Communication

Promote respectful workplace communications with 10 actionable strategies

08/19/2024

You’re not alone if you’re concerned about maintaining a civil workplace during the run-up to elections this fall. Some employers have considered banning political discussions altogether, but that approach can backfire. Bernadette Jones, co-founder and CEO of HR consulting firm Visionova, has a more effective approach to ensure respectful workplace conversations. She offers these 10 actionable strategies.

Help wanted: Your employees want you to stop incivility in its tracks

08/16/2024

The impact of incivility on the workplace is staggering. Perhaps most alarming is that 66% of workers believe their managers prioritize business objectives over respectful treatment, while 62% report managers are ignoring uncivil acts. This leadership gap exacerbates the problem, as those experiencing incivility are twice as likely to perpetuate it. Here’s how to break this cycle and cultivate civility.

How to counsel employees who have personal problems

07/31/2024

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Beyond the punchline: Create a culture of appropriate humor

07/24/2024

When used correctly, humor can lighten the mood, build relationships and even increase job satisfaction. However, it’s essential to strike the right balance to avoid potential pitfalls. Here are some key strategies for fostering an environment where humor is appropriate and beneficial.

The 10 most-detested business clichés of 2024

06/12/2024

Business buzzwords come and go. Employees wish these 10 corporate clichés would vanish, according to outplacement firm Careerminds.com, which commissioned a poll of 3,000 workers. Pass them around to your managers, spread the word and erase them from your vocabulary.

How to manage a culturally diverse team

05/24/2024

It is important for managers to foster an inclusive environment where every team member feels valued, respected and empowered to contribute their unique talents.

Ease workplace conflict with 3 simple steps

05/15/2024

In every person, the natural reaction to conflict is based on biology: When confronted with danger, our innate biological response is to either attack or run away—the famous “fight or flight” syndrome. In the workplace, neither fight nor flight behaviors are likely to result in solving the problem. Instead, use these three strategies to help you move from conflict to resolution.

Proceed with caution when regulating the virtual water cooler

05/15/2024

Just because your employees work remotely doesn’t mean you’re free of the old-fashioned gossip, squabbles and office politics that have always been a hazard of in-person work environments. In fact, telework may have actually intensified the risks for employers.

Is HR your ‘manager complaint department’?

04/05/2024

Stop doing your managers’ dirty work! Teach bosses who instinctively turn to HR to, instead, seek solutions on their own. Here are four tips to make this happen.

5 essential questions to ask your employees

03/20/2024

Don’t wait until you spot performance problems or the telltale signs of disenchantment. Take time to regularly sit down with workers to ask questions that get to the heart of their role with the company. Here are five essential questions to ask, as suggested by Susan Scott, author of Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time.