By Jaimy Ford, business writer and editor. Having high expectations is certainly not a bad thing. However, when high expectations translate into nitpicking, it is a problem. When you or your employees are detailed-obsessed perfectionists, it puts unrealistic demands on everyone else, it wastes time, slows progress and leaves people feeling overwhelmed, annoyed or even … [Read more...]
Maintain Calm Leading Up to Election Day
It's been an incredibly ugly presidential campaign, and with two weeks left until Election Day, the worst may not be behind us. The conflict over the presidency has infiltrated the workplace, so much so, that a recent survey by the American Psychological Association indicates that one in four younger employees report they've been negatively affected by political talk on the … [Read more...]
When An Employee Says “I’m Too Busy”
New leaders in particular deal with more change resistance (and resistance in general) from their employees. Bitter coworkers who were overlooked for the promotion dig in their heels and make life hard for new managers. Some just want to take advantage of the new guy or gal. Others want to see how far they can push you. That sort of behavior, as juvenile as it is, can … [Read more...]
Creative Disruption Enhances Leadership Performance
Creative Disruption has long been used in the marketing world to break existing patterns of behavior of a target audience, and smart CEO’s are now using this technique to change the pattern of behavior in their leaders. National business consultant Lorraine Grubbs along with CEO Frank Granara of Boston-based General Insulation recently used creative disruption to address a … [Read more...]
3 Questions to Consider Before you Speak Assertively
Successful conflict resolution depends on the careful application of several communication and relationship-building principles and skills. Frankly, it can be complicated and difficult to do. One critical skill in the complicated mess of conflict resolution is assertive communication. As I speak, write, coach, and train on the application of assertive communication … [Read more...]
[Infographic]: 5 Types of Toxic Employees and How to Deal With Them
One toxic employee has the power to kill productivity and morale on your team. Unfortunately, too many first-time managers don't have the confidence or skills to address bad behaviors, and they allow them to fester and wreak havoc on the team. Check out this awesome infographic from GetVoip, to learn how to recognize toxic employees and address their poor behavior. You can … [Read more...]
Management Horror Stories
Halloween is nearly here, and it’s got me thinking about the most nightmarish problems a supervisor might face. Prepare to be spooked by the following three (completely true!) Halloween-worthy stories from real-life managers:The Werewolf. A manager at a tutoring company supervised a woman who had strong body odor and very hairy armpits, which were often on display during … [Read more...]
Tips for Taming Terrible Teammates
Some co-workers seem to take pleasure in seething, shouting or sharing snide comments. You might think their main goal is to make teamwork unpleasant and difficult, but the truth is that they may not mean much of anything by their bad behavior.Use these tips to identify and tame four troublesome types:Mr. Angry. He knows that he’s right, so he’s never willing to back down. … [Read more...]
Beware of the Disruptor: Rescue Your Next Meeting
Few team members intend to impede the team’s progress. Yet their unintentional behaviors can really slow meetings down. Here are ways to keep troublesome types in check:The clown ridicules others, making jokes at their expense. Strategy: Redirect the team member’s attention with serious questions. But don’t try to quash the person entirely—humor is a great team asset as long as … [Read more...]
The Dangers of Having an Arrogant Employee
I wrote The Dangers of Being an Arrogant Boss and a reader emailed me with an interesting comment. She said that she thought the advice was useful, but that it didn’t touch on the opposite—and just as important—issue of arrogant employees. “The fault can’t always be the boss’s,” she wrote.That’s a valid point: One doesn’t need a management title to be arrogant—or to be … [Read more...]