About Us

“A manager is someone who helps people work together; a leader is
someone who inspires people to take a risk. They are not different people.”

The Index helps good people be great bosses. Index users see management as a calling, a chance to help others fulfill their potential. The world needs managers who help people feel safe, included, and proud.

Great bosses strengthen their organizations. We have faith that when a manager focuses on the individuals, their teams and the entire organization grow and get stronger.

Great organizations build inclusive communities. Our users are leaders who help bridge difficult social and political borders. When we succeed together, we learn to not just accept our differences, but to celebrate them!

The Index is the knowledge standard of management and is hosted by the Center for Management Terms & Practices. The Center is the standards body for general management, launched in 2017 after ten years of development and a pilot with the US Small Business Administration. Its terms, tools, and standards are now used by managers in small and large organizations in every sector globally.

The Index is the core offering of The Center and one of a triangle of standards:

Knowledge: The Index of Management Terms & Practices
Skills: The Milwaukee Model of Manager Development
Ethics: The Pledge of Managerial Power

These three standards combine with The Toolkit to form Standards-Based Management, a simple and scalable system described in “Atoms & Orchestras”.

Standards must be managed by experienced people working under thoughtful guidelines. Our Review Board sets policy for and carefully communicates changes to the terms and resources in The Index. Click here for our editorial and submittal guidelines. The Board needs great ideas from managers like you!

Derrick Van Mell

Derrick created The Index and founded the Center for Management Terms & Practices in 2017 after a pilot with the US Small Business Administration. He has a BA in Economics, and MBA, and a Masters in English. He is the author of three books, including Atoms & Orchestras: The Case for Standards-Based Management. LinkedIn

We want to help our user community always do the right thing. This is why term 1.1 in The Index is Ethics and the law. Please study and discuss its Definition, 3 Good Questions, and Approved Resources. Please also read our Code of Ethics. Thank you.