Tips for Managers

New policy? Explain all the angles

October 29, 2020
Drafting and crafting employee policies can take a lot of time and effort, neither of which you want to see wasted because employees don’t know or don’t care what you’ve created. To communicate your policies with impact, be sure to answer these questions.

Meetings you may want to scrap

October 29, 2020
If your meetings are wasting time without accomplishing anything, look at your schedule and eliminate any unnecessary get-togethers.

Make room for rumors during change

October 29, 2020
After-the-meeting meetings breed gossip and rumors, as employees jump to their worst fears and misunderstandings grow. However, the worst thing to do is to forbid such meetings or scowl when you see employees talking together. Instead, try these tactics.

Difficult talks? Prep for these reactions

October 29, 2020
Difficult conversations with employees about poor performance or inappropriate behavior can be even harder if they resist your feedback. Be alert for the most common forms of resistance.

For better results, say it twice

October 29, 2020
English teachers often tell students to avoid redundancy, or saying the same thing twice (like that). But managers might do well to embrace it.

Know where the boss/friend line is

October 29, 2020
You naturally want to be on good terms with all your employees. A friendly relationship is good for everyone, as long as friendship doesn’t interfere with your responsibilities as a manager. Here’s how to strike the proper balance.

Don’t be a bobblehead

October 29, 2020
Gestures are a powerful part of active listening. Like many powerful things, however, they have both good and bad effects.

What’s behind those excuses?

October 29, 2020
Excuses. Every manager hears them, but how you respond to them depends on what your employees are trying to tell you.

Keys to motivate simpler than you think

October 29, 2020
Management experts and gurus have all kinds of theories on how to motivate employees. The best way is the simplest: Ask your employees, and observe them at work.

When you have to break a promise

October 7, 2020
Suppose that you’ve just finished assigning employees the July vacation days they wanted when your department is given a new project that requires the efforts of all your staff and can’t be postponed. That, of course, is a major morale-breaker, so try these three steps for working past it.