employees

Show ’em Some Love!

Three Strategies for Creatively Recognizing Employees Valentine’s Day is for lovers. Usually we stay away from the topic of ‘love’ at work but we’re talking about positive recognition here, not the stuff that gets you in a sexual harassment lawsuit! Smart leaders and managers know that it’s a good time to show your employees some…

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How to Keep Employees Informed – A Step-by-Step Guide

In my last blog, I talked about the importance of communicating your strategic planning framework to employees at all levels of the organization. And not just once, but over and over again so that people never lose sight of the goals. I also noted that most employees prefer to hear this information directly from their…

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When Good Acting is Bad for the Business

When Shakespeare said that all the world’s a stage, he probably didn’t have employee performance evaluations in mind. But for anyone who has ever endured a less-than-candid performance appraisal, his words definitely ring true. Giving and receiving feedback is a complex process made infinitely more complicated by our human emotions and reactions. In particular, our…

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How to Have Better Performance Evaluation Conversations

It’s that time of the year we all dread. No, not fighting the crowds at shopping malls or maxing out the credit cards with over-indulgent holiday spending. I’m talking about the bane of managers and employees everywhere — year-end performance evaluations. Let’s face it. Most managers dislike giving performance evaluations and most employees hate receiving…

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Are You a Helicopter Manager?

There’s been a lot of talk in the media lately about the dangers of over-protective parenting. In fact, it’s gotten so bad that psychologists have coined a new phrase — “helicopter parents” — for the moms and dads who get over-involved in their kids’ lives. These are the parents who yell at the soccer coach…

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Labor Day: A Tribute to the American Worker

To most Americans, Labor Day represents just another three-day weekend that signals the end of summer and a return to school for the kids. But as with all holidays, there’s more to it than the barbeques, beach bashes and family get-togethers. Created by the Central Labor Union of New York, a forerunner of various trade…

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How to Give Your Employees the Positive Feedback They Want and Need

Have you told an employee what a great job he/she is doing recently? Have you received positive feedback for going above and beyond in the past month? Have you overheard others in your organization praise someone for doing more than was expected? Positive feedback has long been recognized as a critical element in high performing…

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