It's no secret that one of the most difficult parts of being a manager, at any level, is the ability to effectively lead your team(s). Ironically, it's also an area that companies often neglect, with research from Grovo suggesting as many as 98% of leaders feel they would benefit from more training in this area. Whether you've been managing people for a long time or you're … [Read more...]
Is Your Business Summer Ready?
We all know that summer can bring an abundance of things - fun, great weather, bad weather (hurricanes), family functions, and vacation. However, for business owners, summer can mean scheduling woes, pushed deadlines and/or projects, and juggling family and focus. After working as an entrepreneur over the past several years, these are tips I use to get my business and myself … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Take Before a Difficult Conversation
Difficult conversations — those interactions that keep us up at night— are a common challenge for many managers. Most of us would love to learn how to approach tough interactions without getting stressed out, losing sleep, or endlessly rehearsing what-ifs. Fortunately, this is achievable for almost anyone; getting there just takes a little effort and practice. And it starts … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Fuel the Entrepreneurs in Your Teams
Companies are consistently pressured to innovate products and services to drive greater benefit to customers. Now, we have more data than ever on customer habits and preferences, but responding to customer needs can still be a challenge for many businesses grappling with increasing competition, legacy systems, and a non-agile workforce. While you may face challenges, there … [Read more...]
3 Valuable Tips for Designing an Innovative Volunteer Program
Designing a new volunteer program for a worthy cause is an exciting undertaking, but it takes a lot of time, resources, and dedication to make it work. You need a plan for assessment, a solid vision for your program, and a touch of creativity. So how do you craft a program that allows you to stand out among the crowd and excite your board members? Here are a few tips to … [Read more...]
Struggling to Engage Employees? Here are 10 Ways to Engage
With all of today’s distractions, are you finding it difficult to engage employees at work? You’re not alone. Gallup’s Workforce Survey regularly finds that "[t]he majority of the U.S. workforce (51%) is not engaged. These employees are indifferent and neither like nor dislike their job.” Yet, as their leader, you want to engage employees to positively affect the … [Read more...]
Do You Have the Mind of an Effective Manager?
An effective manager is capable of leading a team of diverse people to reach a set of goals. In business, those goals change often, and keeping teams motivated to achieve them is extremely challenging. The reason isn't rocket science. Adults have their own reasons for showing up to work each day, and their individual goals don't always align with the goals of an executive … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Managing Change within Your Team
Change is both challenging and exciting. Any company that is serious about growth goes through periods of change. Those that come out on top are the ones who can guide their teams into the future and towards success. This article guides you through five ways to effectively guide your winning team through change. Work Together to Create a Plan Your team should feel like … [Read more...]
4 Alternative Ideas for Team Bonding
The team that plays together stays together -- right? We’ve all been on our fair share of business bonding excursions, from brunch to bowling, from workshops to drinking. Spending time with your coworkers that isn’t work per se is super important, but it can be difficult to come up with creative, affordable activities all the time. There are only so many times you can play … [Read more...]
5 Critical Resources for New Managers
A good friend recently started a new, dream job, and it includes managing other people for the first time. When I ran into her at an event, she shared with me the difficulties of learning to manage other people. Her arched brow and wringing hands showed how much it was weighing on her. I felt her pain. Developing as a manager has been at once the most challenging and most … [Read more...]