Telling an employee to do something is not very motivating
Grace doesn’t like to get her feet wet. She will dip a toe into a shallow puddle if she’s thirsty, but I’ve never seen her immerse completely to go swimming, though she’s had plenty of opportunity. It’s a big deal when she steps into water. Unless there is a frog out there tempting her. That changes everything. A […]
Should you give respect? Or is it only earned?
Managers should be given respect by their employees. That’s a statement that I’ve heard several times lately. It’s not a claim I agree with. Managers need to earn their respect. But I do believe that we have to give respect to the position and the decisions one makes it in, even if we don’t agree with […]
Stand Tall, Even When You’re Not
Last week, my husband and I toured four national parks in California. One of them was Sequoia National Park, sister park to King’s Canyon, located side-by-side in southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley in California. There is so much to say about what we experienced, but one theme was the sheer size […]
Are you, or your employees, stuck in the decision-making process?
A colleague and I were talking the other day about how frustrating it is when people don’t get back to you. Simple things, like scheduling a meeting or making a decision on who to involve on a project team. In the beginning of our little pity party, we were not so tolerant, saying things like: “How […]
How to deliver tough feedback to sensitive employees
Do you ever feel like you’re walking on eggshells around some employees? I know the feeling. Grace is so nervous and sensitive; it’s a constant reminder that I have to be careful how I communicate with her. She can think I’m upset even if I’m not. Expressing dissatisfaction is a very tricky proposition. Luckily for […]
Finding unlikely leaders in your workplace
Leaders have a “look.” It’s the title they hold, the command they have with others, how they work a crowd, or that they are simply at ease when making a tough decision. We know when we’re in the presence of a strong leader. But there are unlikely leaders in your organization that are providing quiet, […]
Fear has many looks and is stifling to employee productivity
Grace is always on guard. Any new sound, or unusual sight, whether real or imagined, haunts her. She is in overdrive to protect her safety, and probably mine, too. Animals have that instinct, especially those that live (or started out like Grace did) in an environment with constant unknown and life-threatening factors. It could be […]
Boston explosions provide reminder to create compassionate work environments
For the nation and the world, and most definitely New England, the news this week has focused on the events at the Boston Marathon. My husband and I were in the city on Sunday for the afternoon Red Sox baseball game. We parked in Cambridge and took the subway to Fenway Park, which required bus […]
