As we return to post pandemic normalcy, employers are finding not everyone is returning to work. Consequently, there’s a shortage of good workers at every level in every industry. It only makes sense there should be a renewed focus on retaining employees, especially the good ones. This reminds me of a personal experience I had… Read More >>

A chapter description from my new book Supercharge Your Team, due out in 2021. In his book A Great Place To Work For All, Michael Bush describes the research he and his team conducted over 30 years, looking for companies that were reported by their employees as being great places to work. He states unequivocally:… Read More >>

Miscommunication can easily happen when two or more human beings attempt to achieve a common understanding. A few years ago, I decided to brighten up my office with a new coat of paint. I subscribe to Architectural Digest Magazine and had seen a color I really liked in one of the photo spreads. It was… Read More >>

Managing remotely can have many challenges. One is the “Dreaded BOB Syndrome.” BOB is not an acronym, it’s the name of a childhood friend of mine, who, as an adult, moved in across the street from my wife and me. We renewed our friendship and occasionally socialized with him over the next ten years. (he… Read More >>

While the nation passes through the COVID-19 crisis, many people are working from home or working under stressful conditions on the job. There is a high probability that if these conditions continue we will see declines in morale. This is something we all want to avoid because when morale falls, productivity declines, customer satisfaction plummets… Read More >>

In his widely acclaimed book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, Dr Stephen Covey describes the concept of emotional banking. This is the psychological process where we maintain a bank account inside our head on everybody with whom we have a relationship. From our spouse and our children, to our bosses, to our customers,… Read More >>

I was recently asked, “How should you conduct virtual difficult conversations?” This is a good question because many of us work on teams that are spread out around the city, the state and sometimes the world. Difficult conversations are challenging enough when you are in the same room. Doing them virtually only raises the odds… Read More >>

I just read a Harvard Business Review article called “Managers, You’re More Intimidating Than You Think” by Megan Reitz and John Higgins. They talk about the fact that as managers, we can sometimes come across to our subordinates as more intimidating than we think, even if we’re sure we’re the nicest people in the world.… Read More >>

(SNAFU = Situation Normal All Fouled UP) Have you ever asked someone to do something and the results they produce show that somehow, the message got lost in translation? The temptation here is to blame the other person and think, “Weren’t you paying attention?” “What is wrong with you?” Or, if you’re a magnanimous sort,… Read More >>