By Jaimy Ford, business writer and editor Are you wanting to take advantage of all the cyber deals and retail sales this week to purchase gifts for people at work? If so, do you fully understand gift-giving etiquette for the workplace? Many first time leaders don't know what is and isn't acceptable when it comes to buying and giving presents to employees. While offering … [Read more...]
[Infographic]: What is the Breaking Point for Employees?
As a new leader, you are largely responsible for employee engagement, satisfaction and loyalty. How you treat employees plays a significant role in whether they stick around for the long haul or move on the minute something even remotely better comes along. As you know, turnover is costly, killing productivity, morale and the bottom line, so you want to do everything you can to … [Read more...]
6 Critical Things to Share When You Communicate Decisions
Communicating effectively with your employees is probably your most important job as a leader. It's also one of the most difficult skills to master as a new leader, especially when it comes to communicating your decisions. When you most communicate an unpopular decision, the task becomes that much harder. If you don't do it successfully, employees can become frustrated or … [Read more...]
Part 2: Maximize Optimism at Work
On Tuesday, we talked about six core symptoms of destructive management that crush workplace optimism. Today we're following up with more advice from Shawn Murphy, leadership consultant and author of The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an Environment that Energizes Everyone, on how to keep employee enthusiasm high. He says, “You can position employees to believe that work is … [Read more...]
Part 1: Maximize Optimism in the Workplace
When it comes to work these days, we're all expected to do more with less, but is this nose-to-the-grindstone philosophy the best way to run a business? Alarmingly low employee engagement numbers indicate otherwise. So, if pushing everyone harder isn't the path to productivity, what is? In his new book The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an Environment that Energizes … [Read more...]
The 4 Leadership Lessons of Halloween
Halloween is tomorrow, and you may experience your fair share of tricks and treats. Whether you celebrate by dressing up, going to parties, handing out candy or taking the kids house-to-house (or even if you don't celebrate at all), don't let the weekend pass without learning a few leadership lessons along the way. Here are four that definitely come to mind: Identity … [Read more...]
3 Silly Reasons You Refuse to Ask for Help
By Jaimy Ford, business writer and editor If the thought of asking for help at work makes you weak in the knees, you aren't alone. According to personal development company Insights Learning & Development, most people struggle when it comes to asking for help. Here's why: We don't like feeling vulnerable When you ask for help, you are basically admitting to … [Read more...]
[Infographic]: Do You Really Know What Employees Want?
Leadership experts are always talking about the importance of engaging employees. As a new leader, do you really know what motivates your employees? If you think it's all about money and benefits, you are wrong. As this infographic created by UEarnedIt shows us, fully engaging your employees has more to do with providing meaningful experiences and learning opportunities. Take a … [Read more...]
4 Faces of Leadership and the Importance of the Vision Thing
Whether it’s a presidential candidate, a corporate executive or an NFL coach, people admire a leader with vision. They like someone with a clear idea of where he or she is headed and someone who knows how to motivate others to accomplish the goal. But as much as people might like to say someone is a “born visionary,” in truth, vision is something we develop, not something we … [Read more...]
4 Essential Traits Every Leader Needs
No doubt you want to succeed as a leader. Certainly, you want to lead your team to perform at the highest level. Absolutely, you want to do your part to ensure the success of your organization. All that ambition will take you far; however, don't assume that accomplishing all that will be easy. Far too many first-time leaders fail—and fail hard. Randy H. Nelson, author of … [Read more...]