One of the traps that newly appointed managers at any level commonly fall into is in believing that, to be worthy of their job title and pay check, they must…
Category: Employee Engagement
Feed the Opportunities, Starve the Problems
Life is short, the game is often fast, and each of us makes choices daily about the things we should devote time and attention to. I try to live by…
On Broken Glass, Apologies, and Obamacare
When I was fourteen, I took over a friend’s paper route for the summer. I don’t quite remember how that came to pass (I doubt that I was jumping for…
Sometimes It IS About the Money
https://contentedcows.com/blog/item/46-sometimes-it-is-about-the-money Few issues in the domain of business are thornier, more complex, and emotion-packed than that of how much money to pay someone for the work they do. Employee compensation thrusts…
Why Contingent Telecommuting is a Good Idea
Telecommuting isn’t for everyone. It may, however, be the best way to get to work for thousands of workers where I live, Jacksonville, Florida, for at least the next month…
Discretionary Effort Is a Big, Dot Deal
Since commencing research on what ultimately became our first book, I have taken a rather steely-eyed approach to the subject of employee relations. A data-driven sort, I suspect that, had…
Managing Expectations: Under Promise and Over Deliver
Guest Post by Robert CordrayThere’s an old expression, “He who expects little is seldom disappointed.” That’s not a great catchphrase for the customer service department, but it does bring up…
Hans Tanzler: A Born Leader
We’re often asked, “Can leadership be learned? Or is it hardwired at birth?” Our answer: Yes. We wouldn’t be doing what we’re doing if we didn’t really believe that leadership…
Six Steps for Climbing the Management Ladder
A few days ago I received a short note containing the following question from one of our readers: “I am just a simple, low-level manager, so I do not always…
Five Steps for Making Your Leadership Like a Blast of Fresh Air
In his book, Leapfrogging, Soren Kaplan reminds us that, “the human brain is wired to appreciate positive surprise.” He goes on to say that, when we experience such a surprise, three…