We spend a good chunk of our lives working. If that workplace is toxic, it affects everything from our happiness to our health. From a bottom line point-of-view, productivity, performance and customer service tanks in a toxic environment. Turnover (and the high cost of it) grows. Given that we (and our employees) spend so much time on the job, fostering a positive … [Read more...]
Don’t Blame the Last Guy
This is a guest post from Pam Fox Rollin. You would never stoop to blame. Or would you? You're going to be tempted Especially if the person who last had the job was let go, demoted, or otherwise removed, you'll be tempted. But even if the last guy was elevated to his/her next walk-on-water job, you're still going to be tempted to blame him for your team's … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Improve Engagement During Meetings
This is a guest post by Elise Keith. The coffee date with your personal hero, and hopefully, future mentor. The make-or-break sales demo with that perfect-fit client. The last-ditch attempt to mend a broken partnership. When everyone in the room understands what’s at stake, engagement is automatic. We don’t worry about engagement in those situations. Instead, we focus … [Read more...]
5 Simple Steps to Sell Your Requests More Successfully
This is a guest post by Dr. Cindy McGovern. Every school teaches reading, writing and math as the most basic life skills that will help children grow into successful adults. Selling is also a basic skill, yet only students who choose to study sales or marketing learn how to do it in school. The fact is, we sell as often—or more often—than we use our math skills. We sell … [Read more...]
Want Employees to Love What They Do? Here Are 4 Ways to Get There
Insights from Shawn Burcham, author of Keeping Score with GRITT: Straight Talk Strategies for Success Bosses might want to take notice if employees view their jobs as “the daily grind.” A disgruntled and disengaged workforce can undermine production and harm customer relations, while a happy, engaged workforce does the opposite. “If you take care of your employees, they … [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...]
The Rules for Approaching Leadership Decisions
You make decisions all the time, from the trivial ones, like what to eat and what route to take to work, to more serious ones, like where to buy home or whether to accept that promotion. For most decisions, the choice is easy. You have the experience and knowledge necessary to make a quick decision. When it comes to leadership, says Art Markman, author of Bring Your Brain to … [Read more...]
3 Teamwork Lessons from Our Founding Fathers
Quint Studer, author of Building a Vibrant Community: How Citizen-Powered Change Is Reshaping America has traveled across America observing communities, from the smallest towns to the largest cities. As he interacts with so many diverse Americans, he has seen a predominant theme: People who work together, win together. "In communities where people come together, put their … [Read more...]
Why Do 96% of Millennials Experience Burnout?
By Jaimy Ford, business writer and editor. World Health Organization has dubbed "millennial burnout" as a medical condition, defined as "chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed." It's officially a real thing. Millennials, the 20-and-30-somethings, have been a bit of a punching bag for Gen X and Boomers, who love to throw out terms like "fragile," … [Read more...]
Learning to Say “Yes” and “No”
This is an excerpt from Bring Your Brain to Work: Using Cognitive Science to Get a Job, Do it Well, and Advance Your Career, a brand-new leadership book by Art Markman. Think about the requests people make of you. How do you generally respond? If you’re like most of us, you have a dominant response. Some people are prone to assent to requests. For example, Greg told me … [Read more...]