People Management

Dig to discover a key employee’s travails

December 15, 2017

“I’m glad I didn’t bring him into my office to discuss his declining performance. Employees can get defensive and scared when that happens.”

Push millennials to learn and grow

December 13, 2017

Q: I’m 56 and I recently hired a 28-year-old. He was about to send out a press release, but I happened to see it first and fixed a sloppy mistake. All he said was, “Good catch.” No apology, no acknowledgement of his error. Overall, he’s a good worker. But if he’s unwilling to take responsibility for his work, how can I supervise him effectively?

‘So … why am I doing this for you exactly?’

December 8, 2017

Your team will perform best when you trust its members to perform on their own. Don’t just hand people a project. Make sure they can positively answer these questions.

Let downtime work for your team

November 24, 2017
What does your team do when there’s nothing to do? Here are suggestions for turning downtime into quality time.

Restore peace with the right words

November 9, 2017

To get past conflict, pick your words carefully. Even with good intentions, you can go astray by adopting an arrogant or hectoring tone.

Good ideas to cope with bad people

November 9, 2017

Just as a virus spreads from its host, rudeness at work starts with one “carrier” who acts inappropriately. As co-workers react to a single nasty comment or incident, they are more likely to respond in kind.

Place your flaws front and center

November 6, 2017
Horst Abraham, 94, coaches top athletes. From his experience as a ski instructor, he has noticed that champions focus on their flaws rather than deny them.

Give introvert a chance to shine

November 2, 2017
An executive at a healthcare company, Adam Rosenfeld found himself supervising a skilled but unhappy staffer, Joan. Despite his efforts, Joan continued to struggle during meetings. An introvert, she often remained too quiet as participants monopolized the floor and derailed the agenda.

Invest enough time to pick winners

October 30, 2017
Hiring managers need to recruit with care. But when you’re running a startup with global ambitions, every hiring decision can make or break the company.

Listening is an act of affirmation

October 25, 2017
At the heart of every productive conversation, there are two roles: storyteller and listener(s). While the storyteller’s role is important, the listener’s role is critical to the successful outcome of the conversation.