There are millions of scholarly articles offering a barrage of advice and how-to’s for managing employees. We test personalities, have team building activities, performance appraisals and one-on-one meetings. However, there is another, often overlooked dynamic that can be beneficial to the success of an organization: How do employees manage their boss? “Boss management” is a…
Have you ever been to a potluck or buffet where you start out with a strong resolve to “eat healthily”? Over the course of the afternoon, facing a table full of dishes, your willpower starts to wane, and you eventually dig into Aunt Melissa’s chocolate pie. You also probably will “give in” after being offered…
Do you ever worry that someday someone will realize you don’t know what you’re doing? Are you sure you will be exposed and your clients and colleagues will discover you have been pretending all this time? You might have “Imposter Syndrome.” Imposter Syndrome, a common issue experienced by many professionals, occurs when an individual has…
Do you have employees who struggle with confidence? Are they afraid to voice their opinions or assert themselves? Do they seem anxious to communicate with you? If so, your office is like most others. People have different personalities; some are more confident while others prefer to stay behind the scenes. In many cases, encouraging less-confident…
In today’s economy, reasonable prices and good customer service aren’t enough. Modern consumers value experiences more. Eventbrite, an event promotion website, reports that 78 percent of millennial “would choose to spend money on a desirable experience or event over buying something desirable.” Businesses need to re-evaluate how they deliver value to consumers. In a 1998…
If you’ve spent any time in high school, chances are you’ve encountered a “slacker.” Slackers, while fun and perfectly nice people, do just barely enough work to pass a class (think Jeff Spicoli from the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont). In schools, slackers are fun to have as friends, but now, all grown up, not…
Whether yours is a “Miracle on 34th Street,” Santa-believing holiday or about your personal faith, it’s the season of believing. Professional coaches and inspirational speakers implore us to “believe in yourself.” A myriad of LinkedIn and Facebook posts tell us if we just “believe we can achieve.” These sometimes sugary sweet, sappy posts might lead…
You’re pretty successful at your job. You’re able to produce good work and get along well with colleagues. You’re pretty happy and make decent pay. This is about the time you’re tapped for a promotion. Enticing…but are you ready to lead? Dr. Laurence J. Peter (1910-1990) a Canadian education scholar and researcher, studied workplace…
You know it’s the end of the month, quarter or year when the phone rings and sales people have that slightly desperate tone in their voice. Some admit that you are the one person who stands between them and achieving their sales goals for the quarter. You are encouraged to make your decision before the end…
You’re just at a meeting and to speed it along you propose a solution before EVERYONE has a chance to weigh in. Your co-worker sends a poorly written, irritating email to you. You blast off a snippy reply to “all” with typo’s marked in red. You’ve already heard enough during the presentation so you…
It’s summer and many business people will be taking vacation. It’s probably well-deserved and if you are like we are, we seem to plan for months for the one week we might be out of touch. We spent years terrified to leave town for fear something might happen at work, but after 25 years in business,…
Resolutions for 2017? How about ending the year healthier and happier than you started? You will see dozens of articles this month with a fitness tip here or a dieting tip there, but what’s the lasting power? If by 2018 you could healthier or happier at work then what would you be willing to do…
As a child, I never missed “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” when it came on television. However, re-watching the stop motion special with my own kids made me acutely aware of how our current values clash with the Santa’s 1960s management style. He’s a bottom-line boss. In an amusing review of the show, I considered…
