Memos to Managers

15 ways to unlock creativity and generate ‘light bulb’ moments

11/30/2010

Whether they express them or not, your employees constantly have creative ideas swimming in their heads. How can managers get employees in the right atmosphere to generate such ideas and put them into words? Here are 15 simple steps, according to a new book, Attention!, to help you and your employees spark creativity and produce great ideas:

9 surefire morale deflators–and how to avoid them

11/23/2010

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:

Turn negative performance reviews into a positive experience

11/01/2010

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. Follow these tips when giving your next review.

Keep the flame alive: Simple ways to motivate employees

09/27/2010

It’s more important than ever for supervisors to create an environment that supports, motivates and empowers their employees. Here are some step to take.

Proactive steps to turn around workplace disputes

09/07/2010

Many lawsuits result from relatively small, manageable disputes that weren’t dealt with directly, often because HR simply didn’t know what to do or feared making it worse. Kathy Perkins, one of the presenters of our webinar, “How to Resolve Workplace Conflict,” offers these proactive strategies for dealing with disruptive conflict.

How to turn employee conflict into a positive, productive force

08/30/2010

If you manage a team that’s stuck in a rut or not working up to its full potential, it may have nothing to do with the drive and talent of the participants. They all may want to succeed and be giving 100% effort, but the results can still disappoint. The problem could be conflict—not too much, but too little.

Checking applicant references: How to dig the dirt–legally

07/26/2010

As part of the hiring process, supervisors are sometimes called on to check an applicant’s references. Those phone calls can help you accurately assess a person’s strengths, weaknesses and past job performance. But checking references can also be challenging—and legally tricky. Here are six guidelines for soliciting information without bumping into legal issues:

The fine art of persuasion: How to sell ideas to your staff

06/25/2010

In the workplace and the sporting world, teams that buy into their coach’s vision have a much better chance of success. How can you get your team all working toward the same goal—your goal? Start by following these four steps to build support:

10 warning signs of low morale … and 7 ways to boost it

06/01/2010

Low morale can easily creep into a department without supervisors realizing it. But once it’s there, it’s hard to root out. Check every day to make sure people stay in tune. Here are 10 sour notes to listen for, according to the new book, Leadership When the Heat’s On:

How to write effective and legal job descriptions

05/25/2010

Job descriptions are the cornerstone of communication between managers and their employees. After all, it’s hard for supervisors to measure job effectiveness during performance reviews unless they and the employee both know what’s expected. Here’s how to do job descriptions right.