Managers can unintentionally — or even intentionally — undermine teamwork in several different ways, but one behavior that stands out is how managers or team members address conflicts within the team. [Read more…]
With the business environment changing rapidly and repeatedly, it is crucial for businesses to be able to adapt to enhance their efficiencies. One crucial tool for making your organization more resilient is organizational restructuring. Here are three key strategies to consider: [Read more…]
In recent years, organizations of all sizes and at all stages of development have faced competitive, excruciating external pressures in dealing with disruption and economic upheaval. At the same time, employees have come to demand a kinder, gentler workplace with managers and supervisors who demonstrate more compassion. The result is a disturbing trend. I want to say that managers and supervisors “balance” too many responsibilities, but it goes further than that. These leaders have more and more tasks and responsibilities assigned to them—often far too many to execute.
With recent layoffs, crushing inflation, and cost cutting across organizations, leaders at all levels of organizations are dealing with belt tightening. More and more they are being asked to do more with less. Easier said than done. Is that request realistic, or does it mean demanding more and more from employees—perhaps to the point of jeopardizing retention?
How can your organization truly do more with less, get the work done, meet goals–all while having sustainable workloads? It is possible, and there are four steps to follow to get there. [Read more…]
Whether you are embarking on a major change initiative such as restructuring an organization or location, implementing a Safety Program, or making smaller changes like process improvement or other activities, there are six keys for aligning important factors to make the change successful. And if you’re missing just one piece, you may be undermining your success. [Read more…]
Many organizations have effectively adapted or “pivoted” in recent months, but CEOs and other leaders tell me, “We are working harder for every dollar than we ever have.” For many executives, there is a question in the back of their minds: “Can we sustain this?” In times like these, high performance and organizational improvement are more important than ever.
A recent client was improving processes in light of their recent “pivot” due to COVID. Earlier in the year, the firm had changed some processes to adapt to the new market and the “new normal.” Because of the pivot, the company was working harder for each dollar earned than in 2019, and it was not sustainable. To survive 2020 and plan for 2021, [Read more…]
Since COVID hit, our organizations have been struggling to keep performance and throughput up, while also managing the needs of health and safety of our employees. Before the pandemic, with most employees working in the office, managers thought they could tell when employees were busy doing their jobs and working hard (well, perhaps like that famous Seinfeld episode).
After COVID hit, employees in many organizations were largely working from home (WFH), and managers became VERY unsure about how to handle the situation. The longer the organization went without setting clear expectations and measurements related to performance, the more nervous managers became. [Read more…]
This is a strange time for American workers. Some employees are still working from home, which had long been perceived as an employment perk. Yet, when Work from Home (WFH) comes as a result of a continuing pandemic, employees may wonder if they are out of the loop or if they will be left out of promotion opportunities, especially if some employees have returned to the office. At the same time, employees who have returned are wondering if they are jeopardizing their health. In this time of extended uncertainty and complexity, how do you improve your management of performance?
There are two key facets: clarity and consistency.
