Recently during a business trip to Denver, I was having a drink and dinner at the bar of Ted”s Montana Grill in Aurora, Colorado. Being alone, my attention focused on the three individuals working the bar that evening. Ted’s was busy…. Read More ›
empowering managers and leaders
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION AND TRAINING
I have never encountered an organization that at least rhetorically did not champion the importance of training for all its employees. But I have encountered quite a few organizations whose management actions and cultural attitudes sent some confusing and contradictory… Read More ›
DO NOT WITHHOLD INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP OTHERS SUCCEED
One of the great gifts any experienced manager has at his or her disposal, is the lessons of their experience. Years of hard work, countless hours of practice and application, the painful lessons of things gone wrong and the development… Read More ›
IGNORING A PROBLEM IS ENABLING THE PROBLEM
In most of my management workshops the discussion, at some point, generally comes around to one of those workplace problems that few managers wish to confront. For example: A personal hygiene issue. The frequent use of inappropriate language around co-workers…. Read More ›
A “STOP IT” PHRASE: YOU ARE COSTING US/ME MONEY!
I was recently talking with an employee who told me that their boss was fond of reminding them that their work efforts were costing the boss money. This phrase was really irritating them. Was their irritation appropriate? Absolutely in my… Read More ›
PERFORMANCE FEEDBACK: DO NOT BURY THE LEAD
In an interview conducted by the “Academy of Achievement” (p.4) the late author Nora Ephron recounted her oft told story of her first day in Mr. Charles Simms’ Journalism class at Beverly Hills High School. Mr. Simms, she says, began the class… Read More ›
ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK IS A COP-OUT
Imagine being called into your boss’s office and hearing one of the following statements: “I have some negative feedback for you and everybody feels the same way”; or “a number of your colleagues have told me that ……….”; or “I… Read More ›
WHEN YOU MAKE A MISTAKE, ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND FAST
In September 2011, the American-based media provider Netflix announced that it planned to raise prices for its services and separate into two companies: a DVD mail order service it would call “Qwikster” and an internet streaming service that would retain… Read More ›
RIGHT PEOPLE, ATTITUDE AND FOCUS = POSITIVE RESULTS
In 1995, Hollywood released its movie homage — “Apollo 13” — to the US Space Program’s most daring space rescue. One scene in particular has remained with me ever since I first experienced it in the theater. As the crippled… Read More ›
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF EMPLOYEE OPINION SURVEYS
The March 15, 2013 edition of the magazine The Week contained the following item from The Wall Street Journal on its Business news at a glance page: “A study by the American Psychological Association found that women report higher levels of… Read More ›
Insights on Managing and Leading 