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Avenues for employee complaints seem to be closed
A prime reason for employee unhappiness is that companies do not adhere to a set of standards. Some are too forgiving of employee misconduct, while others are managed by people who themselves overstep boundaries and could care less about rules. New managers need to learn assertiveness
When you're not experienced, being on the receiving end of a heated conversation can be tough. But verbal challenges can be addressed tactfully and professionally as long as we've thought through a process for how to do it.
It's time to rethink the way you think
Recent discoveries in how the brain functions have resulted in some startling new conclusions about implementing change. In other words, it's time to rethink how we think. Time for a low-carb Lean Six Sigma?
Lean Six Sigma is all very well, but it doesn't take into account intangibles. And ignoring things they can't be measured - like integrity, team spirit, dedication and loyalty - is downright dangerous. The missing link in strategic plans
It is widely acknowledged that effective training programs make it much easier for organisations to achieve their strategic goals. But strategically-aligned training is still missing from most companies. Helping co-workers cope with loss
When people are hit with a tragic loss, don't believe for a moment that they're leaving their personal lives at the door. Debilitating diseases, divorce or the death of a loved-one are among the most stressful events anyone can experience. Big help available for small businesses
You opened your business with less than $35,000 operating capital. You have less than five employees. Some say you are crazy. I say people like you are the backbone of the country. And the good news is that there is plenty of help out there for you. How to kill morale and start an exodus
If you want to know how an apparently competent manager can preside over the destruction of team morale and productivity and the exodus of their best staff, this true story provides some salutary lessons. Turning E-learning into a powerful asset
As someone who strives to create engaging e-learning, I have to admit, I said "no kidding!" when Management-Issues ran a piece entitled "E-learning is a boring distraction". But even though it's often true, it doesn't have to be like this. Focus your team with stories
What's your story? Study just about any inspiring leader and you will find someone who can tell a story that drives home a point – all the way down to a person's core. How to hire, train, and retain great employees
Accurate job descriptions are like stealth secret weapons for hiring, training, and retaining great employees. I guarantee whatever effort you put forth will save you hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars. My end of year list of recommended reads
Whether you're looking for a good book to give as a gift or you want something for your own reading pleasure, it's time once again for my annual "must read" list. Stand your ground with manipulators
Manipulation in the workplace is profoundly damaging to employee commitment. And since nobody likes being manipulated, it pays to become a student of how to stand your ground in the face of manipulators. What are your workplace pet peeves?
No workplace is perfect. And while we can usually perform well around people who have a wide range of idiosyncrasies, some behaviors just get under our skin. The do's and don'ts of hiring a consultant
It's all too easy to get it wrong when hiring a consultant and be left with a bad taste in the mouth. So here are some suggestions that may prove helpful the next time you need to hire outside help. Turn up the quiet
Jet lag. Delays. Bad hotels. Such are the joys of business travel. But believing that if we're not part of the solution we're part of the problem, I'd like to offer up a few stress reducing tips to make travel better for everyone. It's time to give your training a boost
As with any educational endeavor, workplace training is most effective when it engages learners in ways that appeal to them. So if using old, canned presentations have resulted in stale training, perhaps it's time to try a different brand of instruction. Are you a builder or a climber?
Over the years, dozens of types of leaders have been identified. But as someone who believes that simpler is usually better, I've boiled down all those styles to just two basic types: Builders and Climbers. The bottom line is not the bottom line
Corporations have been cutting corners and forsaking moral purpose in the pursuit of bigger profits for years. Yet as we continue to experience unnecessary illness, polution, death, and disease as a result, isn't it time we answered the question, "how much is enough?" Sometimes you need to apologize
When a customer brings a complaint to our attention we have a choice. We can be arrogant and pigheaded, or we can listen carefully - and, if necessary, apologize and make it right. Continuous improvement is more than just jargon
If you're part of management or on an executive team, allow me to say this. Stop making the mistake of ignoring your team's production capability. Production by itself can be propped up only so long. What happens if you get hit by a bus?
When an unexpected event interrupts the flow of your business, the results can be devastating. In fact 40 percent of businesses which experience some form of disaster go out of business within five years. But it doesn't have to be that way. To blog or not to blog, that is the question
For the business person, personal broadcast media such as blogging and podcasting are very attractive: They are both inexpensive and can be targeted to specific audiences. In fact, there are few reasons NOT to embrace them. Don't start a business by the seat of your pants
If you try to start a business by the seat of your pants, chances are you're going to lose your shirt. But with so much information out there to help, any budding entrepreneur ought to be able to start and grow a successful, profitable enterprise. The future of marketing
Over the past 25 years, cable TV, the Internet, satellite radio, TiVo, and podcasting have dramatically changed the way we get our information. This begs the question, what is the future of marketing? Boosting employee retention
It ought to be common knowledge, but it probably bears repeating: People leave their managers more often than they leave companies and jobs. Which means that throwing money at them won't persuade them to stay. My mid-year list of recommended reads
Usually I wait until the end of the year to provide my list of recommended reads. But this year I've had several good books come across my desk and I want to recommend some I think are useful. Punishing the Good Samaritan
Being a Good Samaritan comes naturally to some people - unselfishly helping others is a virtue, not a transgression. But as Colin Bruley found last week, altruism can also lead to getting fired. So it's no surprise that we find an increasing number of people turning away when others are in need. Connecting with your audience
We all know how easy it is for everything we've ever learned about public speaking to blur into a bowl of pudding while we stammer and stutter over our words. So here are some tips to give you more confidence - and more impact - when talking in front of others. What inhibits workplace learning?
To remain competitive, organizations need to learn faster than the competition. But knowing that and doing that are two different things – and far too many leaders seem to think that they don't need to learn anything more to succeed. Entrepreneurial spirit grows among seniors
More older people than ever are starting their own businesses. But why should this be a surprise? After all, 70 is the new 50 - and nothing beats the wisdom forged by experience. Ten universal principles of the workplace
What makes an excellent workplace? The answer could fill a library, but I believe there are some central truths that apply to just about any business. See if you agree. Please don't tell me to improve communication
I've lost count of the number of times I've heard someone in an organization say: "Our communication needs to improve." Although it may well be true, that's about as useful as standing in the rain saying, "our clothes are getting wet." What we have in common with Katie Couric
Thinking about Katie Couric and the woes at CBS News, it struck me that what she has done is what many other successful people do - make a shift away from an area of tremendous achievement - only to find that career changes don't always turn out as planned.
Workforce training requires workforce investment
Investing in your workforce means more than just paying them well. It means equipping people with skills and enabling them with authority. Because without opportunities to learn and grow, people quickly become bored and disengaged. I've had it with e-mail only customer service
I'm up to my eyeballs with frustration at the direction many companies are taking with "e-mail only" customer service. It has reached the point where I will no longer do business with companies that won't talk with their paying customers.
Make strategy meetings shorter, but more productive
Most of us are tired of wasting time at unfocused meetings, especially when they are supposed to be about strategy. So here are three simple rules to keep meetings moving and on target. Small business: take advantage of advisors
Many entrepreneurs have a passion for their products, not a background in business. So startups can give themselves a better chance of surviving if they create a board of advisors to provide regular, outside perspectives on internal and external situations. The leader's link to creativity and productivity
Far, far too many managers stifle the creativity and commitment of their people simply by the way they behave. But if they started doing more listening and less bossing, employee creativity and involvement might re-emerge. Beware the effects of workplace stress
If more managers and leaders understood the root causes and costs of stress, they would do something about it and it wouldn't be the problem that it is. 
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