that shows how an organisation is structured, with boxes for roles or people and lines showing who reports to whom.

To have a particular person as your manager, so that they direct your work, review your performance and are the person you answer to.

An employee whose immediate manager is a particular person, with no other manager in between; the people a manager is directly responsible for.

The person directly above you who manages your daily work, approves your leave and reviews your performance.

The group of people at the top of an organisation who make its most important decisions, such as the CEO, directors and heads of major departments.

The managers between senior leadership and front-line staff, such as department heads and regional managers, who turn strategy into daily plans and lead teams.

A system in which the people in an organisation are arranged in levels, with each level having more authority than the one below it.

The number of people who report directly to one manager. A wide span means many direct reports; a narrow span means only a few.

An organisational structure in which employees report to two managers at the same time, usually a functional manager and a project or product manager.

A department or team that works in isolation and does not share information or cooperate well with other parts of the same organisation.

The official line of authority in an organisation, showing who gives instructions to whom and the order in which decisions and problems move up and down.

The total number of people employed by an organisation or in a department; also an approved position that can be filled.

An organisational arrangement that groups people by specialist activity, such as finance, production or marketing.

An arrangement that groups operations into units based on products, markets or regions, each with several functions.

An organisation that coordinates a network of specialised partners or units to deliver its work.

Support activities provided by one service unit for several parts of the same organisation or group.

A team that develops specialist knowledge, methods and standards for use across an organisation.

The arrangement of people, processes, technology and responsibilities through which an organisation carries out its strategy.

The deliberate arrangement of roles, structures and coordination mechanisms to support an organisation's goals.

A planned approach to improving organisational effectiveness through changes in behaviour, relationships and working practices.

The extent to which an organisation defines work through explicit rules, procedures and documented roles.

Grouping jobs and activities into organisational units according to a chosen basis such as function, product or geography.

A structure combining managers responsible for core operations with specialists who advise or support them.

The network of relationships, influence and working habits that develops outside formal organisational arrangements.

A team with substantial responsibility for organising and monitoring its own work rather than relying on continuous supervision.

A flexible organisational form that relies on adaptable expert teams and limited formal rules to address changing problems.

The organisational principle that a person should receive formal work direction from one immediate superior.

The process of choosing between different options, including collecting information, weighing risks and benefits, and agreeing who makes the final choice.

To decide which tasks or issues matter most and deal with them first, often because there is not enough time or money for everything.

General agreement among all or most members of a group, reached through discussion, so that people can support a decision even if it was not their first choice.

A situation where you accept less of one thing to get more of another, such as lower quality for faster delivery; also the balance you choose between the two.

To pass a problem or decision to someone with more authority because it cannot be solved at your level; of a conflict, to become more serious.

To give final formal approval to something, such as a budget, design or document, so that work can go ahead; the noun is sign-off.

The process of identifying what could go wrong in a plan or activity, judging how likely and how serious each risk is, and deciding how to reduce it.

Based on the analysis of facts and figures rather than on opinion, habit or intuition; used about decisions, company cultures and organisations.

Describes decisions, plans or management in which the people at the top decide and those below are expected to carry them out, with little input from lower levels.

A strong belief about what is true or what to do that comes from intuition or experience rather than from facts or careful analysis.

The limits on fully rational decision-making caused by restricted information, time and mental processing capacity.

Choosing an option that meets an acceptable threshold instead of continuing to search for the best possible option.

Increasing commitment to a course of action despite evidence that it is producing poor results.

A pattern in which pressure for agreement within a group weakens critical examination of its decisions.

Failure to decide or act because analysis continues beyond what is useful for the choice.

A branching representation of choices, possible events and outcomes used to examine a decision.

A table that compares options against a set of criteria, sometimes using scores and weights.

A structured method in which people generate ideas individually, share them in turn, clarify them and rank them.

A method that gathers expert judgements over several rounds, sharing summaries so participants can reconsider their views.

Making management choices by critically using research, organisational data, professional experience and stakeholder perspectives.

A shift after group discussion towards a more extreme version of the members' initial tendency.

A situation in which a group chooses an action its members privately oppose because each mistakenly thinks the others want it.

A tendency for an initial value or reference point to exert too much influence on later judgements.

