Are You Sure You Want to Be a Manager?
by Joseph Grenny Renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer likes to tell newly promoted supervisors that they have just been given the “gift of fire.” As a boss they now have a new and potent power, but Meyer wants to ensure they understand the appropriate — and inappropriate — uses of this gift. Fire, Meyer explains, can…
The Right Way to Hold People Accountable
by Peter Bregman John was doing his best to be calm, but his frustration was palpable. Jeanine was explaining that there was little chance her group was going to make the numbers for this quarter. “Honestly?” she said. “The numbers weren’t realistic to begin with. It was really unlikely that we were going to make them.”…
How to Handle Negative Feedback
by Dick Grote There’s no shortage of advice about how to react to negative feedback. When criticism arrives unexpectedly, remembering how you should react to it is tricky. Getting caught up in the heat of the moment can overwhelm our best intentions. Think through the reaction you want to have now, so that you’ll be…
Horrible HR Policies to Nuke in 2015
by Liz Ryan How can it be that no one thought to abolish an old law prohibiting women from changing their hair style without their husband’s permission? We need to learn this lesson: it’s easier to enact rules than to remove them, even years after our old rules have ceased to serve us. We do…
This Is Why December Is The Best Month To Find A Job
by Mary Eileen Williams As a job-seeker, does December bring about thoughts of kicking back, relaxing and taking a long winter’s nap? If so, you are not alone. Hiring drops dramatically during the holidays and the majority of people looking for work adopt the attitude that they will take these weeks off and then gear…
Time to Scrap Performance Appraisals?
by Josh Bersin Times have changed. More and more companies have decided to radically change (read “scrap” or “re-engineer”) their performance appraisal process. Last week at our research conference we spoke with Adobe, Juniper, Kelly Services, and a variety of other companies who have decided to do away with traditional performance ratings and dramatically change…
5 Simple Ways to Harness the Power of Gratitude at Work
by Harvey Deutschendorf We all know the good feelings that come with being acknowledged for something that we did. Those feelings result in wanting to do well and we continue to look for ways to give our best effort. While we often have no problems thanking our family, friends, and those around us, a study…
Beware the Phantom Job Listing
Jobs Go Unadvertised as Managers Rely on Their Own Contacts. By LAUREN WEBER and LESLIE KWOH John Nottingham says he was planning to hire a new design manager eventually. But when he heard a talented fellow alumnus of his design school was looking for a job, he wasted no time: He created an opening and…
How Will You Measure Your Life?
by Clayton M. Christensen
When Working at an Imperfect Company Makes Perfect Sense
by Lou Adler Time is Your Most Valuable Asset. Use it Wisely. Is working at a troubled company advisable? Troubled meaning heading into bankruptcy, having a deserved bad reputation, struggling to survive, or going through a turnaround. The answer: it all depends. If you want something safe and secure, it’s probably best to avoid it….