For a company to achieve success, mid-level managers must successfully direct employees. This involves recognizing and avoiding the biggest pitfalls. Less-effective managers typically don’t have the right soft skills to lead, perhaps because they never had essential training in how to manage people. Simply put, bad managers don’t have the sensibility, sensitivity, and understanding required… Read more »
Helping your employees through a major business transition is an exercise in extreme empathy. Almost any change you’re leading or supporting is highly disruptive to somebody on an emotional level. The key to helping people is understanding why some folks get emotional about major change. Surprisingly, it’s not the change itself; it’s the loss of… Read more »
As an employer, your workers are your lifelines. Each employee is a valuable addition to your team and it’s important they feel that way. Recognition makes people feel good about their job and motivates them to keep up the good work. Positive reinforcement can also set an example for everyone in your organization, showing them… Read more »
After you invest a lot of time, energy and capital in hiring the best applicants possible, you must hold on to that top talent, especially with the labor market as tight as it is right now. Simply put, keep your best staff members satisfied. While pay and benefits are big reasons why people take a… Read more »
Generally defined as when a worker has their individual priorities aligned with organizational values, employee engagement is a hot topic among both executives and HR personnel. Engagement can be difficult to measure, but it’s easy to recognize: An engaged employee wears it on their face and shows it in their work. It might seem obvious… Read more »
Your company is only as good as your staff members. All your employees, from the lowest rank to the highest, speak to a particular facet of your company and a bad hire in any position can cost you significantly. According to data from the Department of Labor, a bad hire can cost as much as… Read more »
Business culture comes from the top-down. While not rolled out purposely, a business’ culture is essentially a game of Follow-the-Leader. If leadership does not have integrity, staff members will play fast and loose with their own work. If leadership trusts its employees, they will trust each other and leadership itself. It’s that simple. When it… Read more »
According to research, the average employee doesn’t require a lot from management in order to do his or her job effectively. However, the things that employees do need are absolutely essential. Most employees require the same basic things from management: transparency, engagement, recognition and opportunity. This isn’t a lot to ask for and offering all… Read more »
One of the greatest challenges for safety professionals is getting workers and management to “buy into” the notion of workplace safety. While it isn’t hard for safety professionals to explain safety practices and the reasons behind them, it is much more difficult to get both groups to comply. Some managers may feel that business demands… Read more »
Unfortunately, difficult people can be found in any job – from employees who won’t take direction, to disconnected upper management, to demanding clients. Fortunately, difficult people can be easy to deal with; you just have to embrace the right mindset. Consider the following tips on how to deal with difficult people at work. Dealing with… Read more »