For years I've asked people, "What's the good word today?" My intention always was to get people thinking about something positive, and if they were thinking something positive, to share it with me so I could benefit too. Unfortunately far too often people can't come up with a good word, or in many cases, a word at all. Hearing negative feedback isn't easy, especially for … [Read more...]
Helping Grief-Stricken Employees
Death is an incredibly tough subject to discuss, and one we are confronted with daily these days, but it's also been an issue that managers and leaders have dealt with for a long time. How should you act when an employee loses a loved one? What should you say? How do you respond without coming across as invasive? When one of your employees suffers the loss of a loved one, … [Read more...]
A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way: Data Tells and Stories Sell
Early in my career, I worked in the plastics industry as a process and product development engineer. At the time, I had a degree in chemical engineering, and I had just completed service as a nuclear engineering officer in the U.S. Navy. I had a pretty good technical background, and I knew almost nothing about polymers. This lack of knowledge created a bit of a problem for … [Read more...]
Making Sure You Aren’t the Know-it-All
Some time ago, I did a video that was very popular about Dealing with a Know-It-All. Recently a viewer asked us a key question, though: What if the know-it-all is you? https://youtu.be/X_6e4fYDhqg?rel=0&showinfo=0 Tweet it out: There is a difference being knowledgeable and being a "know-it-all." Remember that no one wants a know-it-all leader. @KevinEikenberry … [Read more...]
Political Talk at Work: What You Need to Know
This is a guest post by Joseph H. Harris, Partner, White Harris PLLC. If the political debate in your office is heating up, it may be time for you to step in and mediate the conflict. Joseph H. Harris, a partner at White Harris PLLC offers this advice for organizations. Arguments between employees can create tension and disruptions that hurt productivity. Employers who … [Read more...]
Endorsement or Feedback: Which Do You Want?
Do you ask your team members for their opinions and advice, or are you seeking only their endorsement of your ideas and decisions? What's the difference, you ask? You are seeking endorsement If you express your own opinion, idea or plan of action first, and then ask employees to weigh in. Even the most confident, assertive team members may feel that they can’t disagree … [Read more...]
Get Better Results From Your Meetings
Meetings CAN be a waste of time and they can be the biggest productivity and engagement tool in any organization. The difference in outcome rests first and foremost on the shoulders and hands and mind of you as a leader. So think of your very last meeting with your team, and ask yourself: How productive was the meeting? Was that normal or the exception? How would … [Read more...]
Know What Your Employees Actually Think of You
Are you a great leader? How would your employees answer that question? One of the smartest things you can do for your development as a leader is to gain a real understanding of how your employees view you as a leader. The only way to do that is to ask. Here are several questions to ask them, preferably anonymously so they feel free to be completely honest. Consider using an … [Read more...]
Ensure Vacation Success With Candid Conversations
Summer is slipping by, so if you or your employees are part of the more than 50 percent of U.S. employees who leave vacation days on the table at the end of the year, it's time to encourage everyone (including yourself) to plan a vacation before the days of summer are long gone. But, first. Let's talk about why so many people don't use their earned vacation time. In a study … [Read more...]
Employees are Staying Silent and That’s Hurting Business
Employees don't feel empowered to speak up, even when they really should, says a new book Speak Up – Say what needs to be said and hear what needs to be heard, written by Professor Megan Reitz, of the Ashridge Hult Business School, and John Higgins, Research Director at The Right Conversation. The research covers more than 4000 employees at every level of a business. The goal: … [Read more...]