Mentoring/Coaching

What it means to carry a big stick

November 25, 2014

Until recently, National Hockey League goalies were overwhelmingly Canadian. Then the Finns arrived around 2000. Seemingly overnight, 5 million Finns began producing one-sixth of the NHL’s starting goalies. Their secret is Urpo Ylönen, or “Upi,” a man spoken of the same way Jedi knights speak of Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Stay true to your core beliefs

October 27, 2014
When you’re climbing the corporate ladder, you may model yourself on your superior. But sometimes it’s better to stay true to yourself—even if that means developing a distinctly different style.

Take the dread out of annual reviews

October 17, 2014
Annual reviews have been drawing fire lately. Here’s how to make them better.

Spur everyone to become better leaders

August 20, 2014
Jay Anders sought to change the way his company trained its 9,000 employees to grow into leaders. So he shifted its focus from traditional classroom seminars to self-directed resources.

Build winner with run-and-gun strategy

August 6, 2014
Whitey Herzog, winner of a World Series as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, understood one of the most overlooked aspects of leadership: Make the best of what you’ve got.

Leadership Tips, Vol. 614

June 30, 2014
Hold your ego in check … Help employees like Lorne Michaels does … Focus rather than going too wide.

Blaze path for lifelong learning

June 19, 2014

To lift an employee’s performance, you can bark do-this, do-that commands. But you’ll make a more positive impact by helping people discover for themselves how to improve. Use adult learning theory to guide your coaching. Here’s how:

Challenge learners to dig for insight

June 11, 2014
Deep learning occurs when you enable employees to forge neural connections so their skills and in­­sights are easier to tap. Here’s how to make that happen.

Get tough with a ‘Dr. Jekyll’

May 2, 2014
Q: “Tom, a long-term employee, recently transferred into my unit. He has a reputation of being ‘difficult.’ On good days, he’s productive and upbeat. But on bad days, he’s critical and hostile. Unfortunately, the bad days outnumber the good days. I’ve tried to be supportive, but he’s exhausting me! What can I do?”

What’s the pulse of team engagement?

April 30, 2014
Employees who like their immediate supervisor tend to feel prouder and more enthusiastic about their organization as a whole. So if you want a more engaged workforce, enhance your supervisors’ ability to manage well.