May 17, 2012

Fire Up Your People’s Potential

The essence of leading for execution lies in guiding an organization or a group of people so that they not only get things done but get the right things done.

There are six rungs on this ladder, but in the end the most important thing you can do is give your people the chance to use their strengths to accomplish their goals; this will make them feel successful, and making people feel that they have the chance to be successful is the key to motivating them to get the right things done.

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Seven Sure-Fire Ways to Lose Your Best Employees

Are you forcing your best staff out the door without even knowing it? If employee turnover is a concern for you, then you need to look at what could be causing the problem. There are many sure-fire ways to lose your best employees that managers use withoutthought everyday. People don’t leave companies, they leave bosses. Here are seven common business practices that are guaranteed to send your best people packing.

Don’t Trust Them

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7 Practical Ideas to Get Results From Teams

Teams that are successful have the potential to contribute in a big way to the organisation. At the same time, getting results from a team can often prove extremely challenging. So what are 7 practical things that you can do to get results from teams?

Idea 1: Make sure the result is crystal clear

Seems obvious but so often teams operate in an environment where they are given vague results. You know the kind of thing: “Improve efficiency and effectiveness”, “Engage more with customers and clients”, “Facilitate more employee involvement”. If you want a team to deliver results, make those results crystal clear.

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Is Employee Disengagement Killing Your Business?

One of the biggest problems facing managers and business owners is the effects of employee disengagement. Many managers simply do not grasp the concept that simply having bodies in place to do the job is not enough. By understanding exactly what disengagement can do to your business and what steps can be taken to create a team of happy and committed employees, you can improve your business practices and, in turn, increase your profits.
 
Employee engagement is one of the most crucial factors in the success of a business. When employees commit themselves to their jobs and act in the best interest of the company, the workplace is a more positive place to be, jobs get done well, and profitability will grow. This is an ideal situation, but most companies don't have this level of engagement organically. It must be worked for by both the company and its employees. [Read more...]

Leadership and Team Building – Preparing a Program

Leadership and team building are two of the biggest factors in the success of a company. Developing a program that will help your employees to learn leadership skills, while giving them the tools they need to build a stronger team. While building your team and developing leadership skills can be done organically through on the job training, having a specific program that is offered to all employees can be a more cost effective way to grow your business.

When developing a leadership and team building program for your company, you want to first set the goals that you wish to achieve through the program. Though naturally you want to help your employees to grow and develop, you need to find a focus for the program. You may want to develop a pool of qualified leaders to step into management roles in the future, or you may wish to enhance the team effort of your employees in preparation for a large upcoming project.

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5 Ways to Make Work Fun Without Wrecking Productivity

5 Ways to Make Work Fun Without Wrecking Productivity

Those employed full time spend on average more waking hours at work five days a week than they do at home. So why not enjoy work more and complain less! Here are 5 ways to help make work fun without damaging productivity.

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Keeping Your Employees Motivated – Top Tips to Keep Staff Happy

There are a number of ways to achieve the ultimate goal of keeping your staff and employees happy, and we look at a few of them below.

Good Wages / Salary – The most obvious way of keeping your staff on the ball and working hard is to make sure they are paid correctly. In a recession or a down time, it can be quite easy to immediately start cutting pay, but sometimes this can be counter productive as not only will their motivation fall, but so will their level of productivity, meaning you might end up losing more money than you are saving.

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First Time Manager – Why You Need to Be a Role Model

You must have passed the preliminary test as a role model or you wouldn’t have been promoted to a manager position. Now it’s time to understand what more is expected. Your direct reports and your boss will be noting how you carry out your new position.

This is not a formal appraisal in the beginning mind you. (Though it could end up as an issue in your performance evaluation down the road if you’re not doing a good job in this area.) Nobody will be standing at the office door with a checklist when you walk in. It’s subtle.

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