Category: leadership
-
Who Has The “Real” Power In Your Organization?
Sometimes the most influential individuals in an organization are not the senior executives. In our knowledge-based economy, we have seen hierarchies break down, and functional leaders have a greater ability to influence change. Who has the ‘real’ power in your organization?
-
Motivating Employees in the Workplace
Keeping employees motivated goes beyond offering financial rewards. While bonuses and raises may temporarily boost morale, research reveals that simple gestures of recognition can have a deeper, more lasting impact. Discover how cost-effective, thoughtful interventions can lead to happier, more engaged teams and why motivation is often about more than money.
-
Crucial Conversations
We all need to have crucial conversations with our boss….our direct reports….co-workers, and family. Today, Dave shares some of his takeaways from the book, “Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High.”
-
Better Feedback In The Workplace
Feedback can feel uncomfortable, but when approached thoughtfully, it becomes a powerful tool for growth and engagement. Managers can make feedback more informal, frequent, and collaborative to create a culture of open communication.
-
Delegating When You Don’t Have A Team
When you feel overworked, it may be time to consider delegation. It can help streamline workloads and ensure that you focus on high-priority tasks, even when you don’t have a formal team in place. There are three things you can try to help you deal with this problem.
-
Navigating Pay Equity: A Guide For Managers
As pay transparency laws become the norm, managers are finding themselves on the front lines of tough conversations about compensation. These discussions, though challenging, are crucial for fostering fairness and trust within the team. In this article, you’ll discover strategies to confidently address pay equity concerns and create a more transparent workplace.
-
Closing The Pay Gap
It’s hard to believe that we are still discussing discrepancies in salaries between men and women. However, research shows that it is still a problem in the workplace. Here are some ideas for closing the gap.
-
Dealing With A Passive Aggressive Worker
Dealing with passive-aggressive behavior at work can be quite a challenge. These individuals often disguise their true feelings, making it difficult to address issues head-on. But with some understanding and strategic communication, you can navigate these tricky waters effectively. Here is how to handle passive-aggressive coworkers without losing your cool.
-
Quiet Quitting: Understanding and Addressing Employee Disengagement
Employers are dealing with some workers described as “Quiet Quitters.” These are people who fulfill their job responsibilities without exceeding them, essentially doing the bare minimum required to retain their positions. What expectations should employers have regarding workplace attitudes?
-
Lessons From A Leader- Phil Jackson
“In basketball—as in life—true joy comes from being fully present in each and every moment, not just when things are going your way.”
-
Effective Leaders are Self-Aware
True leaders are self-aware. The more you understand your strengths and weaknesses, the better you will lead others. If you have been so externally focused that you have not spent much time on reflective analysis, the good news is that self-awareness is a skill that you can learn and develop, and it just takes a…
-
The Link Between Personal Goals & Achievement
If you want to achieve your ambitions in life, you need to set the same goals that you might for projects you need to accomplish at work.
-
Learning Customer Service At Disney
When Walt Disney was building his theme parks, he operated with the philosophy at You don’t build it for yourself. You know what the people want and you build it for them.” He said that customer service and satisfaction was the key to their success. We can all learn by spending a day at Disneyworld.
-
Are You Wasting Time On The Job?
Recent government statistics show a trend that employees are spending more time on non-work activities while on the job. Let’s look at the problem.
-
Is A World Without Email Really Possible?
In his book, “A World Without Email”, Cal Newport argues that email reduces our productivity. We take a look at his theory and how we can manage all of the other inputs coming at us every day.
-
How Bosses Should Handle Criticism
The price of leadership is criticism because those at the top have to make decisions that aren’t always popular. It might be budget cuts, layoffs, or putting an end to a favored project.
-
Scrums and Sprints: A Different Approach To Work
We are seeing more companies try to improve productivity through “scrums,” where teams come together to manage product development and problem-solving.
-
Scrums and Sprints: A Different Approach To Work
We are seeing more companies try to improve productivity through “scrums,” where teams come together to manage product development and problem-solving.
-
Are You A Likeable Leader?
Don’t believe for a minute that people are born likable. While some people may find it easier to be outgoing, positive, and good listeners, anyone can learn these behaviors. But like everything else, these behaviors need to be practiced.
-
Let’s Meet Some of the People Who Might Make Your Job Difficult
In just about every office, there are people with personality types that make them challenging to work with. Let’s look at several of them.
-
How Managers Become Leaders
Some people don’t understand the difference between a manager and a leader. People feel they have to listen to their managers, but people want to follow leaders. We look at how you can use your skills to make the move to leader.
-
Learning About Leadership: What I’ve Discovered
Sometimes we learn our lessons the hard way. Here are some of the things I learned after more than 30 years of leadership.
-
5 Things Nonprofits Can Learn From For-Profit Startups
Commercial startups don’t always succeed, and many nonprofits exceed their organizers’ expectations, but nonprofits can learn from the success of their for-profit colleagues.
