Effective managers know when to ask not tell, when to lead by asking. Lead by Asking Before conducting a seminar on teamwork at a retail outlet, the General Manager told me it was difficult to get people to work outside of their department. The GM went on to share that employees are informed they’re paid [...]
What's the difference between immature managers and those who have matured? The other day I found myself in conversation with a few friends about common mistakes we made as new managers. We talked about misconceptions we shared and unrealistic expectations we put on subordinates. The discussion evolved to considering how to help new managers avoid [...]
What does riding alone have to do with training your replacement? When I was a sales manager for one of the top twenty home remodelers in America, I ran appointments six days per week two or three leads on weekdays and one or two on Saturday. I was in the position for several years. I [...]
Yes, one toxic employee can ruin a team. When I worked for a large remodeling company, we decided to go against the industry's standards and hire full-time employees as installers. Most remodelers at the time used sub-contractors, which was often a dice throw; some days, you found excellent workers, and other days…not so much. Skilled [...]
My daughter isn't passive about passive-aggressive behavior. A few years ago, I spent part of the holidays in Florida with my youngest daughter and her family. Her 12-year-old daughter had just received her first two C's ever on her report card. It was her first time dealing with seven periods, multiple teachers, and the chaos [...]
So, do you think you know what motivates your employees? This might sound silly but the key to motivating anyone is to first understand what motivates them. Too often, well-intentioned leaders attempt to motivate their team with what works for the leader. What motivates the leader seldom motivates every individual on a team. And to [...]
Workplace conflict can be invasive. Years ago, the owner of a company I worked with stopped his car, turned around, and headed back home on a Monday Morning. On the drive back home, he thought about why he didn't want to go to work. It was because of one negative employee; even he, the owner, [...]
I took a management style quiz the other day. It was good. It was well thought out, to the point, and offered valuable advice. The answers I gave, fit my overall leadership style but that’s not always the style I use or the style best suited to the situation. It has been my observation that [...]
How to train new managers starts by understanding they need training. I've trained new managers for more than 30 years as an employee and as an outside consultant. It's been a privilege to work with companies attuned to the training needs of novice managers. Unfortunately, I've found these organizations to be the exception; the majority [...]
There are times when helping employees hurts your business. I know. Throughout my leadership career, there have been too many times to count when I’ve helped an employee without any consideration as to how it might affect the business. I’ve since learned (I hope) that helping employees should never be to the detriment of the [...]
