Results and productivity are higher when people are committed to their work, and higher levels of commitment or engagement increase job satisfaction, safety performance and focus, while reducing on-the-job stress and turnover. But how does a new leader increase employees' commitment? Isn't that something employees have to do for themselves? Actually, both you and employees play … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Improve Your Communication
If you want to become more effective as a leader, more successful in meetings, or more confident while resolving conflicts, become a better communicator. On the high end of the communication skill spectrum, you find that great leaders — like Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, Jr — are often great communicators. On the low-end, research indicates that … [Read more...]
8 Uncommon Approaches to Better Presentations
When you accepted your leadership role, did you ever imagine that you'd be giving so many presentations to so many different people? If you have public speaking anxiety, the task can feel daunting, or even downright nightmarish. The fear of bombing in front of upper management or embarrassing yourself in front of your new team can be debilitating. The good news is that with … [Read more...]
7-Day Plan to Motivate and Engage Employees
To motivate employees, you don't have to throw elaborate parties or offer them big bonuses. In fact, engaging your staff, often comes down to a few simple acts and well-timed phrases. Yet, despite how easy it is, too many leaders (especially new leaders) fail to take the time to show employees appreciation and respect. Don't make that mistake. Instead, motivate your … [Read more...]
Create a “Pocket of Excellence” that Allows Employees to Thrive
For your employees, create an environment that enables them to be their very best. Shawn Murphy, culture change and leadership consultant and author of the book The Optimistic Workplace: Creating an Environment that Energizes Everyone, calls the ideal environment a "Pocket of Excellence" and offers these tips for creating a situation that allows your employees to thrive. … [Read more...]
Focus First On Building Conflict Confidence
At one time, I thought I taught conflict resolution. However, over time, I have come to realize that I don’t really teach conflict resolution as much as I teach conflict confidence. To resolve a conflict, you need the other person’s cooperation. Because you cannot demand or force cooperation, you have no control over how the other person will respond to your efforts. As a … [Read more...]
New Leaders: 5 Misconceptions that Undermine Your Success
By Keith Rollag, author of What to Do When You’re New: How to Be Comfortable, Confident and Successful in New Situations So you’ve been promoted and suddenly find yourself leading your friends, teammates and peers. How should you approach your new role? Over the past 20 years I’ve been studying the new leader experience, trying to understand what leads to new leader … [Read more...]
6 Critical Things to Share When You Communicate Decisions
Communicating effectively with your employees is probably your most important job as a leader. It's also one of the most difficult skills to master as a new leader, especially when it comes to communicating your decisions. When you most communicate an unpopular decision, the task becomes that much harder. If you don't do it successfully, employees can become frustrated or … [Read more...]
[Infographic]: Do You Really Know What Employees Want?
Leadership experts are always talking about the importance of engaging employees. As a new leader, do you really know what motivates your employees? If you think it's all about money and benefits, you are wrong. As this infographic created by UEarnedIt shows us, fully engaging your employees has more to do with providing meaningful experiences and learning opportunities. Take a … [Read more...]
The Truth About Humor in the Workplace
By RoseAnn Sorce Past research as well as conventional wisdom about the use of humor by leaders suggests that positive humor should result in happier employees who are satisfied with their jobs. Conventional wisdom also suggests that leaders should avoid negative humor, though actual support for that belief is scarce and ambiguous. Now, a recent study from the University … [Read more...]