Memos to Managers

Don’t add fuel when you fire: 6 tips for terminations

09/15/2025

If you supervise employees in any capacity, there will come a time when you need to let someone go. Here are some tips for making the best of a bad situation and avoiding legal trouble in the process.

10 ways to overcome ‘negative vibes’ among your staff

05/23/2025

Every manager must deal with a certain amount of pessimistic, hostile or uncooperative behavior at times. But a hard-core negative attitude that starts with just one employee can infect an entire department (or a whole company) if the manager doesn’t rein it in quickly.

9 surefire morale deflators–and how to avoid them

05/09/2025

With everything on your radar during the workday, it’s easy to forget about employee morale. But keeping the team engaged isn’t something that can be ignored or postponed. To keep morale on your radar, be aware of some of the common management mistakes that undermine it. Here are nine main deflators of employee morale, plus tips on avoiding them:

8 steps to becoming the manager your employees need

04/23/2025

In an effort to “empower” their staffs, too many managers take a completely hands-off approach, leaving employees alone unless they really need help. But this can create a rudderless ship, says management expert Bruce Tulgan. That’s not leadership! Here’s how effective managers provide genuine support to their employees.

Demotion or termination? How to make the call

03/19/2025

If you’re faced with an employee who isn’t a good fit with his or her current job, is termination the answer or is demotion a better alternative? The answer is, of course, it depends.

Writing and giving job reviews: 8 do’s and don’ts

01/23/2025

Anything less than a completely honest performance appraisal will only cheat the employee out of personal development, plus it could set the stage for a discrimination lawsuit. Here are eight important do’s and don’ts.

A 7-step survival guide for first-time managers

12/18/2024

Here is a seven-point guide to help rookie bosses quickly get control of the job, demonstrate competence and establish authority with a minimum of frustration.

Turn negative performance reviews into a positive experience

10/16/2024

Providing negative feedback during employee performance reviews is an uncomfortable but necessary part of being a successful manager. Surveys show that employees actually value negative feedback when it’s delivered constructively. But a poor approach can cause resentment and further job disengagement. Here are tips to follow when giving your next review.

Foster employee growth and advancement with performance-development plans

10/04/2024

Performance-development plans are excellent tools for keeping managers and employees on track with ongoing performance development, mentorship and learning. A PDP is designed to allow managers and employees to align on improving employee performance. It involves setting goals and measuring progress to grow the employees’ skills and improve performance.

How to improve employee attitude toward performance reviews

09/19/2024

Don’t give up on the usefulness of performance reviews. Instead, think about ways to make them more informative and engaging. Here are six things to try.