It turns out the best managers – those who consistently extract the work excellence from direct reports — are those who are the best teachers. And, the best teachers are not those who are busy directing, giving feedback and correcting work… nor those pushing people to “get out of their comfort zone” or focus on improving the things they do badly. Nope. The best teachers quietly watch… waiting to spot and praise excellent work and then leverage those instances into teachable moments and improvement opportunities. That is how the best managers get excellence from every employee leaving competitors in the dust! Want to try it? Continue reading →

Employers want employees to do excellent work. And, most employees inherently want to do excellent work (if recognized and rewarded for it). But, in reality, most work is not “excellent” and can be improved. Helping employees improve their work is where things get tricky. Countless entrepreneurs, leaders, managers, professors, HR specialists, psychologists and economists have spent a lot of time and energy trying to figure out how to help people do excellent work. Praise? Criticism? Rewards? Reprimands? Focus on failures? Pushing people out of their comfort zone?
Just what promotes excellence? Here’s what works and what doesn’t! Read more. Continue reading →

The “Halo Effect” is a cognitive bias in which a person’s overall impression is influenced by assumptions based on unrelated, concrete information. If a person likes one aspect of something, he is predisposed to think positively about other aspects of it, even if totally unrelated. For example, “I love iPhones. Therefore, Apple is the best company for computers.” While the Halo Effect can certainly be damaging in some areas of business, imagine if that bias could be harnessed and channeled on behalf of a brand. It can and has. Here’s how! Continue reading →

Never judge a book by its cover. That bit of wisdom cautions not to prejudge based on superficial or unrelated factors. This adage is a warning against the “Halo Effect,” a type of cognitive bias in which one person’s overall impression of a person, place or thing is influenced by assumptions based on unrelated, concrete information. For example, a good looking or nice person is more likely to be hired and promoted because it is often assumed that an attractive or likeable person is also intelligent and capable. So how does the Halo Effect affect business and brands? Continue reading →

Fact: Most employees need training. Training ensures new hires get oriented and existing staff stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest tools, techniques, systems and skills. But, training takes time and eats into productivity. For many managers, the act of “teaching” employees feels wasteful. Leaders often feel that employees paid to do a job should already know how to do the job, or worry that money invested in training leaves when an employee leaves. So just how much should companies invest in training so employees are prepared to do the job? Continue reading →

There is a lot of talking done at work. But all talk is not created equal. Some conversations are critical for success and take time. Some chats are casual and should be limited. And some discussions go nowhere and should not happen at all. So how does a manager determine which conversations are beneficial, which are pointless blather and which are beneficial to get everyone working on productive tasks? And, how does a leader get employees to work more and waste less time talking? Continue reading →

Business professionals spend a lot of time talking. Interviews. Collaboration. Coordination. Teamwork. Sales. Experts advise. Strategizing. Planning. Goal setting. Indeed, clear communication is arguably one of the most valuable workplace skills. But, while clear communication is an integral part of most any business, can there be such a thing as too much talk? Who’s doing the talking and is it valuable? How does a manager determine which conversations are beneficial, eliminate idle blather and get everyone working on productive tasks? Here’s the natter on workplace chatter. Continue reading →

Every company makes promises to its customers. Those promises are communicated both verbally and in writing through the company’s website or app, brochures, ads, employee conversations, signage, mission statements, corporate filings, and a myriad of other actions and representations. Brand promises are also communicated through professional oaths and written contracts. These promises are sometimes legally-binding, but they are always socially binding. People expect companies to live up to their promises. So what happens if a company repeatedly – or worse, routinely — fails to live up to one or more of your brand promises? Continue reading →

Every day, a child makes about 3,000 decisions and an adult makes about 35,000 decisions. Most are ‘remotely conscious’ decisions about insignificant things. But some decisions really matter. As a person’s level of responsibility rises, so does the weight and volume of decisions. In business, leaders and managers must be able to assess a situation and make a sound decision quickly. But most everyone has situations where they get stuck and can’t decide due to overthinking. That’s analysis paralysis and it is quicksand for decision-making. Here’s why it happens and what to do to get “unstuck.” Continue reading →

2019 has begun and resolutions are rampant. Did you resolve to do better and be better? And how many of those resolutions have already been discarded, swept away with the confetti? Resolutions often fail because people try to go it alone, set too many precursors to starting, or create goals that are too lofty and/or expensive. Those are common mistakes but there are other obstacles as well. Don’t let these common mistakes trip up your goals for 2019! Continue reading →