FREE RESOURCES FOR MANAGERS & SUPERVISORS
Bullies at Work – Who Should Fix the Problem?
I just finished reading a letter to the editor of our local newspaper complaining about workplace bullies. The writer was of the opinion that managers should quietly pull employees aside and ask them if there are any problems with bullies. The implied assumptions are …
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Progressive Discipline Part 1 – Getting Positive Results When Using Formal Discipline
Progressive Discipline refers to the use of increasingly more serious forms of intervention with an employee who is not performing up to the expectations or standards of the employer. The goal of progressive discipline is always a positive one: to help an employee improve their performance, conduct or behaviour while …
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The Ten Things that Makes a Supervisor GREAT
After more than thirty years as a line supervisor, manager and senior executive, I learned a few things about working successfully with people. Successful supervision (or management or leadership of any kind for that matter) is more art than science …
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Five Common Denominators of Great Supervisors
In my 30+ years working in human services the positions I’ve held are a story about how the work gets done in our sector. Community development worker, group home worker, line supervisor, manager, assistant program directors, associate executive director and …
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Giving Feedback to Your Boss
Even when asked, giving feedback to your boss can be a bit touchy. The first thing that may run through your mind is, “Does she really want to know what I think?” Or, “Why is he asking me?” Or, “Do I trust my boss to accept my feedback without retaliating?” If you don’t trust …
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A Fast Way to Create New Job Descriptions
For human resource professionals, the business of creating new job (or position) descriptions or revising existing ones is a fine science. However, in the nonprofit sector, many supervisors and managers don’t have access to an HR person or department. They must create their own job …
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Creating Employee-to-Employee Learning
You may have heard about a little company called Google. They are ranked with Apple, Zappos and several other web-based employers as one of the best employers to work for. In their head office Google provides all employees with three gourmet meals a day. Nice, but not …
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Delegation: If You Want it Done Right … Ask the Right Person
When I stand in front of a group of people about to teach “delegation”, I ask the group to complete this sentence: “I you want it done right, …” Their comeback is always “do it yourself.” Clearly many supervisors and managers have had less than positive experiences with …
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Before you Multi-Task – Consider What Brain Science Has to Offer
As an author of several human resource books, I’m often asked about strategies for effective time-management. Some people have more on their plate than is humanly possible to accomplish and while it may be possible to get rid of a few time-wasters and do some tasks more …
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Progressive Discipline – Part 3 Correct Employee Performance Issues with a Written Warning
If an employee’s performance does not improve following a verbal warning, the supervisor or manager may decide to issue a second verbal warning (if the situation being addressed is not too serious), or may …
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Managing Generational Diversity – 7 New Rules That Can Help!
I am a Baby Boomer – born between 1945 and 1964. When I was growing up, there were lots and lots of us. This did not seem at all problematic. The sandbox (and swing-sets and teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds) were crowded with kids. We learned to wait our turn, and we learned that …
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So What’s With This Younger Generation Anyway?
The Internet was alive this week with another round of stories about Generation Y and the struggle many appear to be having to make their way in the adult world of work and life. Gen Ys were born between 1986 and 2000, making …
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Learning to Write SMART Goals
Whether you are considering your own personal or professional goals or are developing goals for an employee you supervisor, for your team or organization the SMART acronym is an excellent tool. SMART stands for: Specific Measurable Achievable …
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Hire Slow and Fire Fast – Part 2
Last week’s blog focused on the folly of the “slow hire” concept and debunked the myth that hiring quality talent means being ultra-cautious. This week, let’s explore the “Fire Fast “ idea of the catch phase. Each hire costs your organization cold, hard, cash …
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Part 2 How to Help Teams Benefit from Crisis
When faced with a crisis, managers should make time to ask people (individually or in small groups) what they are really thinking and what has been going on behind the scenes. Some of the “good folks” may tell you they are fed up with others who are divisive …
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Do Your Employees Trust You?
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7 Things that Characterize Women Leaders
In a recent article for Fast Company, Ekaterina Walter outlined the seven “traits that unite women in power”. What struck me about the article was that it was not so much traits (which I take to mean innate or non-acquired factors) but experiences and choices of …
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Progressive Discipline Part 2 Correct Employee Performance Issues Using a Verbal Warning
The following points should be used as a guide only. You must also consult your agencies policies and procedures or if unionized, your collective agreement as well as consult with HR professionals inside your organization. Disciplinary action …
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Two Types of Performance Issues
There are two types of performance issues and also two reasons that an employee may not perform according to an employer’s standards or expectations. When an employee does not perform one …
One Magical Question to Assess “Job Fit” When Interviewing
May readers of this blog are involved in hiring, supervising and sometimes even firing employees. When was the last time that you (and your HR person if you have one) have looked at the standard set of interview questions to determine if the questions are really getting at what you are looking …
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Leaders At All Levels Must Be on the Same Page
“I just left a meeting during which a manager told us to do something that was exactly the opposite of what our supervisor told us to do earlier. A co-worker pointed out the inconsistency and the manager said she “sets the rules”. After the meeting, our supervisor said “She’s not in …
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Hire Slow and Fire Fast – A New Human Resource Management Strategy – Part 1 of 2
Human resource management books are full of buzz words. The latest phrase to hit the page is “Hire Slow and Fire Fast”. The point of the concept is that careful hiring practices make for better selection and fewer performance problems down the road. And, when …
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Don’t Overlook the Value of Crisis to Improve Teams – Part 1
Most managers and supervisors spend a portion of every working day solving problems, dealing with upset people and generally trying to make things run smoothly. When a crisis erupts, management response is usually to do everything possible to restore …
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Managers can be targets of harassment by employees!
One aspect of bullying that receives little attention is when managers are bullied by employees. This has been called “upward bullying” and may be more common in workplaces than we think. One Australian study found that up to 25% of bosses experience bullying from …
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10 Tips for Working With Generation Y Employees
Unless you happen to be a Gen Y reader of this newsletter, you may be one of the many managers and supervisors who are somewhat puzzled about how to work with the youngest generation in today’s workplace …
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Please note: The articles contained on this page are not intended as authoritative advice or direction. The author assumes no liability for how an individual or organization applies or uses any of the ideas contained in these articles.