Nothing can be more frustrating – or costly to an organization – than team communication problems. As a manager, your job is to ensure your employees are up to speed on goals, priorities, and their assignments so they can perform at their peak. If you know you have good people, but you’re running across constantlyRead… Read more »
You’ve probably been involved in a team building exercise at some point in your work life. Perhaps it was a human knot, an mandatory weekend outing or a few hours in the workplace “getting to know” your colleagues. I am always interested in what leaders subject employees to under the guise of teamwork. I’ve neverRead… Read more »
One of the most effective ways of getting your employees to think outside the box, innovate, improve processes and increase efficiencies is to start by asking questions, rather than providing answers. Your staff members have a wealth of ideas for how to do their jobs better, but many might feel hesitant to make suggestions. EvenRead… Read more »
Do you remember The Miracle on Ice? Northwestern’s Cinderella football season in 1995? The Bulls’ two three-peats? Then you probably remember reading and hearing lots about about Herb Brooks, Gary Barnett and Phil Jackson. With the World Cup upon us, we’re seeing almost as much focus on each team’s coach as we are its starRead… Read more »
It’s small, but mighty. If ignored, it gets worse. It can cause us to limp, stumble, and ultimately fail. What is it? It’s our “Achilles’ heel.” We have weaknesses. Some weaknesses, such as dishonesty, aggressiveness, or blatant disrespectfulness, are glaring. Others, though not as obvious, can be just as debilitating to a leader and theirRead… Read more »
We have all heard the phrase “Change is Good.” But is it? Change can be good; however, making a change without regard for those affected by it, is a recipe for trouble. When a leader tells employees about a change instead of involving them in the change, a team’s work quality, morale, and motivation suffers,Read… Read more »
You’ve likely seen much in the media addressing how the NCAA tournament affects productivity – positively or negatively – like here, here, and here! So, does it help or hinder productivity and performance? As a firm who works with client’s in the areas of employee engagement and high performance culture I can say – itRead… Read more »
Last summer we were at our farm in upstate NY and it was time to hay the fields. We don’t have haying equipment so we allow others to hay the fields and use the hay for their animals or sell it – or whatever else one does with hay. I sat by our house, watchingRead… Read more »
There are few jobs today that allow a person to work autonomously. Certainly in government there are many examples of jobs that are interdependent. Even at its most basic level, the branches of government must work together to pass a bill into law. Teams are important. As important as teamwork is in government and businessRead… Read more »
What lessons in employee engagement and business can we learn from Andrew Carnegie? For starters… Pissed off people = poor profits! That’s a lesson that Andrew Carnegie learned the hard way. Carnegie was a titan of industry and a true entrepreneur. I’ll spare the detailed history lesson, though suffice to say he came from nothing,Read… Read more »