Managers play a vital role in talent management, engagement, and retention for their department and organization. All managers need to be good “spotters of talent.” This means observing all of the employees around you whether they work directly for you or not. What does it mean to be unconsciously competent? Some bright and eager employees…
Organizations are eager to reward their technical professionals. One of the ways they do this is to promote them. This is sometimes a good idea, often it is not! Why Not? Technical professionals: Love their work and want to continue to do it themselves. Are often highly introverted and don’t enjoy a lot of “people…
This cliché has been brought to mind by more than one technical employee who has been offered and accepted a promotion to manager. It is terrific when the promotion works out…technical work groups prefer being managed by one of their own! But frequently, this upward move doesn’t work out. Why not? Many Technical Employees: Are…
Patrick Lencioni in his bestselling book, “The Five Behaviors of a Dysfunctional Team,” calls consensus a “four letter” word. Why is this? Don’t we all want team members to be happy with the decisions that need to be made? Of course we do! The problem with consensus is that it is very difficult to achieve!…
Often – for many reasons – the top Human Resources professional is not a member of the executive team. Given the responsibility of hiring staff, people development and employee training, it is critical you connect with upper management to make certain you are on the same page. While it would be optimal to be on…
Did you know that listening styles can be categorized into five different styles or preferences. This is critical to know when you are trying to communicate and build teamwork. Matching your communication to your listeners’ preferences will greatly improve your chances of being heard or understood. Here is a quick overview of the styles, how to…