Managing across the generations is challenging for many leaders, especially new ones. That's why we love the insightful, tip-filled infographic below created by MidAmerica Nazarene University. First, it offers a look at different research-backed perceptions of Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennials, and then it goes a step further and provides action-oriented tips you can use to … [Read more...]
5 Signs That You Are a Bad Listener
By Marlene Chism, consultant, executive educator, professional speaker and the author of Stop Workplace Drama, and No-Drama Leadership. One of the most important communication skills you will ever learn is the art of effective listening. This skill alone has the power to transform any relationship. In your professional life, listening is at the heart of effective leadership, … [Read more...]
4 Myths That Are Killing Your Chances of Hiring Top Talent
"Good help is hard to find" or is it? Scott Wintrip, staffing expert and author of High Velocity Hiring: How to Hire Top Talent in an Instant says that help is available, but your beliefs about hiring are preventing you from filling jobs quickly and keeping them filled. If you are struggling to fill positions, Wintrip urges you to examine your beliefs about hiring to ensure … [Read more...]
[Infographic]: Follow the 5 W’s of Delivering Bad News
As a leader, at some point, you are going to have to tell employees or coworkers something they don't want to hear. Sharing bad news is hard on you, but it's much harder on the people who have to hear it. So stifle your discomfort and follow this advice from the good folks at GetVoip.com when you have to break bad news. You can also find more infographics at Visualistan … [Read more...]
10 Nurturing Habits That Can Transform Your Company
Too many workplaces are missing the kindness factor, and it's more damaging than you might realize, says Dr. Susan Mangiero, leadership coach and author of The Big Squeeze: Hugs & Inspirations for Every Grown-Up Who Loves Teddy Bears. Why? Because kindness is integral to employee engagement—and cultures of engagement are integral to high-performance organizations. "Doing … [Read more...]
Generalist vs. Specialist: Which Should You Hire?
By Brian Cristiano, founder of BOLD Worldwide. One of your most important roles as a new leader will be recruiting the right employees . These folks will not only partake in daily tasks to help your team run smoothly, they will also act as the face of your organization, which is why it’s important to take time to find and employ the “right” employees. They should be eager to … [Read more...]
Negative Vs. Positive Leadership (and Why You Should Choose the Latter)
If you're a leader, best-selling author Jon Gordon wants you to take this message to heart: Spreading negative energy solves nothing. In fact, it causes people to shut down. Morale suffers, employees disengage, productivity takes a hit, and profits fall. "It's easy to get upset and derailed by anger when things go wrong, but then the issue gets lost because you mismanaged … [Read more...]
3 Leadership Tips for Creating a Customer-First Workplace
Even if your team doesn't directly serve customers (think customer service and sales), you should still adopt a customer-first attitude. More important, however, is that you should remove the obstacles that allow your employees to truly serve your customers, says customer strategist and executive coach Robin Lawton, author of Mastering Excellence: A Leader’s Guide to Aligning, … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Ensure That Your Training Dollars Aren’t Wasted
There is a disconnect between what senior executives want from learning and development, and what they actually see. In fact, 96 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs want to see a business connection, yet only 8 percent see it. And 74 percent want to see ROI, yet only 4 percent see it, according to Patti and Jack Phillips of the ROI Institute and authors of The Business Case for … [Read more...]
Why Nice Teams Finish Last
By Kris Boesch My brother-in-law recently got a job in retail sales of satellite TV. Here’s a psychological trick he was taught – ask the nice young couple who has stepped into the big box store to follow you, and as you ask, turnaround and walk away with your back towards them. Invariably they will follow you even if they have no interest in what you’re … [Read more...]