Kevin Eikenberry offers these thoughts on leadership ... When I think about leadership, I think about lots of things. I think about initiative. Leaders must lead by taking action. They must see things that need to be done and them make them happen. I think about caring. The best leaders care about those around them. And they don’t just talk about how much they … [Read more...]
Remember That Grand-Opening Feeling
This is a guest post by business writer and editor Catherine Welborn. My brother recently started working at Trader Joe’s. My whole family has been pleased—albeit surprised—that he loves it. Really loves it. He’s a creative type, and we never pictured him in retail. However, he has become the company’s biggest endorser, raving to anyone who’ll listen about its products and … [Read more...]
Wise Words: Thomas Edison on Rule Breaking
Today’s wise words come from the great American innovator Thomas Edison. Many people think that inventors and innovators must have been born with a special gene—something that allowed them to see what everyone else missed. However, that’s not the case. Those people who awe us with their creativity are just very persistent and willing to work outside the rules, whereas most … [Read more...]
Management Strategies That Help Reduce Stress
This is a guest post from Blake Pappas. Workplace stress is nothing new. In fact, many workers all over the world regularly feel the pinch when it comes to deadlines and getting their jobs done quickly and efficiently. However, when stress becomes a constant worry for employees, it can negatively affect their performance and take a toll on your entire office. While there are … [Read more...]
7 Dumb Mistakes Managers Make (and What to do Instead)
The following is a guest post by Darryl Rosen. You glance down at an incoming text while an employee is talking to you. DUMB! Or you bark “Just get it done!” to your team and then walk away. DUMB! According to a CareerBuilder poll, 58% of managers received no training before starting the job, which often results in avoidable management missteps like these. Even smart, … [Read more...]
Did You Receive Management Training? No? You’re Not Alone
CareerBuilder recently shared their findings from a study on new managers which indicated that a whopping 56% received no management training and 26% admitted that they “weren’t ready” when they started managing others. First, go ahead and read all about the study’s results. Then come on back, because Allison Nawoj was kind enough to answer some follow-up questions for … [Read more...]
Quick Tip: Retain Employees
Employees need to understand the connection between their jobs and organizational strategy if they are going to stick around for the long haul. The more engaged employees are with their organization, the longer their tenure. Improve retention by ensuring that employees:Understand your corporate strategy.See clearly where they fit into that strategy.Know how their efforts … [Read more...]
Do You Want to Become a More Influential Supervisor?
The highly popular Bud to Boss Workshop, presented by the Kevin Eikenberry Group, offers these tips to make your communication more powerful, persuasive and meaningful: Speak with people, not to them. Ask more questions. Make fewer assertions. Speak with people the way that they want to be spoken with. In this case, ignore the Golden Rule. It doesn’t matter how you would … [Read more...]
What Guarantees Success?
If you don’t feel like a “born leader,” don’t worry. Great leaders have a set of skills that can be learned, not a certain personality type. In researching the leadership skills of senior executives—including 30 of the world’s most celebrated CEOs—Justin Menkes found that three sets of skills trump personality, management style and other characteristics in predicting excellent … [Read more...]
Crisis Creates Unprecedented Opportunities for Women–If We Overcome the Confidence Divide
This is a guest post by Mary Foley. You’ve seen the image: the woman wearing a red bandana and rolled up blue shirt sleeves sporting a fist and exclaiming “We Can Do It!” This World War II poster of “Rosie the Riveter” encouraging women to join the workforce was the epitome of a woman’s strength and determination. It was a time of deep crisis that opened unprecedented doors … [Read more...]