Ever find yourself asking, telling, begging, and pleading with your employees, only to see things left undone and disruptive behavior persisting? Before you blame your staff for being incompetent, lazy, or just plain bad, let’s explore a different perspective. Wise words from one of my past mentors echo in my mind: “You get what you…
The Weight of Accountability: Back in the good ol’ ‘80s, suit jackets had enormous shoulder pads. I swear those were tailor-made for managers, designed to bear the weight of accountability. As a manager, you’re not just responsible for your own actions, but for everything your team does. Whether it’s meeting goals, following procedures, or maintaining…
Oh, the micromanager; hovering, peering over shoulders, ensuring perfection, checking, and double-checking everything! As a manager, you carry the weight of accountability for everything. So naturally, you might find yourself tempted to insert yourself into every corner of the workplace to ensure things get done correctly. After all, complete control seems like the ideal way…
Congratulations on landing a management role! Your new position is filled with exciting challenges and opportunities for growth. Suddenly, you’re responsible for the success of a team and it’s natural to feel a little nervous about the transition. You likely got this promotion because you have some great skill sets and capabilities. However, embracing new…
Do you ever find yourself running around like a beheaded chicken at work, constantly changing direction with every email or customer request? Perhaps you’ve implemented new procedures, only to have them revised or eliminated within a few months. The pace of change and the demands of the world can easily make you feel like you’re…
Who enjoys having those challenging employee conversations? You know, the ones where you need to address performance issues, behaviors, or sensitive matters like body odor or inappropriate dress. These discussions often linger on the to-do list, as we secretly hope that the problem will magically resolve itself without our intervention. Unfortunately, there’s no company genie…
Feedback is a gift? Chocolate, diamonds, flowers, those are gifts! Feedback is just words. Actually, it is one of the most important (and inexpensive) gifts that you can give your employees. Feedback shows people you appreciate their efforts and genuinely care about their success. Every word can provide a mini-moment of recognition, coaching, advice, training,…
Becoming a manager is like stepping into a new spotlight within your company. Suddenly, all eyes are on you as you assume a role that goes beyond mere supervision. You become a guiding force, a role model for your team. But have you considered the impact your words and actions can have on the work…
The self-doubt gremlin likes to attack frequently and is armed with a pointy spear, relentlessly attacking your vulnerable core. We’ve all been there, hearing that little voice inside our heads whispering malicious thoughts like, “You’re not good enough,” “You’ll never succeed,” and “You’re a failure.” How do you shake off this gremlin? Self-Doubt: The Dream…