Productivity / Performance

Is team leadership actually important to team success?

04/14/2014

Po Bronson—The New York Times best-selling author of Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing—is a big fan of using small teams to tackle big projects. But surely the smaller the team, the more critical the role of the team leader, right? Wrong.

Treat every workday like it’s a Tuesday!

04/07/2014

We reported last year that 39% of HR managers think their organization’s employees are most productive on Tuesdays. How can you get workers up to speed the other four days of the workweek? Pass along these tips.

Leadership Tips: Vol. 314

03/31/2014

Do more five-minute favors … Learn three lessons from the CEO of Warby Parker … Reverse the odds with a bold act.

Step back to move your work teams forward

03/26/2014

Congratulations! You’ve been appointed to lead a new team. The key to team leadership is knowing how to pull back and let the group gel. Follow these tips.

How to manage and grow your A+ employees

03/19/2014

“To get people to grow,” says Sander Flaum, CEO of global advertising firm Euro RSCG Becker, “you have to help them learn something new every day.” Here are more of his thoughts on what it takes to find and keep the best workers.

Turn slackers into stars! How to spark the turnaround

03/17/2014

Dealing with underachievers requires using judgment and some knowledge of human psychology. Here are some ways to get underachieving employees moving in the right direction.

Could manager’s telecommuting ban be bias?

02/24/2014

Q. We have a bunch of employees who telework. One manager wants to follow the approach Yahoo took last year and eliminate teleworking. He believes that employees are not actually working and that their inability to see the whites of each other’s eyes is limiting their collaboration. He’s made some comments in the past that make me think he really worries that female employees are spending work time caring for their children from home. What should we do?

Consider alternatives to your formal annual review process

02/24/2014

Many companies—including Adobe and Netflix—have abandoned annual reviews, focusing instead on continuous performance management. Could this process work for you?

A 10-step ‘prescription’ to create a happier workforce

02/17/2014

Most employees feel stressed, doubtful about job security and less invested in their companies and careers. You can and should do something about it.

Consistency is key when firing for performance

02/14/2014

Poor performance sounds like a legitimate reason to fire someone. That doesn’t mean the employee won’t sue. If that happens, you must be prepared to show that other employees who held the same position and had similar performance issues were also terminated. If not, you had better be able to explain why.