With a clumsy nod to the Rolling Stones’ classic tune, it appears to be true: since 1987, workers have become steadily less satisfied with their work. This is according to research results released last week by The Conference Board. What’s more, it’s not a generational thing: satisfaction is decreasing amongst all ages groups. While the [...]
I’m reading the book The Power of Respect by Deborah Norville. She cites a very interesting study from the journal Motivation and Emotion. In this study, a group of researchers from Reed College in Oregon studied whether one form of praise was more effective than another. The researchers used two different types of praise: “mastery”, [...]
The other day, I was having a discussion with a training manager named Sally. Her staff designs training for her company’s field sales force. Sally works for a large organization that has a reputation for promoting from within. Here’s what we were discussing: Leaders higher up in her organization have noticed that when the sales people [...]
Note: this blog post is a collaborative effort between Jennifer V. Miller and Lisa Rosendahl. We’ve each taken a different perspective on the topic of mentoring. Lisa’s post explores what attributes Human Resource/Talent Managers look for in potential mentors. This blog post explores mentor readiness from a personal perspective, asking: “How do you know you’re ready [...]
One of my favorite experiential activities for management training is an oldie but goodie called the “Boo/Yay” exercise. In it, two volunteers separately try to guess a per-determined task such as walking to the front of the room and picking up a marker. The audience is instructed to give the volunteers feedback to help them [...]
So I’m reading Bret Simmons’ post When the Bully Boss is Female . . .
There’s a slight whooshing sound in my brain and all of a sudden time sort of shifts. It’s the 1970’s and I’m in 8th grade. A new family has moved from Chicago to our tiny farming community in Michigan. They have [...]
In preparation for reviewing the Marcus Buckingham’s soon-to-be released book Find Your Strongest Life, I decided to pull some of Buckingham’s earlier books off the shelf and give them a second look. This review is the first of a three-part series.
Now, Discover Your Strengths
Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton
The highlights:
In the follow-up to the best-selling [...]
In my post Not Everyone Loves Putt Putt, I advised leaders to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of hosting an offsite gathering that’s “fun day” or social in nature. In a well-intended effort to promote team cohesiveness, these outings sometimes fall short.
So what’s a leader to do if the team isn’t interested in an offsite, [...]
For many of us in the United States, September means “back to school”. In the business world, that sense of starting anew often prompts team leaders to consider some sort of social off-site activity (lunch, golf, attending a cultural event) as a means to energize their team. Off-site activities, when properly conceived and aligned to [...]
