HumanNature@Work

Do You Make These Career Stalling Management Mistakes?

2008-04-07T08:48:00.001-07:00

If you're interested in being the best possible manager you can be, check out this article, based on a smart manager who was alienating his new team--and was totally oblivious of what he was doing: clipped from pressherald.mainetoday.com'Jurgen," a very bright engineer, descended upon a manufacturing company after

Gen Y: Why Do They Think That Way?

2008-03-18T07:47:00.001-07:00

Have you noticed that your Gen Y employees seem to have a slightly different perspective toward work, authority, and feedback than some of your older employees?I thought so.When asking manager training seminar participants what their biggest challenges are, "What's up with those younger workers?" is usually on the list.To answer that question, I spent the last year synthesizing the current

Do You Have "Managerial Bad Breath?"

2008-02-18T12:38:00.000-08:00

A good friend and colleague of mine told me a story last week that captures one of the biggest causes of diminished employee engagement, morale, and loyalty. I see this cause as the equivalent of “Managerial Bad Breath.” Here’s what happened… My friend was asked by a client if she would share with the president of her company the work that she does helping people communicate more

Do You Tell Stories? If not, you should

2007-10-24T09:41:00.001-07:00

One of the most important practices for any leader - regardless of the level - is to capture and tell stories that reveal :- who you are as an organization- why you're worthy of pride- what you value- what behaviors you valueDoing this helps you:1. Increase your ability to attract and retain talent2. Engage your employees - i.e. get them to care3. Strengthen your culture4. Improve your

Do you make these "constructive feedback" mistakes?

2007-09-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

Because one of the most difficult "managerial moments of truth" managers tell me they struggle with is giving corrective feedback, I decided to create a new seminar solely devoted to this and... a quick "Tip Sheet" too. Here's the tip sheet.Sugar coating negative feedback because you’re afraid the person will get too upset and defensive. Result? They don’t get what you’re trying to say.

Are you driving away employees without even realizing it?

2007-09-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Here's a great, quick read that you should have everyone in your HR dept. and management team read:The 7 Hidden Reasons Your Employees LeaveHere's the beginning of the article: Nearly 90% of bosses think their employees quit to make more money. That means nearly 90% of bosses are wrong. Studies show these are the seven “real” reasons that retention isn't better: Ask HR people their top issue

More Evidence That "Everything Matters"

2007-09-08T12:40:00.001-07:00

One of THE most important mantras for managers to remember is:"Everything Matters"I've written about this principle - and the story it comes from - in a number of articles, including:If You Want to Be The Employer of Choice for Healthcare Workers: EVERYTHING MATTERSSuccessful Onboarding: Starting Your New Employees Off Right I always try to make sure I mention this principle in my

21 Mistakes To Avoid If You Want To Be Super Successful At Managing Others

2007-08-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

I am reading a wonderful book that I think all smart managers should read: “What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful” by Marshall Goldsmith http://tinyurl.com/2uvrko As a well known coach to successful senior level executives – including a number of high profile CEOs, Goldsmith identifies some of the most common “career halting” behaviors that

Want to Be a “Super Supervisor”?

2007-03-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Here are 11 Things You Can DoWhile updating the How to Be a Super Supervisor seminar (for information on that seminar, click here) I found myself thinking “If seminar participants only did a handful of things that we covered in this seminar when they got back to work, what would I want those things to be?”In other words, what are those “differences that make a difference” that separate mediocre

Employee Feedback: If You're Not Asking For It... You're Asking For It

2007-01-11T08:57:00.000-08:00

Do you know what you’re doing right, when it comes to your – and your company’s – ability to create a high morale, high performance workplace? Do you know what you’re doing wrong?Have you asked lately?The importance of getting feedback from employees was once again impressed upon me in the last couple of weeks. I’m in the middle of interviewing a group of engineers who represent the kind of

Why You Need A Resilient Workforce and How To Create One

2006-12-18T17:21:00.000-08:00

I just came back from speaking at a conference on how to create aresilient workforce and wanted to share with you a few thoughtsand some resources about this critical topic.First, what is a resilient workforce? It’s a workforce comprisingemployees who:-Bring high energy, enthusiasm, and goodwill to their work.-Don’t “sweat the small stuff”, but instead have their eye onthe big picture.-Respond to

Want to See More Initiative From Your Employees?

2006-08-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

Two of the most common laments I hear from supervisors and managers are:"I wish my people would show more initiative." "I wish I didn’t have to baby sit my people; I wish they would be able to make routine decisions and solve routine problems without having to come to me all the time."Does this sound familiar? What I’ve found over the years is that two managerial mistakes often play a major role