Communication

What to say to worker who sees doom in everything

April 7, 2019
Trying to encourage your staff to do their best gets harder if one of them is always expecting the worst. Here’s how to approach these “Nervous Nellies.”

3 phrases every leader should use

March 27, 2019
If you want to prove your leadership potential, use these phrases liberally, advises Andy Bailey, CEO, founder and coach at executive coaching firm Petra Coach.

Damage control: When your emotions get away from you

February 18, 2019
You know you shouldn’t have cried, overreacted, yelled, or accused. However, managers are only human, and sometimes emotions get the best of them in the workplace. Here’s how to tactfully make amends with staff and move on.

The right way to share news

January 16, 2019
When you have important news to share—either good or bad—that could affect your staff, follow this advice to get it right.

Be careful with these common remarks

January 11, 2019
Top managers do not take their words lightly. They understand that even the most casual of remarks can either enhance their standing or harm it. Here are some examples of phrases to avoid.

4 better queries than ‘How are you?’

January 10, 2019
Writing for Forbes, Jim Ludema and Amber Johnson point out that the only reason most of us ask this question is because it would appear impolite not to ask. They offer a list of alternative questions.

Giving feedback to an underperformer

December 11, 2018
Here are some guidelines to help you issue constructive feedback when it’s not so readily accepted.

Respond when employees insult you

November 29, 2018
Imagine this scenario: You open your email to see a message from an employee. As you read it, you discover it was sent to you by mistake, and it is highly likely the employee hoped you’d never set eyes on it. Why? Because it bashed you pretty severely.

3 reasons employees don’t speak up

October 24, 2018
If mistakes go undetected and small issues blossom into full-blown problems, your reputation as manager is on the line. You want employees to come to you with problems. So, if they aren’t speaking up at all—or only after issues get out of hand, here’s why.

When you must correct borderline misbehavior

October 17, 2018
We’ve all known people whose behav­ior, while not illegal or a firing offense, just isn’t very nice, and we’ve all seen the damage such people can do to morale and productivity.