In a discussion about how to build high-performance teams, Transformational Energy Leadership podcast host Dr. Matthew Woolsey asked me a tough question: “What can leaders do when someone is really just falling down on the... Continue reading
No job is meant to be “until death do us part.” Employment is a theoretical deal: The employer is willing to pay a certain amount of money for an employee’s successful execution of a set... Continue reading
Say you’re interviewing candidates for a big job you really need to fill -- and fast. The absence of someone in this crucial spot is beginning to halt progress and the staff is starting to... Continue reading
If you can’t draw a direct line from performance appraisal to performance improvement, then, seriously, what’s the point? Yet in many organizations, the definitions, criteria, and explanations for the annual review aren’t specifically pertinent to... Continue reading
Sometimes a small question is actually about a bigger issue. This was the case when a faithful reader’s recent question got me thinking in two different directions: What could she do about an employee who... Continue reading
Clients and other business people often ask me for interview questions that will reveal which candidates are most likely to succeed in a particular job. But there’s no standard set of questions, because it’s all... Continue reading
Last week’s post, This Is the Truth About Workplace Feedback, discussed the significance of having a generally positive relationship with an employee before asking the employee to take in and apply critical feedback. A positive relationship... Continue reading
How can you tell when an employment relationship has run its course? And what if you’ve figured it out, but the employee hasn’t? Often, the problem is a function of fit: The organization has evolved... Continue reading
Why are we so tolerant of certain kinds of unsuccessful behaviors in children, but not in adults? When a child stumbles and falls while learning to walk, no one says, “Don’t fall down, you bad... Continue reading
Long, long ago, maybe back in the ’80s, “empowerment” was the hot new thing in workplaces. The word itself had a regenerative, creative, motivating sound. It held the possibility that, instead of laboring under bureaucratic... Continue reading
Want help coping with conflict?
Download your free Field Guide to help you identify and resolve interpersonal conflicts. You’ll also get Liz’s monthly Workplace Wisdom emails from which you can unsubscribe at any time.