Posts tagged as:

humans at work

When is it Too Late to Engage Unhappy Employees?

May 28, 2010

A crisis in employee engagement has been building for a long time, with employees increasingly being treated as interchangeable objects. As the economy recovers, the American workforce is going to go into active revolt. Some of the best people will be energized to pursue situations where they will be treated as an intelligent Human being [...]

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Yes to Unvarnished Truth, No to “Unvarnished”

April 13, 2010

I’m going to play my 2-year-old self today. “No-no-no-no-NO.” What brought that on? Hearing the proposal for a new website called “Unvarnished.” It allows for employees to be reviewed anonymously, for the world to see, with no way of removing a negative review. Like the sites RateMyProfessors or RateMDs, the intention is to reflect a [...]

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This Is Not the Story You Think It Is (Part 2 of How Are You a Manager of People?)

April 6, 2010

Being a People Person Doesn’t Mean Being a People Pleaser Managers labeled as being a “people person” sometimes get a bad rap. Some almost view it with disdain. As a manager it certainly helps if you are friendly or “approachable.” But being a people person does not mean you have to be “friends,” go out [...]

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Managers: Why You Don’t Need Team-Building

April 2, 2010

I have a bone to pick with team-building. In my experience, it often involved ropes, boards, puzzle pieces, the wilderness or all of the above, and I didn’t really get how it would help. It seemed like it was setup with a hope and a prayer that we would all end up liking each other [...]

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Small is the New Big at Work

March 29, 2010

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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How Are You a Manager of People? Part 1

March 23, 2010

Managers: Can Being Self-Focused Actually Be a Good Thing? One problem I commonly see, particularly in new managers, is thinking they are doing their employees a favor by being a “good guy (or gal).” For example, let’s take Cam, who’s a fairly new manager. He’s having a hard time telling an employee to stop using [...]

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

February 24, 2010

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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Hear the Clip! Do You Think There are Some Employees You Just Can’t Motivate?

January 24, 2010

…Don’t Make This Common Manager Mistake As a former HR Manager, and long-time coach, I’ve found 5 common mistakes I see managers of people make over and over that create a rut of overwhelm, confusion, and frustration. These mistakes practically guarantee you’ll keep struggling against yourself and your employees. By avoiding these mistakes you’ll allow [...]

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