The Savvy Manager

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?

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

January 17, 2020

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

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.

How to motivate yourself and finish the year strong

December 14, 2018

There’s enough time left this year to knock out a few more goals and ramp yourself up for a successful 2019. Follow these tips to keep yourself motivated …

What kind of a manager are you?

September 19, 2018

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?

Here’s what your boss wants from you

May 9, 2018

Here are some actions you can take (or not take) that would be surefire C-suite pleasers.

That new hire just isn’t working out

March 28, 2018

Two months into his once-promising career, Bam! The new hire’s co-workers are grumbling to you about his ineptness, his work is shoddy and often turned in late. And his attitude is about as appealing as the forgotten lunches in the break room fridge. What happened? There are only two things, and you only have control over one of them.

All I need to know about leadership I learned from the Super Bowl

February 9, 2018

Here’s what I learned from the game and its trimmings that I can put to use in my quest to be a better leader.