To give part of your work, responsibility or decision-making power to someone else, usually a person in your team, while still checking that the result is achieved.

The duty to answer for the result of a task or decision, which includes explaining what happened and accepting the consequences, even if others did the work.

To give people the authority, confidence and resources to make decisions and act on their own, instead of waiting for approval at every step.

To control every small detail of other people's work, checking constantly and making decisions for them instead of trusting them to do the job.

In management, the attitude of treating a task or problem as your own and taking responsibility for getting it done, rather than waiting for someone else to act.

The amount of work a person or team has to do in a given period, often discussed when it seems too heavy or unevenly shared.

A table that shows, for each task or decision, who is Responsible, who is Accountable, who must be Consulted and who must be Informed.

To check on a task, request or decision after it has been given or discussed, to make sure it is done or to get more information; the noun is follow-up.

The process of passing work, responsibilities and information to another person, for example when someone changes role, goes on leave or ends a shift.

The official power or right to make decisions, give instructions and use resources, usually linked to a person's role in an organisation.

An approach in which managers intervene mainly when results or situations move outside agreed limits.

Passing responsibility for a delegated task back to the manager who originally assigned it.

The extent to which people or units need one another's work or contributions to complete their own tasks.

Uncertainty about a person's duties, authority or the standards by which their work will be judged.

A shared document setting out a team's purpose, responsibilities and agreed ways of working.

The principle that decisions should be handled at the lowest level capable of dealing with them effectively.

Comments on how well someone has done a piece of work or behaved, given so that they can keep doing what works and improve what does not.

The reasons and energy that make a person want to do something and keep doing it, such as interest in the work, recognition, money or a sense of purpose.

The general level of confidence, energy and satisfaction in a team or workplace, which shows in how people feel about their work and the future.

Specific, helpful comments that point out what could be done better and how, given respectfully so that the person can learn from them.

Public or private praise and appreciation for someone's work or achievement, such as a thank-you, an award or a mention in a team meeting.

A regular private meeting between a manager and one member of their team to discuss progress, problems, feedback and development.

How committed, involved and enthusiastic employees feel about their work and their organisation, which affects how much effort they put in and whether they stay.

Something, such as a bonus, a commission or an extra day off, that is offered to encourage people to work harder or to behave in a particular way.

A state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by long-term stress at work, often with low motivation and a feeling of being less effective.

Activities and efforts that help team members trust each other, communicate better and work well together, from workshops to social events.

The unwritten expectations and perceived promises between an employee and their organisation.

Perceived fairness in the procedures used to make decisions affecting people.

Perceived fairness in the respect, dignity and explanations people receive when decisions are communicated or implemented.

Voluntary behaviour that helps the organisation or colleagues beyond the central requirements of a person's role.

A tendency to put in less individual effort when working collectively than when one's contribution is separately identifiable.

A theory proposing that people judge work rewards by comparing their contributions and outcomes with those of others.

A theory linking motivation to beliefs that effort can produce performance, performance can bring outcomes and those outcomes are valued.

A theory of motivation that examines autonomy, competence and relatedness and distinguishes more autonomous from more controlled motivation.

The expression of employees' ideas, concerns and suggestions with the possibility of influencing workplace decisions.

A way of delivering criticism by placing it between two positive comments.

A conversation with a current employee about what keeps them in the organisation and what might make them leave.

A brief survey repeated regularly to track employees' views or experiences on selected issues.

A theory explaining how goals can direct attention, effort and persistence, with their effects shaped by commitment, feedback and task conditions.

A work-motivation theory distinguishing factors associated with satisfaction from hygiene factors whose absence can cause dissatisfaction.

Improved performance on some tasks when other people are present, especially when the task is well practised.

A regular formal meeting in which a manager and an employee discuss how well the employee has done their job, agree on a rating and set goals for the next period.

Short for key performance indicator: a number that shows how well a person, team or company is doing against an important goal, such as monthly sales or customer satisfaction.

A specific number, level or result that a person or team is expected to reach within a set time, such as a sales figure or a cost limit.

A standard or reference point used to compare performance, such as a competitor's results or an industry average; as a verb, to make that comparison.

