This is guest post by Amy Beth Miller, freelance writer and editor. A young salesman hung a movie poster in his work area. It wasn’t obscene or offensive, but it was more appropriate for a college dorm room than an office selling expensive products. The manager could have used the incident to talk with the salesman about the importance of projecting a professional image. … [Read more...]
The Go-To Danger
This is a guest post by Amy Beth Miller, business writer and editor. As a new manager, knowing there are one or two outstanding team members you can rely on in a pinch is a great comfort. The problem comes when you go to that go-to person too often. I knew I had reached that point one day when I turned to ask Doug to handle another last-minute assignment and could see … [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...]
Traps New Managers Should Avoid Falling Into
This is a guest post by Georgina Stamp of Marble Hill Partners. So you’ve just reached that role you’ve been aiming for: You’re a manager, a person of authority with big plans for the company and all those that work in it, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. There are a number of traps and problems that you can run into as a new manager. Here are some tips on how to avoid … [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...]
Kevin Eikenberry Offers Small Business Owners Leadership Advice
In an interview for the Intuit Small Business Blog, Kevin Eikenberry offers entrepreneurs and small business owners advice for developing a leadership mindset. He points out three sins every leader should avoid:Micromanaging. Eikenberry says "No one wants to be micromanaged. You aren’t the only person responsible for the work. Prepare people to succeed by providing training and … [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...]
Stop Kidding Yourself
As a manager, you might be viewing your actions differently than your employees interpret them. That’s what a recent study from Development Dimensions International suggests when it comes to innovation. Leaders consider themselves much more open to change than their subordinates do. In the study, leaders responded to a series of innovation-related statements about themselves, … [Read more...]
Wise words: Jessye Norman on Finding Balance
I’ve been thinking about work/life balance a lot lately, so when I ran across that quote from American opera singer Jessye Norman, I knew I wanted to share it with you:Finding balance can be difficult for anyone, but it’s harder when you’re responsible for many people. If you manage a team of five, you can easily be pulled in seven different directions: five for those … [Read more...]