People Management

Refusal to sign discipline memo? What to do

May 12, 2023
Every HR professional knows the importance of disciplinary documentation. But what happens if an employee refuses to sign a disciplinary memo?

Managers as mediators: When and how to intervene

May 10, 2023
Conflict resolution is all too real in the workplace and often falls just below the radar screen. Managers need to intervene on occasion to realign expectations but also help people feel heard, recognized and respected. When two of your employees aren’t playing nicely with one another and everyone else on the team feels like the temperature drops 20 degrees when they are together, it’s time for the manager to intervene.

Meetings are bad—should we cancel them all?

May 10, 2023
Setting a policy restricting meetings is well-intentioned and makes for nice headlines but doesn’t solve the underlying problem. The problem isn’t meetings, it is having meetings that are called for the wrong reasons, have an unclear purpose and/or have too many people in attendance.

4 strategies for strengthening internal mobility

May 10, 2023
In times of low unemployment—like now, when securing talent is so difficult—internal mobility can be a godsend. Utilizing current employees in new capacities instead of recruiting outsiders saves time and money. Plus, current workers—whether promoted or transferred to new roles—already understand your mission and culture, and management knows what to expect based on past performance.

Mastering the art of persuasion: How to sell ideas to your staff

May 5, 2023
Some employees may resist your ideas, and it’s up to you to persuade them that it is worth their time and investment. For a pitch to work, you’ll need to get buy-in from your entire team, which can be easier said than done.

5 ways to strengthen your employee-coaching skills

April 28, 2023
Your skill at organizing, delegating and ensuring deadlines are met enables your team to fulfill short-term goals and post good metrics. But leaders looking to take their charges to the next level make a point of going beyond just managing employees—they coach them.

How to master the art of leadership, communication and teambuilding

April 12, 2023
New leaders often face the combined challenges of continuing as individual contributors while assuming responsibility for others’ work. It’s never an easy balance, but there are certain insights that can help you keep a healthy perspective.

Tactics for leading a distributed workforce

April 12, 2023
Here are 6 tactics to maintain a distributed workforce while building a cohesive culture.

5 phrases smart managers avoid writing

April 7, 2023
Emails and texts give modern managers an easy way to communicate with team members. Remember, though, that words have consequences. Think about what you write before hitting send. A better solution is to eliminate potentially problematic phrases from the get-go.

5 phrases smart managers avoid saying

March 30, 2023
We’ve all heard the evergreen advice “think before you speak.” Words have consequences, and managers who hastily toss out statements run the risk of killing morale, damaging relationships and genuinely hurting feelings. Even if you later feel remorseful, taking things back once said proves difficult. A better solution is to try ridding your vocabulary of certain phrases.