A formal assessment of an employee's work over a period, usually in a meeting with their manager; the word is mainly British for a performance review.

To do less well than expected or than others; used about an employee, a team, a product or a business unit.

A formal written plan given to an employee who is not meeting expectations, setting out specific goals, the support offered and a time limit for improvement.

Goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound; a common checklist for making goals clear enough to act on and track.

A way of assessing an employee by collecting feedback from the people around them, such as their manager, colleagues, direct reports and sometimes customers, along with a self-assessment.

The way an organisation attracts, develops, keeps and moves its most capable people, so that it has the right skills in the right roles now and in the future.

A goal set deliberately higher than what seems easily possible, to push a person or team to try new approaches and achieve more than usual.

A strategy and performance framework that combines financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth perspectives.

A visual representation of strategic objectives and the assumed relationships through which they support one another.

An approach in which managers and employees agree objectives and use progress towards them to guide and assess work.

A process in which managers compare proposed performance judgements to apply standards more consistently across employees or teams.

A rating method that assigns predetermined proportions of employees to different performance categories.

A performance scale whose levels are illustrated by specific examples of observable work behaviour.

An assessment method that records specific examples of notably effective or ineffective behaviour for later evaluation.

A tendency to place ratings near the middle of a scale despite meaningful differences in performance.

A tendency to give performance ratings that are more favourable than the evidence warrants.

A tendency to give recent events too much influence when judging performance over a longer period.

A judgement error in which one favourable impression influences assessments of other, separate qualities.

A talent review tool that places people in nine categories by combining three levels of performance with three levels of potential.

The depth of capable people available or being prepared to fill important roles when needed.

Changing behaviour to improve a measured score without a corresponding improvement in the underlying goal.

A process in which a means, rule or secondary target comes to replace the organisation's original purpose.

A problem in which a performance measure leaves out important parts of the performance it is intended to represent.

A problem in which a performance measure is influenced by factors outside the performance it is intended to assess.

The planned way an organisation prepares, supports and guides people through a major change, such as a new system or a merger, so that the change is accepted and lasts.

Real agreement with and support for a plan or decision from the people it affects, so that they actively help to make it work.

The unwillingness of people to accept or adapt to a new way of working, often caused by fear of losing something, lack of information or tiredness from earlier changes.

A major change to how a company is organised, such as merging departments, removing management layers or reducing staff, usually to cut costs or support a new strategy.

A person who actively promotes change in an organisation and helps to carry it out, whether as a leader, a consultant or an employee who influences colleagues.

To introduce a new system, product, policy or process across an organisation, often step by step after testing it; the noun is rollout or roll-out.

A small improvement that can be achieved fast and with little effort, often used early in a change programme to show progress and build support.

The tiredness, frustration and loss of interest that employees feel when they face too many changes too quickly, which often makes new changes harder to introduce.

A small-scale trial of a new system, process or product with a limited group, used to test it and learn lessons before it is introduced more widely.

The extent to which people and an organisation are willing and able to implement a particular change.

An analysis of how a proposed change will affect people's work, roles, processes or capabilities.

A method of examining forces that support a proposed change and forces that restrain it.

A group of influential and committed people who help lead and coordinate a change effort.

A condition in which the combined demands of ongoing changes reach or exceed the capacity to absorb them.

The tendency of an organisation to continue established patterns even when conditions call for change.

Correcting actions to meet existing goals while leaving the underlying assumptions and governing rules unchanged.

Learning that questions and may change the assumptions, goals or rules guiding action, not only the action itself.

An organisation that deliberately supports collective learning and uses it to adapt its practices.

Learning through work on a real problem combined with structured questioning and reflection, often in a small group.

An approach to organisational change that investigates existing strengths and successful experiences to shape future possibilities.

Fundamentally rethinking and redesigning business processes to seek substantial improvements in how work is performed.

The way earlier choices and developments constrain or reinforce the options available later.

The process through which people interpret ambiguous events and develop an understanding that guides their actions.

A situation presented as making continued inaction untenable and creating urgency for major change.

Any person or group that is affected by an organisation or project, or can affect it, such as employees, customers, investors, suppliers and the local community.

The system of rules, practices and controls by which a company is directed and supervised, especially the relationship between the board, the managers and the shareholders.

