Coaching & Motivating

Tell stories to forge tight bonds

April 12, 2013
As a leader you can tell people what to do. But barking orders rarely endears you to your team. A better way to instruct and inspire staffers is to share personal anecdotes.

5 steps to help workers develop their skills

March 1, 2013
Offering employees opportunities to improve their skills ensures they can successfully perform their jobs, and it also keeps them engaged. Follow these steps to create a skills development plan for each employee.

Why It’s Smart to Have Selfish Employees

February 1, 2013
There is a common misconception that a selfish person makes for an unmanageable employee—perhaps this person will destroy the team dynamic that we all strive for within our organizations? But organizations that don’t pay positive attention to me-oriented employees miss the opportunity to gain highly self-motivated team members who can significantly benefit the organization.

Is Your Employee Promotable?

January 1, 2013

You probably wouldn’t be where you are professionally if it weren’t for an attentive boss who took an interest and recognized your special talents. Now it’s time to pass that favor along by recognizing and cultivating talent among your own employees. Here’s how:

Top 10 Employee Retention Strategies

December 1, 2012
The biggest challenge for an organization is keeping its top talent. Times are changing and so are the attitudes of today’s worker. Here are the top 10 employee retention strategies:

Moving From Manager to Coach

December 1, 2012
With every effective team, there comes a time when the person in charge can shift his or her focus from managing to coaching. The transition from manager to coach doesn’t have to be earthshaking, nor does it have to require additional work.

The many ways you can screw up praise

November 1, 2012
It may seem as if praising a team member is always a good idea. What’s wrong with acknowledging a job well done, especially when research shows that appreciation from the boss ranks high in employee surveys?

Reverse Mentoring

October 1, 2012
When we hear “mentor,” most of us picture an older, wiser person who has many years of work experience. But it doesn’t always have to be like that.

Turn around negative attitudes: 8 tips

March 8, 2012
Neutralizing a negative attitude takes time and plenty of effort. However, another aspect of turning around negativity lies in the little things you do, which may just be what you say or how you say it, without being a direct “negativity-buster.”

Bored employee? A kick in the pants

March 1, 2012
Sonia, a manager at an insurance company, updates us about her efforts to motivate an employee who seems perpetually bored with his work.