While I will never get political in any of my writing, our current circumstances seem completely out of balance. These circumstances are creating significant stress and uncertainty in people’s home, families and organizations. I have noticed a general sense that we went from an attitude of “we can do this!” to extreme fatigue, frustration and …
As a manager, you are faced with some tough decisions. Deciding on compensation, promotions, assignments, hiring, firing, and budget cuts (my least favorite) are all part of reality as a manager. Most managers try and find the most fair decision based on some criteria. Determining what is fair maybe “should” be obvious but, oftentimes, decisions …
When you have to make a tough decision: 3 tips to help steer you Read More »
As a people manager, there are a number of responsibilities we have that may seem challenging, not just when starting out, but at any time as a manager. Some of those include delivering critical feedback, communicating bad news, putting someone on a performance improvement plan, resolving conflict and delegating (among others). Delegating can feel weird …
When you want to delegate but are afraid to: 6 pitfalls to avoid Read More »
One of the hardest parts about being a manager is that sometimes you have to make an unpopular decision, communicate bad news or take action that benefits one of your team members but not another. These can be difficult tasks to undertake but may be necessary to benefit the greater good or make financial sense. …
Perhaps during these times, some of us are considering a new career path. This could be in response to external factors happening to us, like a job loss or a change in daily schedules and responsibilities, like kids being home for school. Sometimes, it comes from within. We find that we spend so much time …
When you want to pivot your career: 9 things to consider Read More »
As a leader, sometimes we think we need to have all of the answers. Being that go-to expert in everything we manage makes us feel valuable. We sometimes think the way to really shine is to be the one answering all of the questions, delivering all of the presentations, being the face of everything your …
Getting others to buy into your idea, plan or pitch for budget is a regular occurrence in the corporate world. Especially, if you are in a corporate support group, you are constantly striving for people to love the product, process or service you provide and continue to see value in what you are doing. For …
When you want to influence a change: The 5-part model that works for me Read More »
When COVID first hit, I think a lot of us either felt doomed or some level of motivation that we could get through this. For those of us who felt like we could ride out the storm, I am not sure many of us (although I think there were certainly some) who thought this might …
It is uncomfortable. It is irritating. It is even upsetting. It can make us tie our stomach in knots. What am I talking about? When the boss makes a decision we think is wrong. These decisions can range from your boss assigning work to someone else all the way to jumping into your work and …
When you disagree with your boss: 7 things not to do Read More »
In our current environment, people are either swamped or they have some free time for some or part of their work week. Some projects have been delayed or even cancelled due to our current circumstances. Some efforts are not needed anymore (at least for the near-term), such as those roles who support live events or …
When your team member has capacity: 3 actions to take Read More »