In the U.S., we are finishing up a three day holiday weekend for Labor Day. It's a day created to honor American workers and the contributions they make to our great nation. You're one of those workers, and while I hope you've done something special to honor your employees and the contributions they've made, I also don't want you to forget yourself. Take advantage of your … [Read more...]
The Most Important Thing You Can Do This Weekend
As a new manager, do you find it hard to stop thinking about work, even when you go to bed? Do you struggle to fall asleep because you worry about how your team will handle work the next day, how you will deal with a poor performer or what you must do to retain your top staff members? You aren't alone. Many new managers lose sleep over the stress of the job, especially managers … [Read more...]
Ensure Your Employees Don’t Quit YOU
Unemployment rates are low, and your employees have options. What's more is that employees are more likely to quit because of you, their manager, than anything else in the workplace. So if you want to avoid the high financial and productivity costs of turnover, guess what: You play a key role in keeping them from jumping ship. In fact, you have a hand in every aspect of … [Read more...]
Hold On to Top Employees With This Simple Act
71 percent of employees are searching for a new job, and with there being more job openings than people out of work, your employees (especially the top performers) have their pick of jobs. Holding on to them should be a top priority for you. However, the key to retaining them may not be what you think. While perks and pay raises don't hurt, Kerry Alison Wekelo, a human … [Read more...]
Train Employees to Do More Than Just Offer Ideas
I love hearing people’s ideas. I love outside-of-the-box thinking, and I regularly—my teammates might think too regularly—ask for people’s input. So just to be clear, I want people to offer ideas. That said, I’m less than excited when people send ideas—and nothing more. They don’t offer any insight into how an idea will be executed. They don’t consider obstacles. In some … [Read more...]
Is Your Focus Too Narrow?
Focus. It is one of those words everyone says is a good thing and something most people would like to be better at. Yet, focus alone, isn't enough. What you focus on is what really matters. Take some time to think: What are you focused on right now? What are your priorities? To become the best leader you can be, and to best serve both your team members and your … [Read more...]
Working Long Hours Doesn’t Mean Dedication
Why do you hire new employees? Ok, this seems like an obvious question, and no, it isn’t a trick. We hire people because we have assignments that need to be completed, sales to be made, and products to be created, manufactured, shipped and billed. We hire people because we're growing and because other people leave. We hire people to be productive and to get work done. … [Read more...]
You Can’t Control Everything, So Focus More on This
There is a difference between what we can control and what we can merely influence. Sometimes we get the two mixed up, and it leads to major headaches. Take elections, for example. There's no question that voting is a civic responsibility, but your vote doesn't control who gets elected. It does influence who represents you, however. The same applies to every election. So … [Read more...]
2 Words You’re Probably Not Saying Enough
Today is Memorial Day and we honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. We'll attend parades, picnics or other celebrations, as a way to remember and show our gratitude to all the soldiers who died for this great nation and to thank the vets and soldiers still with us for their service. It has me thinking a great deal about saying "Thank you." It … [Read more...]
4 Hacks Successful Leaders Use to Overcome Resistance
This is a guest post by Martin Lanik, author of THE LEADER HABIT. When you propose a change or new strategy to your team, do people openly resist your ideas? Do you have trouble articulating the improvements the change will bring? Are you unable to come to an agreement with particular team members? As a leader, you must be able to bring your people on board to make … [Read more...]