When you manage people, at some point you’re going to face an uncomfortable situation, such as co-worker with unacceptable body odor, a gossiper who’s poisoning the workplace, or a staff member who simply won’t acknowledge your authority. Here are some suggestions on how to deal with these people problems. The people problems need to be managed “before they occur and as they … [Read more...] about Three ways to end three staff problems every manager hates
Managing staff
Creating and maintaining a high-performance office
Among the goals of any manager is to create and maintain an HPO—a high-performance organization. That means you have created a lean, mean running machine that operates at top efficiency, and your employees are engaged. Some organizations don't believe this really applies to them. But look at it this way: Research by the Gallagher Organization has suggested that only 25 … [Read more...] about Creating and maintaining a high-performance office
Are you building a community or an organization?
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen Office managers have a major role in creating the culture of their organization. One of the major considerations of that culture revolves around the question: Are you building a community or an organization? Defining our terms A community, by definition, is inclusive. It makes room for individuals and their diverse proclivities, biases, illnesses, … [Read more...] about Are you building a community or an organization?
Do you follow these 7 rules when you fire an employee?
If it's employment at will—and for most employers it is—the office can fire whomever it wants, whenever it wants, and without any reason at all. But it's not quite that easy. With any termination, emotions take over. Besides the crushed ego, there is the cold hard fact that the office is essentially taking away a person's livelihood. And all of a sudden people start … [Read more...] about Do you follow these 7 rules when you fire an employee?
Whistleblowers get more protection than you think
By Steve M. Cohen bio Employees who successfully don the cloak of a whistleblower have a surprising amount of protection. Several categories of whistleblower protection exist, depending on the industry and alleged topic of the whistleblower's alarm. But in many, even most cases, whistleblower laws make allegations of organizational wrongdoing a protected … [Read more...] about Whistleblowers get more protection than you think
3 steps to hiring staff who can—and will—do the job
Spend too little time hiring = spending a lot of time fixing mistakes. Managers tend to go about hiring quickly and haphazardly. They think hiring is a gamble and they might as well rely on the best guess. It doesn't have to be that way. There can be a reasonable amount of certainty in hiring decisions as long as the manager does three things. The first is to … [Read more...] about 3 steps to hiring staff who can—and will—do the job
Protect yourself and your firm with a strong anti-retaliation policy
Most managers are skilled at preventing discrimination claims. But few pay close enough attention to the financial damage that retaliation, resulting from a discrimination claim, can have on a practice. The reality is that retaliation claims have a higher rate of success than discrimination claims. Retaliation claims not limited to victims Retaliation is any adverse action … [Read more...] about Protect yourself and your firm with a strong anti-retaliation policy
The dangers of the disengaged staffer
By Steve M. Cohen bio Are some of your employees actually working against you? When it comes to the bigger picture of your job, your office or your business, the important question is simple: are you engaged? Is your staff engaged? Whether you are an owner, manager or beginning worker, the answers matters. A national management firm, the Gallagher Organization, has published … [Read more...] about The dangers of the disengaged staffer
6 easy ways to build staff morale and loyalty
It doesn't take a degree in management to build loyalty, morale and productivity in the office. It's the little things that make the biggest difference. Amazingly simple things that cost nothing, yet pay off in spades. 1 Hello and how are you? First is a tactic that's deceptively simple. It's nothing more than saying hello and making eye contact with staff you come … [Read more...] about 6 easy ways to build staff morale and loyalty
6 tips for successfully managing millennials
By Cheryl Toth, MBA bio The Millennial generation - Americans aged 18 – 37,1 is the largest generation in U.S. history. Yup, bigger than the Baby Boomers, and 86 million strong. Next year, they'll comprise 36% of the U.S. workforce, and by 2020, nearly half.2 I love working with this generation. I find them to be a diverse group of curious, collaborative, and fearless folks. … [Read more...] about 6 tips for successfully managing millennials