The previous post detailed some strategies and tips for creating a productive team. In this post, we’ll look at what is needed to be a productive team leader. You can have the best, most productive and committed team members in the world, but without a good team leader, it will all fall apart. So what are the qualities of a good team leader? Qualities of a Good Team Lea…Read More
The saying “too many cooks spoil the broth” is true both in the kitchen and in the business environment. And it becomes obvious when teams are formed without a clear understanding of how a team should function. Too often, it devolves into a battle over who is in charge or what ideas should be given the most merit. This leads managers to decide that adopting the team ap…Read More
In the previous post, I covered the concept of company culture: what it is and why it’s important to develop one that supports your company goals. But what if your culture is a mass of confusing or contradictory statements—or worse, so toxic that managers and staff jump ship on a regular basis? Is it possible to course-correct a negative culture in mid-stream? Yes, but…Read More
Part one of my two-part post on giving and getting feedback covered how to effectively provide feedback to your staff. But what about when the review shoe is on the other foot? How can you make sure that you are ready to receive the comments and critiques that are coming your way? You might think you are prepared. After all, you’ve told your team you want honest comments…Read More
Whether you’re the owner, department head, supervisor or staff person, there will come a time when you have to provide your input on someone else’s performance. As uncomfortable as you might find the task, there are valid reasons for doing it. “Receiving regular, pertinent and specific feedback from their direct supervisors and managers is a key driver of engagement,…Read More
There are those employees that are your star performers. You can tell from their attitude and accomplishments that they really want to be part of your company. If you were going to give them a numerical score, they would easily be nines or tens. And then there are those that do their job, but not with any sense of excitement but more along the lines of “I’m here so I m…Read More
It’s not easy finding the right employee. Even if you hire a job search firm, at some point it comes down to you and the candidate, and you may not be entirely sure you have asked all the right questions or fully understood the responses you were given. For example: What does the job candidate mean when she says she wants a “challenging position with advancement potent…Read More
If you’ve got an alphabet-soup of generations at your business, you’ve probably struggled with making your message fit your audience. However, the problem may not be with the content, but with the recipients: specifically, how your message is being received after it has gone through their “gen filters.” You Say “Po-Tay-To,” I say “Po-Tah-To” Each generation…Read More
You’ve been staying on top of all the latest management strategies and operational techniques, and now you’ve set your sights on siloes — specifically the ones that exist in your company that you suspect are negatively impacting productivity. Before you send out the wrecking ball to tear them down, you might want to rethink the idea. While it’s true that a heavily …Read More
It’s your company. You know how you want it to operate. You have a vision and a goal, supported by a management style that you have built over decades. And it has served you well—until lately. You’ve noticed some weak areas in your company’s operations, and it appears that the performance of your team just isn’t up to your standards. Your solution? You’re going…Read More