The Savvy Manager

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

January 17, 2017

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.

Skip the cuss jar–just take the right steps to keep the language clean

December 7, 2016

Maybe your workplace has a policy against crusty language on the job. Many places don’t. If yours doesn’t, don’t just sit back and let your ears ring from the F-bombs bursting in air as the cuss jar quickly fills up to bankroll the next pizza party. As a boss, you need to temper the language, if not put a downright stop to it. Here are some points to ponder.

Sometimes, you gotta bend the rules

October 20, 2016

Your book of regulations is likely not all-encompassing, vague in spots and open to interpretation in others. It’s just a guide, for crying out loud. Which brings us to the fine art of fudging, bending or otherwise looking the other way in some circumstances. Done deftly, rule-bending can build a more engaged workforce.

What your email sign-off is really saying

August 4, 2016

Do you put much thought into your email sign-off? Chances are you don’t. Generally you pick one and stick with it no matter the length or gravity of your message. The reader of your email, especially one whom you are corresponding with for the first time, gleans something about you from your sign-off. Here are the top five email sign-offs and what the recipient could conclude.

Did he just say, ‘That’s not my job’?

June 30, 2016

It’s the ultimate punch in the manager’s gut because it’s taken as a direct affront to the boss’s authority. You’ve been challenged. Undermined. Dissed. Ouch!

The all-new Employee Operator Manual: No boss should be without it!

June 10, 2016

Why are there no operator manuals for managers to properly handle employees? Well, now the problem is solved. You no longer have to wing it.

4 reasons good employees turn bad

April 26, 2016

Here are things many bosses unwittingly do that damage and ultimately chase away their good workers.

One common phrase that stifles motivation

April 1, 2016

Here’s a line you may toss at your employees that seems reasonable at the outset, but could have downstream consequences when it comes to productivity, and worse, employee motivation and self-improvement: “As long as you get your work done.”

Don’t scare away a good job candidate

March 8, 2016

Here are the top mistakes hiring managers make that lead good job candidates to wonder whether they really want to work for you.

The dark side of management

February 9, 2016

It’s a place you don’t want to enter. And unsurprisingly, many supervisors find themselves there. “There” is the shady side, the underhanded side, the dark side of running the workplace. Whether it’s because of habit, survival or just a case of “I don’t know why I went there,” it’s a place you need to get out of—quickly.