I was talking with a group of mid-level managers last week about conflict resolution when the topic of corrective action came up. We discussed when corrective action should be taken or more accurately when it shouldn’t. When a team or individual doesn’t deliver the expected activity or results a manager should determine the causes before [...]
A few years ago, I took over the sales training for one of the top 50 home remodelers in America. Their recruiting and hiring processes were good, and from what I saw they hired people that should be able to do the job. The company needed to set expectations. They had an intense and thorough [...]
Your boss has asked you to give a meeting. OK, you were kind of told you were giving the meeting. But wait—you hate meetings!? There are too many, and they're too long. The last thing anyone needs is another boring one-hour lecture. Are you to be a part of something you despise? Calm down and take some deep breaths. With a little planning, you can [...]
So, what are your employees sharing on social media? A friend shared a work related incident I suspect many of us could sympathize with. Employees were sharing images of work they'd completed for customers on their personal social media accounts. They were proud of the work and wanted the world to see. Unfortunately, one of [...]
Yes, onboarding should be ongoing because when it's not, it's forgotten. Onboarding is a trendy term with multiple meanings, but most people aren't sure what it means. Let me clarify by sharing my definition. Simply put, it's preparing a new hire for their position. Not all onboarding is equal. Yes, giving a new teammate a [...]
Understanding the importance of follow-up training became clear while I was working with two corporate staff members on leadership training and management development with their teams. One of the managers asked what he should expect from follow-up with his team. We had just held the first meeting of a new class on leadership. The topic [...]
Employee training retention especially with new trainees may be the biggest organizational training failure. A lack of follow-up training is not only common it's typical. So, why is follow up training critical? How much do trainees forget? "Research on the forgetting curve (Figure 1) shows that within one hour, people will have forgotten an average [...]
Knowing how to control and limit interruptions is essential, particularly during critical times when you need to focus on important tasks. Uncontrolled interruptions can be devastating to your time management. Consider establishing a system to take messages from team members, vendors, and clients to minimize interruptions. Interruptions can significantly impact productivity, leading to mistakes and [...]
Are you ready to conduct more productive meetings? Whether virtual or face-to-face, meetings can adversely drain your organization. Not only as a time waster but also as a culture deflator. Have you attended meetings that you thought were a waste of time? How did that make you feel about the organization and its leadership? It [...]
I'm serious, pick one and only one. At the beginning of most leadership training sessions, which I facilitate, I state my goal. Everyone is to pick one action to commit to from the meeting. I recently realized I wasn't holding myself accountable to being clear about only picking one and why only one. Why Only [...]
