Employee Performance Reviews: The Better Way
I remember the first time I received an employee performance review. My boss called me into his office, leaned back in his chair, and began reading from some papers he had laid out in front of him. My Performance Review: “Shawn, you’ve been doing a pretty good job and you’re fitting in well with the […]
READ MOREMotivating Your Employees Is An Inside Job
Are you motivating your employees? Although it’s easy to believe that an employee’s motivation to stay with their employer is directly related to how well they like the company, like their job, and like their boss, the reality is, motivation is an inside job. Sure, these three things matter, but not nearly as much as […]
READ MOREEffective Feedback Is Like An Open-Faced Sandwich
When it comes to eating, for me there’s nothing like an open-faced sandwich. Forget having bread act as filler. Instead, by eliminating the sandwich lid, you can get right to the good stuff, be it meat, cheese, or otherwise. Sure, open-faced sandwiches are messy, and they no doubt offer new challenges for eating the sandwich […]
READ MOREHow to Find Commonality to Influence Employees
During a talk for CAFE (the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises) I made the comment that if you’re finding it difficult to motivate those around you to have the same ambition and energy you do, there’s certainly a chance that it’s not them, it’s you. Finding Commonality to Influence Employees: The most successful entrepreneurs and […]
READ MOREAre You Empowering Your Employees?
Today’s employees have more education then any other previous workforce. Are you empowering employees to capitalize on this higher education? If not, you’re missing out on a significant competitive advantage. Your people. Although it may not seem like a big deal, when you consider today’s employee needs to stand out as an individual, to openly […]
READ MOREThe Great Depression
As of this writing the global economy, specifically the North American economy is booming according to all indications. What’s interesting is that as the economy grows so too does employment rates; in turn creating more opportunities for employees. I challenge you to walk two blocks down any city street and not stumble across a help […]
READ MOREHow to respond to “This will never work.”
Periodically in my work with teams across North America, I come across a team member who is emphatically against any improvements or changes we try to make; even when those changes are the direct result of their ideas or input. This is often a long-term employee who is, in his or her own words, “sick […]
READ MOREWhy Employee Engagement is an Investment of Time
Well over a decade ago I worked for a fairly large organization that had an employee engagement problem… Everyone knew it (employees, managers, executives), and eventually the CEO decided to invest in having an employee engagement survey completed. Although I’m not privy to the cost, I know from those who were part of the initiative […]
READ MOREThe Four Steps to Building Resolve in Your Team
The degree to which you can empower a team is determined by the level of resolve that exists amongst team members. This was a realization I had several years ago when working with a team shifting them from a team lead by several managers, to a team that had no managers and was “self-managed”. Although […]
READ MOREDealing With An Irate Employee
“Personally Shawn, I think this entire process is crap.” That was the response I had from an employee when I was recently interviewing members of her team to understand what changes they believed were necessary for the department (and ultimately the company) in order to improve productivity and efficiency. I’ve been doing at least one […]
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