Management Archives

4 Tiers of Managerial Goals: From To-Dos to the Ultimate Vision

Do you set goals for your team members? Do you help them set and reach their own objectives? Regardless of your managerial level, you have a duty to help your team set and reach their own goals as well as contribute to the overall objectives of your organization. In When They Win, You Win, Russ Laraway outlines four tiers of managerial goals and shares two ways to measure your effectiveness. Keep reading to learn how you can help your team set and reach goals that benefit the organization as a whole.

How to Coach Employees to Improve Performance & Build Trust

Do your employees regard you as approachable? What’s the best way to coach an underperforming team member? In his book When They Win, You Win, Russ Laraway contends that bad management is everywhere and that it’s causing enormous harm to employees and companies alike. He believes that managers should cultivate the skill of coaching to boost employee engagement and performance. Keep reading to learn how to coach employees with Laraway’s insights as an employee experience expert.

3 Career Conversations With Employees Every Manager Must Have

Do you know what your employees’ career goals are? Are you helping them reach those goals? If you’re a manager, career development should be an ongoing process with each of your team members. Employee experience expert Russ Laraway recommends having three career conversations with employees, each conversation with a specific focus. Continue reading to learn how to conduct these conversations and measure their effectiveness.

Manager Performance Survey: How to Rate What Truly Counts

Are you an effective manager? What would the people on your team say? What score would they give you? Employee engagement in the workforce is at an all-time low. Russ Laraway says the solution is better management. He argues that managers must focus on goals, coaching, and career development, and he says that employees should rate the manager’s effectiveness in each of these areas. Read more to get Laraway’s ideas for a manager performance survey that will help you know how you’re doing where it really counts.

The Unicorn Project: Book Overview (Gene Kim)

What is the book The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim about? How can employee autonomy make or break a company? In The Unicorn Project, Gene Kim presents a fictional case study of a business that falls behind its competitors because of its soul-crushing work conditions. The result is a band of rebellious employees to figure out a new, more productive way of working. Read below for a brief The Unicorn Project book overview to get the main ideas.

7 Negotiation and Influencing Skills to Have Under Your Belt

A Guide to Developing Effective Negotiation Strategies

What are the most important negotiation and influencing skills to have? How can you make your offer look more attractive? Negotiations require more than just statistical skills. You also need to understand the psychology of negotiation and use influencing tactics to make your offer appeal to the other party. Keep reading to learn vital negotiation and influencing skills that you need to have.

Signs of a Toxic Work Environment: Living in Fear & Blame

What are commons signs of a toxic work environment? How do fear and blame break employees? The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim presents a fictional case study of Parts Unlimited, a once-mighty auto parts manufacturer that’s fallen behind the times and its competitors. This is mainly because of the soul-crushing work conditions it’s allowed to develop in its IT department. Let’s look at what Kim believes are symptoms of toxic company culture.

4 Guidelines for Large Group Discussions at Work

Do you have trouble guiding large group discussions? How should effective work meetings be conducted? In Fierce Conversations, Susan Scott provides a model that is intended to uncover all important details and perspectives of complex issues in large groups. This is important because organizations are multifaceted with individuals who have different perspectives on issues. To structure your large group discussion, Scott provides the following guidelines.

The Importance of a Customer-Centric Approach in Business

What are the benefits of a customer-centric approach in business? Why is it advised to keep business strategies simple and straightforward? If you’re running a company, the customer should always be at the center of your focus. Anything other than that creates a complicated system that ultimately fails because projects grow out of control. Continue reading for a customer-centric approach that keeps things in moderation.

Why Creating Emotional Safety at Work Builds Trust

Do you show your employees you have trust in them? How should you create an environment of emotional safety at work? Trust at work goes a long way, especially from employers to employees. When an employee feels that sense of trust, you’re encouraging them to speak up when problems arise and work on solutions together. Find out how to create a feeling of emotional safety at work, according to The Unicorn Project by Gene Kim.