Managers need to provide a culture that accepts (some) failure

Taking risks is necessary but often stifled in organizations No matter what your job is, there are risks that you will face. How you handle those risks ultimately affects the quality of your performance. Do you take an appropriate level of risks? Do you encourage risk-taking? Or do you suppress it? Are you so risk-averse that…

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Fear in your workplace is killing performance

Managers can be oblivious to the fear that employees face in the workplace. Is there fear in your organization? Are you indeed even creating it? It’s a deeper issue than what one might quickly assign to obvious root causes, such as layoffs in financially struggling companies, performance issues, or extreme friction between a manager and…

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When employees do the same things over and over and over again ….

Ever manage a person who does the same thing over and over and over again? That ‘thing’ could be good or could be bad. As managers, it is obviously great if an employee is consistently doing excellent work. But what if an employee is continually struggling with a task, or resists it completely? Well, my…

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FREE Webinar: Find the Work You Love!

Are you looking for work that you love? Then we would love to have you join us for a short, but information-packed webinar to get your started in your exploration.  Here’s some of the comments we received from attendees: “I found the discovery part of the session very helpful.” “I learned that it is ok to…

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6 Steps to Help Employees Keep Pace with their Work

Ever feel like you need to give the guy at the next desk a push to take action? The pace in which we work creates one of the most important impressions to our co-workers about our abilities — and sometimes unfairly. Employees who are always ‘on-the-go’ often seem the most productive; in comparison, those that…

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The best way to motivate your employees

Managers ask me all the time how to motivate employees, especially ones that are under-performing. And of course, there are a host of answers based on the unique situation. Money is the first method that managers think about, but it is definitely not the answer, and never the answer for long-term results. But there is…

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The Secret Lives of Your Employees

Do you know the things that matter? My uncle died a few weeks ago. It wouldn’t be accurate to say that we were close, but I always respected his intellect and his sense of humor, his love for history, and his incredible recall on anything he ever heard. He remembered everything, it seemed, and forgot…

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Are you relying on your preconceived notions to explain employee performance?

Performance issues aren’t always what they seem I think of Grace as agile. Nimble. Fast. And it’s not just me, others often comment on her speed. Those associations lead me to believe she’s healthy and physically fit. And because of Grace’s pronounced fearful disposition, I immediately attribute any unusual behavior to her mental state. And…

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Consistency is good, but not always the best management technique

Good managers know when to make exceptions Grace and I have lived under the same roof for seven years now. I can anticipate many things that she’ll do or not do. She’s a mooch for treats, anywhere, anytime. She cowers when she’s near kids, and she barks incessantly whenever someone approaches the house. (All those…

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The Grass is Always Greener …

Grace has always been a grazer. She loves to eat grass. I have no idea why. Maybe she loves the taste. Maybe it settles her stomach. Maybe both. Maybe neither. It’s a mystery — one of many that exists with my relationship with Grace — and will frequently happen in relationships in the workplace. There…

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