About Us

Individual mission: Help managers help others reach their full potential. Caring managers have the business acumen and strength of character to put others first. Management is their calling.

Organizational mission: Make organizations resilient and successful by helping every employee achieve more as a team.

Social mission: Build a more caring society by first building more caring workplaces.

The Index is the international knowledge base for general management. It is hosted by the Center for Management Terms & Practices, the standards body for general management. The Center was launched in 2017 after ten years of development and a pilot with the US Small Business Administration.

The Index integrates with the Center’s standards and toolkit to form Standards-Based Management, a flexible management and development system used by small and large organizations globally. See the workbook “Atoms & Orchestra.”

Standards build efficiency, consistency, and trust.

Standard terminology: The Index

Standard of ethics: The Pledge of Managerial Power

Standard of competence: The Milwaukee Model of Manager Development

Standards must be managed by experienced people working under thoughtful guidelines. Our Review Board sets policy for and carefully communicates changes to our resources. See our editorial and submittal guidelines. The Board needs great ideas from leaders like you!

Derrick Van Mell

Derrick created The Index and founded the Center for Management Terms & Practices in 2017.

He has a BA in Economics, an MBA, and a Masters in English. He speaks globally on management and is the author of three books, including Atoms & Orchestras: The Case for Standards-Based Management. LinkedIn

Great leaders always strive to do the right thing. This is why term 1.1 in The Index is Ethics and the law. Please study its definition, questions, and Approved Resources and read our Code of Ethics. Thank you.