Positive versus Negative Workplaces
We have all worked in places where we grew to dread getting up in the morning, and a few of us have had the pleasure of working for a boss who makes us feel like we can do anything. Let’s take a look at the differences between a positive and a negative [...]
How Companies Are Like Families
Like a family, a company is a group of people who have an ongoing relationship with one another. Companies have several things in common with families:
1. Families have distinct ways of communicating and degrees of togetherness. For example:
? Communication may be overt or covert.
? Relationships tend to be enmeshed (too close; [...]
The challenge of managing difficult managers can be rather daunting, especially when you inherit them! If they are your own born and bred, then hopefully they would have evolved into great managers!
Experience shows that difficult managers are difficult because they are angry and frustrated about something or somebody (even themselves - especially where they are, [...]
Do you remember being told to use the “sandwich” techniquewhen you needed to reprimand someone? Let me give you anexample:
“Fred, I’m really pleased with how you’ve been progressingsince you joined us and you’re doing a great job. Howeveryou’re not getting your reports in on time and we’re missingdeadlines. I’d like you to tighten up a [...]
You probably know this already, but there are generally held to be four main personality types, which I call: Extrovert, Amiable, Analytical and Pragmatic .
Let’s take a moment to consider each of them in the workplace.
Extrovert: someone who probably has a messy desk; who leaves projects 75% completed then gets distracted by new, ‘more exciting’ [...]
You Can’t Do It All - Learning To Delegate
There is not a single management skill more critical to your personal and professional success as an entrepreneur than learning to delegate. But delegating successfully is much more than simply handing out assignments. It is more an exercise in understanding and accepting our own strengths and limitations.
In [...]
Where does the time go? Billable time. As a consultant, your practice may be doing reasonably well; you’re charging $100-150 an hour. As an independent consultant, you’re probably also doing everything from grinding the coffee to editing the umpteenth draft of your brochure.
To understand where you spend your time, list and categorize all your activities [...]
There is a growing movement in the spiritual and holistic fields to bring a more metaphysical and human potential approach to the business community. Holism has been intergrating into both the health and mental health professions for many years now. The men’s , women’s and environmental movements are a part of that holistic shift in [...]
When you are acclaimed for excellence during times of crisis you may not feel so good in a non-crisis environment. You may not shine so bright, perform so well, be quite so acclaimed. If crisis is how you satisfy your personal need to be needed, to feel accomplished, to be respected, to be heard, to [...]
Employees truly deserve paid vacations. They
struggle through stressful jobs most of the year,
and productivity goes down if they don’t get a
break. From a corporate perspective, investment in
good vacation programs reduces workplace stress
absenteeism, health care costs, and accidents.
Many employees, however, come back from vacation
with the half-joking remark about having to return
to work to rest up. Far [...]