Every organization has an event that occurs every year, if not more frequently, that is out of the normal scope of daily business. Yet somehow managers are taken by surprise, even though it happens every year at the same time.
Preactive Leadership: The New Way to Lead
Preactive leadership goes beyond seeing a need and acting upon it. Proactive leaders see a need that is already there and act on it, which is good but preactive leaders take it a step further. Practicing preactive leadership means anticipating
How To Get Employees To Do Their Job
How to get employees to do their job? That’s the biggest question I get when training managers. One new manager told me about a difficult situation he was facing. He was dealing with a challenge common to many managers –
Managing High Performers Who Make Their Own Rules
Managing high performers who discard company policies in favor of their own rules can be challenging. A manager at a recent leadership training shared an issue she was having with one and asked for my advice on managing high performers who
Problem Solving Skills for Managers
Problem solving skills are highly valued in the workplace. There is no shortage of problems to be solved, from small problems to big problems and everything in between. Many people are good at finding problems but not as many want
Are you open to some feedback?
Has anyone ever asked you if you were open to some feedback? If so, you were probably thinking ‘No.’ but what you actually said was ‘Sure.’ Then you braced yourself for the brilliant observation that was about to be shared
Assertive Communication: Focus on Facts, Not Feelings
I was in Milwaukee recently working with a group of managers to develop assertive communication skills. We started by discussing the role personality plays into communication styles and everyone took an assessment. A personality assessment provides critical insight into your
Empowered Employees are Happy Employees
Empowered employees are happy employees? I believe it. The other day, I was talking with a guy I know who works as an attorney for a large healthcare organization. I asked him how his job was going and he said
3 Common Ways Managers Deal With Employee Problems (Hint: they don’t work)
Let’s face it, most people don’t like addressing employee problems. I mean, come on, who wants to confront an employee about their lack of productivity? Or their bad attitude? Or personal cell phone use, inappropriate dress code, attendance, etc., etc.,
How to Connect With Your Team Without Being Creepy
A recent post on LinkedIn written by a new employee described how impressed he was that the CEO of the company knew his name, his hobbies, his history, etc. These were all things that had come up during the interview