-
6 Tips To Get More Control Of Your Time
If you are stressed with an ever-growing to-do list, it might be tempting to throw up your hands and surrender to the demands of your work. Some simple time management tools could help you deal with your many tasks.
-
Different Ways To Delegate
Some bosses say they are too busy to delegate, and it’s easier to do a task by themselves. But there are different levels of delegation that can increase your level of comfort with handing off assignments.
-
Would You Hire Someone With A Criminal Record?
The National Employment Law Project reports that an estimated 70 million people in the United States—nearly one in three adults—have a prior arrest or conviction record. Would you hire one of them?
-
Welcome to Management: Your First 100 Days
While you have been working for a long time to get a management level position, now that you have it you quickly learn that it takes a lot of work to become effective in that role. Here are some ideas for your first 100 days as the boss.
-
Don’t Forget Your Next Great Idea: Write It Down
Our brain isn’t very good at allowing us to remember everything we find interesting. When you make time to write down your next great idea you are less likely to forget it.
-
Top Tips To Avoid Burnout At Work
If you are burned out at work, you are not alone. Many Americans say they have too much to do and not enough time to get it all done. But stress will cause health problems. So, follow these steps to deal with your burnout.
-
10 Tips For New Managers
You may have been working for a long time to be promoted to a managerial position. But, now that has happened, it is crucial to start strong. Here are ten tips to help you move into your new role.
-
Be The Boss Everyone Wants
If you are the ‘boss’ how would people describe you? Do people want to work with you? Here are 5 things that will make you the boss everyone wants to work with.
-
What To Do About An Unmotivated Employee
Do you have an employee who seems to lack focus, takes a lot of time off, or regularly disappears from their desk? Have they become distant from their peers or make comments that are not appropriate for the office? Effective leaders cannot ignore such behavior.
-
Dealing With The Employee That Wants Their Way
There is a big difference between the worker who asks questions and accepts your decision and the person who refuses to accept your answer.
-
Dealing With Difficult People At Work
A recent survey shows that uncivil workplaces result in 45% of employees thinking about quitting. That’s why it’s important for managers to step in at the first hint of a problem. Here is how you can do it.
-
What Are Your Employees Worried About?
As employees have had to adapt to new working conditions and deal with Covid and other issues, it is only natural that some of them have concerns over the future of their job. Here is how effective managers can work with workers who have these concerns.
-
Seeking Perfection Hurts Productivity
A person who is a perfectionist works to do everything without making a mistake. They may see it as a pathway to productivity, but it rarely is. It usually interferes with doing their best work and causes frustration. Here are some ways to reduce feelings of perfectionism.
-
What Is Your Leadership Style?
Every leader has their own style. Steve Jobs was a different type of leader than Bill Gates, yet no one would argue that both weren’t successful. Some possess the renegade visionary style while others might take a more conservative approach. But no matter their individual styles, we see certain traits emerge in the very best.
-
Leadership Lessons from a US General
I wanted to read a book that told me more about the recent actions of our military. I also wanted to learn more about how a US General functions as Defense Secretary and navigates the highly charged political environment. That’s why I started to read “Call Sign Chaos” from US General Jim Mattis and loved…
-
Be The Kind Of Leader YOU Admire
You may have had the chance to work with someone who is a true leader. They know how to motivate people and get things done. Here’s a look at how they do it and how you can adapt their techniques into your skillset.
-
This Is What Leadership Looks Like
A senior at Marquette University already knows how to be leader. This is her story.
-
How To Be The Kind of Leader You Admire
Why do some people stand out as leaders? What skills do they have? Here are some questions you can ask about the leaders you admire so that you can adapt what they know into your role as a manager/leader.
-
The Laws of Human Nature
Robert Greene’s “The Laws of Human Nature” may be the best book I have read in a long time and if I had my way it would be a textbook in every high school in America.
-
Measuring Morale
All managers seek to have a work environment where morale is high. We intuitively know that this will lead to greater productivity. But how do you measure morale? Here’s how you can see if you have a morale problem at work.
-
Earning Respect As A Manager / Leader
Even if you are the boss, you don’t walk into the job with the automatic respect of your staff. They might respect the position, but to be truly effective, leaders need to earn the respect of their team members.
-
Your Journey from Manager to Leader
The terms ‘manager’ and ‘leader’ are sometimes used interchangeably, but there is a difference. Becoming a leader is a sign of success because people want to follow you.
-
How Honest Are You With Your Staff?
Some managers find it difficult to be open and honest with staff, sharing only what they think they need to know. Yet, transparency helps employees feel more like they are part of a team.
-
Effective Leaders are Self-Aware
How would you, or others, describe your abilities as a leader? Being self-aware of your strengths, weaknesses, and reputation will help you lead. Here is why.
-
Don’t Let Fear Stop You
We all worry about making the wrong decisions. But delaying a decision in hopes of getting new information, can be just as disastrous.
Dave Edwards Media 