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October 13, 2013
The Weight of Your Words
Your words have weight. That’s why you should wait to speak them.
As a senior-level manager, your words are weightier than they used to be. When you speak, people listen and respond. This is both a blessing and a curse.
Of course, it’s helpful that your words (backed by your authority) are taken seriously and compel action. But there’s another side of the coin to consider. Do people sometimes put more stock in what you say than what you intended?
This can happen when you forget your role and speak casually about almost any topic. I recently...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Leadership & Teambuilding on October 13, 2013
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October 3, 2013
3 Keys to Improve Your Employee Relationships
Address engagement, retention & happiness issues in your workplace.
The stats about employee engagement are dismal, there’s no doubt. Up to 70% of employees appear to be disengaged at some level. 75% of employees cite their manager as being the biggest source of stress in the workplace.
And it’s been well documented that employees leave managers not organizations.
So perhaps as a middle manager you are eyeball deep in not only working to execute the objectives you have, but keeping your precious team on board, and working...Continue reading
By Lea McLeodPosted in Management on October 3, 2013
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October 1, 2013
Coaching for Success-A Guide for Leaders, Managers & HR Professionals
Three Phases of Effective Coaching Within Organizations
Frequently in the business environment we assess managerial capabilities based upon that individual’s ability to be a successful coach. The definition of being a coach can take on many meanings. However all can be summarized as simply; coaching is a set of practices, means and methods, designed to unlock a person’s potential to maximize their own performance.
The purpose of this article is to expand on this definition and explore several fundamentals and approaches to coaching,...Continue reading
By David ShafferPosted in Management on October 1, 2013
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September 29, 2013
5 Questions Change Agents Use to Move People Forward
A Guide to Overcoming Resistance to Change
As leaders and managers we are often in the position of instigating or shepherding change efforts. Whether you are leading a process improvement team, implementing a new policy or system, or even driving cultural changes, you are, in effect, a change agent. You are introducing a new way of doing things, which means adopting new behaviors and letting go of old habits and patterns.
As leaders we have likely cultivated our own change hardiness, which may be one of the reasons we have risen...Continue reading
By Claire LaughlinPosted in Communication Skills on September 29, 2013
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September 24, 2013
Three Tough Decisions All International Managers Face
How often should an international manager rely on corporate norms?
International managers need to address many situations throughout tenures, some expected and others not so. Multi-national companies send international managers to destinations quite often ‘unseen’ or ‘rarely visited’ and hence hold limited knowledge of the reality of doing business on the ground. In fact, it is not uncommon for International Managers to experience something very different from the picture painted during the transfer/promotion process, with this...Continue reading
By Debbie NicolPosted in International Management on September 24, 2013
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September 22, 2013
React or Respond? For Goodness Sake, Choose Respond!
Four Components of "Whole Communication"
Instructions to create messages that destroy value: Open mouth, insert foot. Instructions to create positive messages that create value: Open mind, open mouth.
I know the former sounds familiar to you. Have you ever thought about the latter? That’s the difference between REACTING and RESPONDING. Responding takes a little time to plan and process, reacting takes no time at all. Just feel free to pop off! I’d be realistic and reduce my...Continue reading
By Sherri PetroPosted in Communication Skills on September 22, 2013
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September 19, 2013
7 Steps You Can Take to Make Your Team More Productive
What Works for Your Team?
As a first time manager, you have a lot to learn about leading and managing your team. A LOT. Unfortunately, the one thing I see new managers overlooking time and time again is that you have a whole team to help you in that process. The team knows the work that is being done, the work that needs to be done, what works and what doesn’t.
When I became a manager for the first time, I wanted to do everything right. I wanted to hold the right meetings, the right...Continue reading
By Emilie ShoopPosted in Management on September 19, 2013
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September 15, 2013
The Keys To Getting Full Team Alignment
Move your team forward in the most effective & efficient way possible.
"I have issues with my subordinates who don't act on agreed to decisions. Sometimes I have to follow up a couple of times before the task is completed. This is very frustrating and I have been tempted to jump in and do the task myself. I have spoken to them about my expectations, however I do not see much of an improvement."
Does the above scenario feel familiar? As a leader, you can create greater results by more effectively aligning each team member. Strong leaders understand the need to...Continue reading
By Jayne JenkinsPosted in Management on September 15, 2013
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September 5, 2013
Value, Value Added and Value Creation
Empowered buyers appreciate sellers who deliver value-Be that seller.
It used to be enough for a seller to deliver on the value that mattered most to the buyer. If a buyer expressed a preference for “made in the USA” and the seller had products manufactured in America, the value was recognized and the solution was sufficient. As competitive pressures increased, marketers began adding value to incentivize buyers. In addition to meeting preferences like “made in America,” companies began offering added value, everything from the old S&H Green...Continue reading
By Deb CalvertPosted in Sales & Business Development on September 5, 2013
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September 4, 2013
Get ‘Em Onboard: Engage Employees by Being Real
Creating a Communication Strategy that Engages Employees
Much is being bandied about on how to best engage employees. We have employers who want engaged employees and employees who want to be engaged. From the employer side, research shows us engaged employees lead to better results. Kenexa reports that engaged companies have five times higher shareholder returns over five years. From the employee side, one of the many insights in a Towers Perrin 2009 report is that employees want to give more.
Okay, then. We have both sides wanting the same...Continue reading
By Sherri PetroPosted in Communication Skills on September 4, 2013
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