Cal Butera

5 things never to say to employees (let alone kids)

October 15, 2021
If you think about it, those hasty, canned responses to an underperforming employee are no different than the useless lines you might spew at a disobedient child. And how did that work out? Here are five to avoid.

Do you have the right temperament to be a good boss?

April 17, 2021
What’s the right temperament for a good manager? Here are 5 ideas and techniques to help you become an assertive manager:

Phrases that make you look weak

January 27, 2021
One thing that will quickly make you a doormat boss is using phrases that suggest you have a brittle spine. Employees pick up on the wimpiness and take over the show. Avoid these lines, and stay in charge.

What kind of a manager are you?

December 11, 2020
Here are scenarios which most—if not all—managers will encounter in the course of their careers. How do you score on the effectiveness scale?

10 clichés that taint your job ads

August 18, 2020
Here is a list of words and phrases that all too often are stuffed into the job ad for no other reason then, well, it wouldn’t be a job ad without them. Maybe it’s time to retire these terms, in the name of making the job sound a little more desirable and a little less trite.

Uh oh! My whole staff is disengaged

July 13, 2020
Every organization has one or two employees who can be labeled as hopelessly disengaged, totally unplugged and here just for the paycheck and other trimmings you call benefits. But what about the disengagement that permeates the whole workplace?

Is there a hidden message on your company t-shirt?

August 12, 2019
This content requires a subscription. PLEASE LOGIN Email Address: Password:   Forgot Password? | Setup Username/Password Subscribe today to get: The nation’s premier newsletter for managers, filled with valuable tips and advice Unlimited access to ManagingPeopleAtWork.com — updated daily! Skill-building online training, plus valuable forms, templates, skills assessments and more Expert advice on office administration, […]

What is and isn’t employee insubordination

February 26, 2019
Here are the shades of employee insubordination, which is a willful display of disobedience or disrespect directed at, well, you.

In defense of millennials: Yes, we hand out trophies!

February 5, 2019
Perhaps you’re lulled into thinking that you, the manager, in loco parentis, need to step up and deliver accolades and the unconditional hugs to your millennials. Not so fast. Here are the three trophies millennials do need.

What is the ‘Battle of 4:50 p.m.’–and does a manager really need to win it?

February 1, 2019
This content requires a subscription. PLEASE LOGIN Email Address: Password:   Forgot Password? | Setup Username/Password Subscribe today to get: The nation’s premier newsletter for managers, filled with valuable tips and advice Unlimited access to ManagingPeopleAtWork.com — updated daily! Skill-building online training, plus valuable forms, templates, skills assessments and more Expert advice on office administration, […]