Tag: leadership
How to Cope When Difficult Colleagues Won’t Cooperate
It’s frustrating to try to get through your own work or to help your team make progress when you can’t get your colleagues to cooperate. Last week’s post covered some of the reasons that you... Continue reading
How to Confront Your Fears with Difficult Colleagues
Some midlevel and senior executives are perfectly comfortable holding their staff members accountable for their responsibilities, but they get flummoxed when a peer is unenthusiastic, uncooperative, or downright obstructionist. These execs may not perceive it... Continue reading
How to Keep Your Staff from Heading for the Exits
My office is on the fifth floor of a five-floor building and, although I take the elevator up, I usually take the stairs down. Every so often, I find someone from another office standing somewhere... Continue reading
This Is Why Leaders’ Work Is Never Done
Team development never ends -- not if you want a well-functioning, effective team. Sometimes when a team has recently averted a crisis or resolved a significant problem, they exclaim in a kind of relief: “We... Continue reading
How to Get Out from “Under the Bus”
“They threw me under the bus” is one of the most common expressions of complaint among employees who see themselves as the victims of intra- or inter-team sniping. Whenever I hear it, I picture tire... Continue reading
There’s a Right Way to Empower Employees Effectively
We often talk about empowerment when we want to indicate that we trust our people to make their own decisions, handle their own work, and do what’s best for the organization. But much too frequently,... Continue reading
You Can Help Your Staff Manage You Better
Even at the most senior levels, it can be awkward and uncomfortable to manage people. They often don’t do the things you expect them to do, and when you give them critical feedback they’re clearly... Continue reading
Why Being Clear Is Even More Important Than Being Nice
It’s always risky for employees when managers are “too nice” and don’t give clear feedback about expectations, preferences, or necessary improvements. In effect, these managers stand by as employees go off the track rather than... Continue reading