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...]
Can All Conflicts Be Resolved?
I often get asked if every conflict can be resolved. Since I work with leaders and teams to resolve workplace conflicts and to build the confidence people have to address conflicts, I think it's a really good question. The short answer is: yes, every conflict can be resolved. The question does have one problem though: It is incomplete. It is incomplete in that people often … [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...]
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...]
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...]
When You Catch an Employee in a Lie
Uh-oh. You caught an employee in a bold-faced lie, and now you're not sure what to do next. A single lie has the power to destroy your trust in the employee, but what is more concerning is why the person told the lie in the first place. Is he hiding something? Does she fear your response? And if the person lied so easily this go round, does it mean he or she has lied before? … [Read more...]
Don’t Confuse Work Commitment With Work Addiction
Fifty-five percent of U.S. employees have admitted to checking work emails after 11 p.m., according to data collected by Instant Offices. Is that commitment or work addiction? Commitment is what you're looking for. Addiction to work, not so much. When employees feel compelled to be available 24/7, always have work on the mind, and forgo personal (and down) time to meet the … [Read more...]
The Truth About Work-Life Balance
Before we know it, summer will be here, so it's a good time to think about work-life balance. Unfortunately, you and your employees are so busy and feel pulled in so many directions that you all may find the idea of work-life balance elusive, and with good reason. Technology makes us available and "on" 24/7/365. Our phones tether us to work. Our minds wander to the job at … [Read more...]
Are You Assertive or Aggressive? The Difference Matters
No matter how great a manager you are, bad things will happen at work: not every day, but occasionally. It’s how you handle those incidents—the ones that fill you with frustration, anger and dread—that determine what kind of leader you are. If you respond to those occasions aggressively (outwardly or passively), you’ll undermine your team, spread fear and start the rumor mill. … [Read more...]