How would you answer that question?Many people would respond with "Ask for and value employee input," according to a survey by the leadership training firm Fierce Inc. Eighty percent of the corporate executives and employees it surveyed put that at the top of their list.“Everyone wants to be seen and heard,” said Halley Bock, CEO and president of Fierce Inc. “To create a … [Read more...]
Wise Words: Chuck Close on Inspiration
Today we want to share a quote from Andrew Zuckerman’s book Wisdom, a beautiful collection of portraits of and insights from all sorts of brilliant people over the age of 65. There are a plethora of good quotes in the book, but this sage advice from photographer and artist Chuck Close is especially powerful: … [Read more...]
No.1 Thing All Supervisors Should Do Well
What is the most important thing for a boss to do well?Ask for and value employee input, according to a survey by the leadership training firm Fierce Inc. Eighty percent of the corporate executives and employees it surveyed put that at the top of their list.“Everyone wants to be seen and heard,” said Halley Bock, CEO and president of Fierce Inc. “To create a collaborative, … [Read more...]
Ask Applicants Revealing Questions
Here are questions that several real-world managers use to encourage job candidates to reveal their true personalities:“What is your dream job? Describe it.” Brian Kautz of Arnold Logistics believes that the answer to that question gives him insight into the types of tasks people like. But, he says, be wary of candidates who disingenuously start describing the job for which … [Read more...]
Purging Résumés is the First Step
When you’re facing an overwhelming pile of résumés to review, don’t focus on picking promising candidates right away. Instead, try to eliminate the weak ones first. Consider rejecting outright any résumés without the following characteristics:Flawless presentation. Look for correct spelling, grammar and attention to detail. Paper résumés must be on professional, heavyweight … [Read more...]
For Women: It’s OK to Be Awesome
"If you ask men why they succeeded, men attribute that success to themselves; and women, they attribute it to other factors like working harder, help from others. Ask a woman why she did well on something, and she’ll say, ‘I got lucky. All of these great people helped me. I worked really hard.’ Ask a man and he’ll say or think, ‘What a dumb question. I’m awesome.’"Facebook COO … [Read more...]
Surviving an Office Snoop
In an open environment, with employees situated in cubicles rather than in offices, employees have the opportunity to learn a lot about their co-workers’ professional and personal lives.If you are faced with a colleague who always seems to know everything that’s going on in your life, you might want to be more discreet at work. That means keeping personal calls to a minimum or … [Read more...]
Loyalty Comes as Employees Grow
Continue to help employees develop their careers as a way to improve both productivity and retention. Employees who feel stagnant are unlikely to contribute to moving the organization forward. When people are growing, their loyalty increases—plus, they perform better. Here are simple strategies to keep employee growth continuous:Hold short workshops. Ask employees who excel in … [Read more...]
Workplace Conflict is a Scary Issue
If you aren’t spooked enough this Halloween, the following facts about workplace conflict will make your hair stand on end.Strained relationships between employees account for 60% to 70% of unproductive time and difficult situations, according to workplace experts.You are spending anywhere from 25% to 40% of your time managing conflict, The Washington Business Journal reports. … [Read more...]
Time to Hire? Rethink Your Job Posting
If you’re preparing to hire a new employee, take some time to craft the perfect job posting. Work with your HR department to write a job description that will attract the best candidates—those who will fit in with your team and who are prepared for the position’s requirements. Here’s how two companies got it right:Emphasize your organization’s culture. Snagajob prides itself on … [Read more...]