Not all staff complaints are created equal. Done productively, complaints can actually provide valuable feedback and lead to improvements in operations. Sometimes a complaint is simply a way for people to vent. If this is over and done with once the venting is complete – then it can be fine. If there is more to it, then it needs to be redirected into a more productive … [Read more...] about Handling Your Staff’s Complaints
Teamwork
Assess Your Team
How can you improve your team’s performance? Recently, I did a training workshop for staff of the Cherokee Nation on Teamwork. Many of their questions centered around this question, and I suggested: “You might think about starting with an assessment.” You can keep it simple and take fifteen minutes at the end of your next staff or Board meeting to ask: *What’s are … [Read more...] about Assess Your Team
Boost Your Team Creativity
Leaders continually strive for more creativity and innovation from their teams. The ever-changing environment calls upon us to strive for continuous improvement. One of my favorite authors, Adam Grant, wrote an excellent book on creativity called Originals. You can check out my blog on his book here. As far as creativity among teams goes, a recent article in Harvard … [Read more...] about Boost Your Team Creativity
Improve Your Onboarding
Do your new employees have a great first day and first week? After all of the time and money you spend figuring out who to hire, it is very important to make sure you onboard new employees well. A positive experience can set a new employee on a trajectory to be very effective and grow into a longtime contributor. Following are some great ideas from a Harvard Business … [Read more...] about Improve Your Onboarding
Your Gratitude Attitude
“Hey – Thank You.” “Thanks!” “Thank you – I really appreciate it.” Do you take the time to say Thank You in your workplace? Or are you in such a rush that when someone does something that is part of their job description, that you just run away without saying a word? Research reported in The Wall Street Journal states that saying Thank You can “increase … [Read more...] about Your Gratitude Attitude