3 Minute Read
You’re about to lose 40% of your workforce. Yep, we said it. That’s awfully close to HALF! Over recent years, we’ve seen many Baby Boomers retire. Waved goodbye as they took their knowledge and expertise out the door with them. As of December 2018, 39.2% of people in the US workforce were aged 55 or older. Traditionally, most people retire in their early to mid-60s. So what does this say for your company in the next 5-10 years?
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5 Minute Read
Let’s guess what you’re thinking. Probably something along the lines of: “Another article about what it means to be a leader, even if you don’t manage anyone.” And you’ll probably move on or delete this as your eyes roll to the back of your head. But wait! Keep reading…
This topic has been a hot one for a while. If you search for it on Google, you will get about 35,800,000 results (at least that’s what we got). There are more pictures than you can count of a leader helping push people up a mountain, while a manager steps on heads to make it to the top first. And the memes? Don’t get us started.Alongside all that, you’ll see articles: “3 Differences between Managers & Leaders,” “Leaders vs Managers: Which Are You?,” “Want to Be a Leader Not a Manager?” and so on.
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4 Minute Read
Picture this scenario: People at work are unengaged. You can feel your direct reports whispering about you around the water cooler. Sometimes you feel walked on. And your team thinks that they can get away with anything…because you won’t do anything about it. Does any of this sound familiar?
Having crucial conversations with your team is hard. We know our employees have good intentions. But sometimes, they make mistakes, or we need to correct performance issues. And holding them accountable for missing the mark can be extremely uncomfortable.
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3 Minute Read
Every company has one. The micromanaging coworker. You know who we’re talking about. The one employee that has his hands in everything. He’s the go-to for all the questions you have. But also a bit of a control freak. Things that aren’t his job easily become his job, because he can’t let go. He checks up on your work and he’s always questioning what you’re doing. Sometimes, you might even start to wonder how he has time to do his own job when he’s spending so much time trying to do yours. And here’s the worst part…You don’t even report to him! Therein lies the dilemma. How do you keep your working relationship intact, yet still be firm enough to set your boundaries? It’s time to deal with your micromanaging coworker.
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During a recent conversation with the leaders of a company, we asked them to imagine that their department was not a part of the overall company, but a stand-alone business having to provide value to its customers and make money to continue. Then we asked the question, “How would you organize the company related to positions, roles, and responsibilities? And how would you measure effectiveness?” This is what we call disrupting the org chart.Some leaders had to be reminded that every minute someone is working costs money. They then considered how to measure productivity in service-related areas. They recognized that their employees tend to come to work and most are busy. But they’re not necessarily busy with things that are high-payoff or things that move the needle, related to value and time. They came in to do their job.
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3 Minute Read
Business owners and executives across the country struggle to answer this question. Most make some comment that they are moving forward and growing. Others say they think everyone in the company knows where they are going. Yet when asked, employees respond by saying, “Wherever the company tells me we’re going.
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3 Minute Read
There are all kinds of studies that show the main reasons people leave their jobs. One of the top reasons in almost every study is for lack of career development. So as an employee, you might ask yourself, “Who is responsible for my career development?”
Research by EdAssist and the University of Phoenix looked into that very question. Most workers (74% of them, actually) believe their company or manager is responsible. On the other hand, most managers (98% of them) said that employees have to take responsibility for their own career development. Those statistics alone show why so many companies fail at career development. Each party believes it’s the other person’s responsibility. So which is it?
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3 Minute Read
Experiencing conflict is a part of everyday life. A common response is avoidance. Most people say they just don’t like confrontation. It makes them uncomfortable, and some even become physically ill at the thought of discussing a challenging issue face-to-face. How then can you become more productive with conflict while still keeping your emotions in check?
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