Ever have a dilemma in your office where two employees are having a clash? Where you trust both of them? Where they have conflicting stories and positions on an issue? Where they cannot get along with each other? Where you have no idea how to resolve the issue?
DetailsHow much information should a leader really share with employees? Some bosses are like Col. Jessup played by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men in thinking their employees “can’t handle the truth.” Communication continues to be cited as a problem in nearly all organizations. Solving communication problems is kind of like finding a cure…
Details“The problem is not that there are problems. The problem is expecting otherwise and thinking that having problems is a problem” When a problem arises, what exactly is causing it? Sometimes, it’s obvious. At other times, something is undeniably in the air and the atmosphere is heating up, creating tension and short fuses, yet you’re…
DetailsThey say that employees vote with their feet. Research tells us a high percentage of employees leave companies because they have a problem with their direct supervisor or boss. And, if you ask employees, one of these key frustrations is a lack of clear job expectations. Imagine assembling a toy for your kids without the diagram/instructions. Or putting…
DetailsShould a leader apologize when he or she makes a mistake, or is it a sign of weakness? In the front line leadership course we have two case studies on balancing friendship and leadership. This is a unique situation faced by supervisors and team leaders who have been promoted from within. One case study deals…
DetailsYears ago when I was taking courses from University Associates around how to facilitate groups, a wise instructor, Larry Porter, said these three words: trust the process. I have never forgotten them. They have been my anchor at critical times when in a team building session the conversation seems about to get out of hand.…
DetailsWhat do you do with an employee who thinks she deserves a raise or a promotion but there is one thing holding her back – her attitude? Frequently the entitled employee is in a state of denial. Any attempt to confront and correct the attitude is met with contempt. In her own mind, she thinks…
DetailsAll teams must pay attention to their work: the task, the goal, the things to be done, the agenda items to be crammed into their meetings, the hurried decisions to be made by the group, the deadlines to be met, and so on.
We live in the three-pound universe between our ears, but it’s surprising how little most people know about themselves. How we see the world develops from our earliest years as our innate, inborn tendencies (our temperament) interact with our experiences and the environment to build underlying patterns of thinking, emotions, and other characteristics that become…
DetailsA manager or supervisor’s job should be easier. After all, as long as you have the right people, the right materials, the right information and the right equipment, everything goes smoothly. For most of us this fairy tale scenario only happens on occasion. The rest of the time we are scrambling because one or two…
DetailsCertain words and phrases block connections cold and at the same time can make people steaming mad Here are some tips on language, words and phrases to avoid:
DetailsYou plan to drive your car from Boston to Denver. It’s a long trip so, before departing, you take your vehicle into your local service center for a tune-up. You have them check your tires and battery, top up the oil and brake fluid and take it for a spin on the highway listening for…
DetailsThis is a huge issue, particularly at the supervisory level and especially when someone is pulled out of the work group and promoted to supervisor. It becomes confusing for all concerned, the new boss and the staff. How to act? What to expect from one another? Can we still be friends? How to set new…
DetailsMany people believe that psychological type consists of four pairs of opposing preferences. Learn the pairs and the behaviors associated with each one, and that’s all there is to it. When you read Jung’s (1921/1971, paras. 570, 571, 575, 588, 608, 637, 736, 764, 956) Psychological Types, you discover there is a lot more to…
DetailsYou’ve likely heard the expression, “What get’s measured, gets managed.” And yet, if you pay attention to the wrong metrics or measurements, it can distract both management and employees from desired behaviors. Metrics provide management with the key information needed to make decisions and assess performance in the business. Paying attention to the wrong metrics or…
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