The group of people elected by a company's shareholders to oversee its management, approve major decisions and appoint or replace the chief executive.

The practice of sharing information openly and honestly, so that employees, shareholders or the public can see how decisions are made and how the organisation is doing.

Following the laws, regulations, internal policies and standards that apply to an organisation; also the name of the department that checks this.

A person or organisation that owns shares in a company, and therefore part of it, usually with the right to vote at general meetings and to receive dividends.

A board member who is not part of the management team and does not work in the business day to day, but advises and monitors the executives.

A situation in which a person's private interests, such as money, family or another job, could affect, or seem to affect, the decisions they make for their organisation.

A written set of rules and principles that explains how the employees and managers of an organisation are expected to behave, for example on honesty, gifts and respect.

The process of identifying and preparing people who can take over key roles, especially senior leadership roles, when the current holders leave or retire.

A legal duty to act in the best interests of another person or organisation, such as the duty of company directors to act honestly and carefully for the company.

Short for environmental, social and governance: three groups of factors used to judge how responsibly a company operates, beyond its financial results.

A board committee that oversees matters such as financial reporting, audit and internal controls.

A board committee that considers executive pay and related reward policies within its assigned remit.

A board committee that considers board appointments, composition and succession within its remit.

A structured review of how effectively a board and, where included, its committees or members perform their roles.

Decisions specifically retained for a board or another governing body rather than delegated to managers.

A governance approach in which an organisation follows specified provisions or explains why it has departed from them.

A governance model distinguishing operational management, risk and compliance support, and independent internal audit roles.

A theory examining relationships in which one party acts for another, especially problems of differing interests and unequal information.

A forum through which members of a business-owning family discuss shared family interests and their relationship with the business.

A written statement of a business-owning family's agreed values, principles and arrangements for its relationship with the business.

The degree of priority managers give to a stakeholder's claims, often analysed through power, legitimacy and urgency.

The ability to guide a group of people towards a shared goal, and the act of doing so, through example, influence and clear direction rather than authority alone.

A way of helping someone improve their skills and performance mainly by asking questions and guiding them to find their own answers, rather than telling them what to do.

An experienced person who gives advice, shares knowledge and supports the career development of a less experienced colleague over a longer period.

The ability to notice, understand and manage your own emotions, and to recognise and respond well to the emotions of other people.

To guide people by behaving in the way you want them to behave, rather than only telling them what to do.

The process of dealing with a disagreement between people or groups in a fair and calm way, so that they can find a solution and keep working together.

A shared belief within a team that people can speak up, ask questions, admit mistakes or disagree without being punished or embarrassed.

A leadership approach in which the leader's main role is to serve the team, by supporting people's growth and removing obstacles, rather than to control them.

A leadership style in which leaders inspire people with a shared vision and their own example, encouraging them to look beyond their own interests and achieve more than expected.

The typical way a person leads others, including how they make decisions, give instructions, share information and involve their team.

Personally involved in the practical, day-to-day work rather than only directing it from a distance; also used for training that involves doing things.

To take on more responsibility or a leadership role when it is needed, for example when a manager is away or the team faces a difficult situation.

An approach that mobilises people to address challenges requiring changes in their habits, assumptions or capabilities.

A leadership approach emphasising self-awareness, openness and consistency between a leader's values and actions.

Leadership activity spread across several people and their interactions rather than located only in one formal leader.

A leadership style combining strong authority with personal concern for employees, often expecting loyalty in return.

The active role people play in supporting, questioning and contributing to a leader's direction.

A leadership perspective focusing on the quality of the relationship between a leader and each individual team member.

Influence arising from others' belief that a person has relevant knowledge or skill.

Influence based on other people's admiration, respect or desire to identify with a person.

Influence arising from control over outcomes that other people value.

Influence arising from the ability to impose outcomes that others want to avoid.

Building connections and coordinating work across departmental, professional or organisational boundaries.

The extent to which unequal power is accepted and expected by less powerful members of a group or society.

The capability to understand and function effectively in situations involving different cultural backgrounds.

The loss of leadership effectiveness or of a leadership role after earlier promise or success, often linked to difficulty adapting behaviour or relationships.