Memos to Managers

10 common phrases that turn employees against you

08/03/2016

Managers are human. You’re bound to make some unfortunate word choices now and then. But employees will give you a pass on those annoying expressions for only so long. Spew these 10 phrases at your peril.

… a worker’s not ready for a job he wants

06/28/2016

Here are some guidelines on how to respond to an employee who wants to take on a job you believe he is not able to do.

Here comes the summer help!

05/26/2016

How to welcome, prep and manage those seasonal employees.

… on-the-job socializing gets out of hand

03/14/2016

Usually, it takes just a few employees to set the bar for over-socializing in the workplace. But such banter can seriously interfere with productivity.

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

03/10/2016

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.

10 FBI tricks for effective persuasion

02/24/2016

What can managers, executives and leaders learn from the FBI’s techniques?

Tips to speed up slower workers

12/31/2015

There is sometimes only a thin line between diligence and delay—but you can always tell when employees have crossed it.

Do employees feel like they ‘belong’? 5 red flags

12/21/2015

When employees feel like they belong in an organization, they’ll give you their all. When they feel like outsiders, you’ll only get a half-hearted effort at best. Here are five red flags …

It’s OK to have favorites … just don’t PLAY favorites

12/04/2015

Studies show that managers often unknowingly give the benefit of the doubt to employees that they like, even employees who are average or subpar performers. In fact, a Harvard Business Review study found that most managers would rather work with “lovable fools” than “competent jerks.” To make sure you’re not unwittingly playing favorites, consider these issues.

Start the day right by … eating a live frog?

11/03/2015

Here are six amazingly simple productivity routines practiced by some of the world’s greatest business minds—that could just change the tone of the entire day.