Blog Posts

Nearly every workplace succeeds in the cooperative and collaborative effort of its team members, with each employee offering their unique strengths and perspectives to the work environment. The detrimental impact of unmanaged negativity can be immense —resulting in lowered employee engagement, plummeting morale, increased conflict, declining motivation, lower productivity, sinking profitability, heightened unsafe working conditions, and a persistent sense of dissatisfaction.  Yet, correcting such bad behavior requires a delicate balance:  How can Managers accurately report and address a toxic attitude without accelerating negativity or being perceived as overly critical? If you'd like to read more, please click the title....

Is it conceivable to cram more work into the day without increasing your work hours? The short answer is: Yes. I spent the last month interviewing workplace experts and employees across myriad industries and disciplines about how they reach maximum productivity during their workdays. Specifically, the tricks, tools, and tips they use to heighten their productivity, as well as their organization’s profitability. If you'd like to read more, please click the title....

This year's numerous changes and challenges have made finding peace a struggle for many. The combination of public events and personal difficulties has heightened people's anger.   However, this isn't just ordinary frustration—scientists reveal that prolonged anger can worsen health issues and alter how we respond to various situations.   If you'd like to read more, please click the title....

Employers can still leverage benefits if raising salaries is not an option this year. From the gas pump to the grocery store, Americans are feeling the hurt of inflation and looking for relief.  With that said, employees may not have to look too far, since their employers may have the means to offset this financial burden. Fully 55% of Americans are experiencing financial difficulties due to rising inflation.¹  Furthermore, 13% of these employees say the impact has been severe.¹  An earlier survey discovered that 24% of employees planned to reduce their spending and buy only essential items....

Some meetings result in productive outcomes and solid decisions. Others are a complete waste of time.  Indeed, employees cite meetings as one of their biggest complaints about their workplace.  This fact is even more shocking, and ironic, given that other top workplace complaints are poor, and/or a lack of communication. In fact, here are the top five complaints about workplace meetings and meeting management¹:   Complaint #1:  One or two people do all the talking. The solution:  During a long workplace meeting, it is not realistic that all participants will have equal “air time.”  With that said, ...

Five Proven Tips For Making Smart Remote Hiring Choices An overwhelming number of employers worldwide (75%) have reported talent shortages and ongoing challenges to hire qualified workers.¹  More than ever, effective recruiting is a very tricky proposition, especially if you only want to hire the most qualified and best virtual workers.    Despite the recently announced layoffs in the technology sector and a potential recession, many people are looking to leave their office surroundings and instead work from home as remote workers. As such, when evaluating remote candidates, your hiring managers’ top priorities should be the candidates’ skills and ...

Over the last year, I asked and surveyed several thousand managers what questions were most meaningful to ask in one-on-one meetings with their direct reports.  Here are the results . . .     1. Is there anything new we should start doing as a team? This question is a great way to open a dialogue on what your employees want to start doing, but also will lead to learning what you should stop and start doing as their manager.  Using “as a team” depersonalizes the question and makes it more likely that the employee will share their personal preferences.   ...

Team Members cannot be expected to excel in their roles and responsibilities without proper guidance and knowledge. It has been said the strongest relationships are built on a foundation of communication.  As such, it should come as no surprise that myriad Research Institutes, including one of the three companies I founded, have found a strong positive correlation between communication and employee engagement. When managers establish a culture of open and honest dialogue among their team members, the percentage of Actively Engaged individuals rises.  Since engagement is overwhelmingly linked to positive business outcomes, it is important to utilize the ...

First, there was the “great resignation.”  But now, there is a new workplace trend rapidly spreading across the country:  quiet quitting.  In fact, the term is going viral on social media, particularly on Tik Tok, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Quiet quitting isn’t necessarily about resigning from your job altogether.  Instead, it is simply about just doing the bare minimum amount of work in your job.  Other related definitions of quiet quitting include: Just doing enough to get by and placing a pause on the idea of going above and beyond.  Managers are recognizing that employees are ...

The global pandemic changed how companies must function. Today, more than ever, the best companies are guided by leaders who promise and deliver an outstanding experience for their entire team. They put their employees first and understand that customers and revenue will follow. And so it is with the best books. The best books are those created by authors who focus on delivering a great reading experience trusting the revenues, word of mouth marketing, and the next book deal will follow. I've learned a great deal in my professional career, much of it during my time leading HR Solutions International, ...

Managing a first-time manager requires a different approach than leading experienced managers.  Their management role is entirely new to them, and naturally, they are excited but also a little nervous.  After all, managing a team is a great opportunity, but one that comes with considerable responsibilities.   First off, if you are managing first-time managers, it is imperative that you realize the impact their role has on the employees they manage, as well as other non-direct report employees.  Fully 76% of employees believe their manager is the one that impacts the culture most at work.1  At ...

There are many stereotypes about Human Resources that give HR departments a bad rap within their organizations.  These unfair allegations often prevent people from wanting to build a career in Human Resources.   Here are some of the most common myths about Human Resources, where they might originate, and the ultimate reality or truth:   1. HR Lacks Business And Data Knowledge    The stereotype:  Numerous people claim that HR does not understand how their organization makes money, let alone know how to make data-driven decisions.  This gross misconception originates from people having a limited understanding of what ...

Sometimes you reach a point in your career where you need a little extra motivation.  You might feel stuck in a rut, nervous about completing new job tasks, concerned about your job security, or just feeling a little lost. To provide inspiration for when you need it most, here are 10 quotes from entrepreneurs, athletes, intellectuals, artists, and visionaries to motivate you – no matter where you are in your career.   1. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.  If you have not found it yet, keep looking.  Don’t settle....