July 30, 2021 10:40 am
Published by Louellen Essex
Preparing to give critical feedback helps ensure a potentially challenging discussion produces the result you are after. Comedian and television personality Craig Ferguson suggests that preparation begin with three important questions: Does this need to be said? Sometimes reflection leads to the conclusion that the issue is not relevant nor important enough to address. Does this need to be said…
February 14, 2021 10:40 am
Published by Louellen Essex
Study after study tells us that people don’t feel they get enough praise and recognition at work. With more staff members working from home and feeling isolated, the need to be acknowledged is even more acute. It’s easy to feel disconnected and individually unnoticed, given the massive number of virtual meetings, often with cameras off, that many are experiencing. Yet,…
February 7, 2018 2:19 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
Team leadership requires keen self-awareness of the impact of behavior on a team’s performance. Often leaders inadvertently stunt the growth of their teams by exhibiting meeting conduct that is ineffective and even harmful. Here are some signs that your approach might be suboptimal. Communication is funneled to you. Think about the way communication flows around the team table. Who talks…
May 9, 2017 2:22 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
Micromanagement is excessive oversight of an employee’s work. When a manager hovers, it causes the employee to feel mistrusted to competently do the work assigned. It can tear down motivation since having autonomy is highly valued by most employees. Below are listed the telltale signs of micromanagement. Identify those that you frequently display to determine if you are slipping into…
January 24, 2017 2:23 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
Managing staff member performance is challenging at best. Individuals come to work with a variety of skills, attitudes, and experiences that require leaders to be adept at adapting to varying needs by using customized approaches. One size does not fit all. Because performance management is complex and time consuming, it is easy for leaders to be blindsided by engaging in…
February 25, 2016 2:30 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
Not all teams achieve the elite status of being called high performing. Most are adequate, accomplishing what they need to do in order to complete a collaborative task. Few, however, become a fine-tuned machine, capable of pushing their limits and achieving beyond expectations. Here are the characteristics of truly high performing teams. 1. A high level of focus on a…
January 7, 2016 2:31 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
A new year presents an opportunity to fine-tune your leadership skills with new ideas or to refresh what you already know that may have gone dormant. Think about what you did well in 2015 and how you could have been even more effective. Here are some ways you can significantly improve your approach, making for a happier you and a…
October 2, 2015 2:31 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
Are you mindful of what you are reinforcing when you reward staff behavior? Are you sure it is really what you want to reinforce? Remember this important principle: People tend to do more of the behaviors for which they are rewarded. Don’t find yourself inadvertently incenting your staff to utilize the following problematic behaviors. 1. Busy Work It might look…
August 9, 2015 7:01 pm
Published by Louellen Essex
To do it right, delegating should be done intentionally and thoughtfully. Randomly handing out assignments does not make for good results or happy staff members! Good delegation is at the heart of empowerment and requires giving away, not only work assignments, but also authority to make decisions. Poor delegation practice is at the core of micromanagement. Use these guidelines to…