By Dr. Martin Turner and Dr. Jamie Barker
The key to performing well under pressure is no great secret. When leaders have the personal resources to meet (or even exceed) the demands in a given situation, they thrive when it matters most. These resources include unshakable self-confidence, controlling the ‘controllables’, and a focus on what can be gained rather than lost.
by Carolyn O’Hara
Getting people to work together isn’t easy, and unfortunately many leaders skip over the basics of team building in a rush to start achieving goals. But your actions in the first few weeks and months can have a major impact on whether your team ultimately delivers results. What steps should you take to set your team up for success? How do you form group norms, establish clear goals, and create an environment where everyone feels comfortable and motivated to contribute? Continue reading
by Ellyn Shook
As chief HR officer for a professional services company, I’m focused on providing our clients the talent they need when and where they need it. Doing this means I often spend time analyzing key data — from chargeability and payroll costs to talent supply/demand forecasting and retention. Then there’s a metric many might be surprised to learn I also keep a close eye on: vacation time used.
Why? Certainly, a company’s balance sheet can benefit from employees using their paid time off. But to me, the advantages lie in innovation and productivity. Continue reading
by James O’Brien, PhD
It should come as no surprise to small-business owners that employees often see things differently than they do, especially when it concerns how the company should be run. Understanding what these differences are, however, is crucial to a healthy business—one that prospers under strong management and continues to thrive and grow with help from loyal employees. Continue reading
written by Neal Thornberry
Complex organizations are just that—hard to get your arms around in terms of structures, processes and relationships. Even good intentions can create their own unintended complexities.
The best thing senior management can do is to make the road to innovation clear. If managers haven’t built it, or worse yet haven’t communicated it, they need to do so. Continue reading
