From the category archives:

The Manifesto, Elaborated

Small is the New Big at Work

March 29, 2010
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My new Facebook buddy, Anthony McCann recently shared an article from TimesOnline.com, titled, “Small is Beautiful in the New Capitalism.“  Now, granted the article is about small business and entrepreneurs, but I think larger corporations can learn something from it too. “If I’m going to produce something, it should do something really good,” says fashion [...]

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Mary’s 7 Ways to Be a New Leader to Your Employees (No Makeover Required)

February 24, 2010
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My buddy, Joe Gerstandt, and I are plunging headlong into the new year with yet more Q&A posts. Here’s our latest installment. JOE: We both talk about new ways of leadership in our work…for you, what are some examples of what that actually looks like? MARY:  Great question.  I’m into lists this week, so what [...]

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Be a Better Manager by Appealing to Your Employees’ Most Noble Intentions

December 29, 2009
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Last week I had a discussion with my sister, an educator. She and her husband teach subjects related to optics and light, which require some pricey equipment. They’ve had items “disappear” in the past. To head this off, they have come up with this groundrule they announce to classes up front: “If you feel you [...]

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Taking Interest in ‘EEs Lives: Don’t *Act* More Human, Be More Human

October 20, 2009
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A client called me recently asking my opinion about an article he read in BusinessWeek titled, “The No-Cost Way to Motivate.“  His take on it was, “the author says to take more interest in your employees’ personal lives.  I say, is that really a good idea?” Maybe.  If I already had a relationship with my [...]

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Get the Report: Employee Development Needs in This Economic Recession

October 11, 2009
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“Things are always changing and we need people who are energized by change and look for opportunities for themselves to grow with opportunities and to help our company and our customers grow as well.” ~ Survey Respondent It might seem like an uphill battle, to get the kind of energy and initiative described above.  After [...]

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Prevent ‘EE Exodus: Make It Make Sense to Them

September 30, 2009
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I saw a intriguing phrase recently in regard to employees’ state of mind: “turnover intention”  A Deloitte report describes this as, “an employee’s “conscious and deliberate willfulness to leave the organization” within a certain time interval, e.g., the next six months” (Tett and Meyer, 1993). You know that I think it is important to never take [...]

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Employee Engagement – For the Win!

September 10, 2009
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I find it interesting when I am asked to back up my claim that employee engagement actually supports productivity and profitability. There has been plenty of evidence available on this for at least 30 years, and darned it if Gallup didn’t produce some more recently. (Thank you Gallup!)  Their study parses apart the differences between [...]

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Relate More Humanly at Work: The Role of Leaders and HR

July 14, 2009
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[Re-released Dec. 19, 2009] If you have seen my interview with Freedom Fighter, Joe Gerstandt, you know that Joe and I have agreed to exchange interview questions regularly. Here’s the latest. Joe: What experiences in your HR career led you to focus on a “different way of relating” at work? Mary: What I want to [...]

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