Business
Tips for Organizations on Keeping Top Talent
I hear it almost daily when I ask organizational leaders what their greatest challenges are: “Retaining our best and brightest.” “Keeping top talent.” When I ask what sorts of things they’re doing to meet this retention challenge, I hear an assortment of benefit ideas, some incentive compensation plans, and a smattering of development programs. Cosmetic […]
Continue ReadingDon’t Lose Organizational Knowledge. Start Sharing Now
There’s a lot of talk and growing concern about the potential loss of organizational knowledge as Baby Boomers reach retirement age and younger workers face the prospect of heightened executive responsibilities with sometimes-meager preparation. There are several aspects to this issue. The first is the unfortunate fact that organizations typically do not invest in training […]
Continue ReadingWhy is it that date of birth creates so much organizational angst?
Why is it that date of birth creates so much organizational angst? “I don’t get them.” “They act so weird.” “Don’t they know anything?” “What’s wrong with them, anyway?” The generation gap is back in vogue and it’s magnified with four generations now trying to live and work side by side. From what I see […]
Continue ReadingGrooming your Companies Best and Brightest
Companies talk a lot about attracting and retaining the “best and brightest” as a means of improving their competitiveness and success, but when I ask for a description of the B&B, I get a lot of generalizations. Top of graduating class, proven track record, natural leader, high-energy ‘can do’ attitude, results orientation. Great characteristics, all. […]
Continue ReadingTips to Stay Positive When You Have a Negative Boss
I wrote a while ago about a worker who asked me how he was supposed to be confident when his boss was always harping on what’s wrong. I said I’d offer suggestions later about how to provide feedback to a boss like this to help him understand how destructive his hand wringing is. Giving feedback […]
Continue ReadingWe All Have Different Workplace Skills
I spent the weekend doing something I hate–working on taxes. My kitchen table looks like how my brain feels: scattered, piled, pseudo-organized. Painstakingly, I made my way through receipts, carefully recording sums in the proper places, tallying once, twice, three times to make sure no error would invite an IRS visit. This is an over-reaction […]
Continue ReadingFinding Your Voice in the Workplace
It’s time to begin work on a new book and I vaguely dread the isolation and difficulty of extracting thoughts and feelings from my being to share them with interested others. It’s hard work–even exhausting sometimes–because until you see words on the page, you don’t necessarily know what you really feel about things. Coming face-to-face […]
Continue ReadingWhen Busyness is Hurting Business
Business is in trouble. Too many people are moving too fast in too many directions with too little guidance and no time to think. Information comes at all of us with great velocity but sometimes-weak veracity. In the race to be first, fastest and best, we lose sight of the purpose. What do I mean? […]
Continue ReadingAngry at Work? Use the 24-Hour Rule and Succeed
That’s it. You’ve had it. The jerk at work has finally pushed you past your limit and you’re ready to let him have it. Wait. Before you open your mouth to spit out all the stupid things the jerk has said or done to you over however many months, go to your room–literally or figuratively–and […]
Continue ReadingFind Out What Makes a Confident Organization
The essence of personal confidence is self-management–knowing yourself well and trusting your ability to do the appropriate thing in a wide variety of situations. It takes time to build this confidence and involves a fair amount of risk. Think of all the unfamiliar situations you need to be exposed to in order to learn new […]
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