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Babe Ruth was one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His record of 714 home runs remained unbroken for decades until Hank Aaron finally surpassed him. The Babe was the idol of sports fans but, in time, age took its toll, and his popularity began to wane. Finally, the Yankees traded him to […]
A consultant whose opinion we respect—Bill Lee of Lee Resources, at BillLeeOnline.com—recommends a book he thinks is the best manager-improvement product he’s come across. It is The Control Theory Manager, by William Glasser, M.D. (HarperBusiness, 1994), and it’s short enough to be covered in an hour-long training session. The author contrasts what he calls “boss-management,” […]
Your managers are the keys to your employees’ productivity and engagement. How well are they doing? A consultant whose opinion we respect—Bill Lee of Lee Resources, at BillLeeOnline.com—recommends a book he thinks is the best manager-improvement product he’s come across. It is The Control Theory Manager, by William Glasser, M.D. (HarperBusiness, 1994), and it’s short […]
Early in my career, I worked for a boss who, every time he returned from vacation, measured the productivity of his staff by the number of reports and memos he had waiting from each person. It didn’t take long for his staff to realize if you wanted to impress upon him that you had worked hard […]
Again, we’ve turned to BLR’s newly-published Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management for 2012 for guidance. Identifying Key Positions and Skills A critical step in the process is to specifically identify the key positions that will be targeted in the succession plan. This usually includes management-level positions. It may also include highly specialized jobs […]
To get a better handle on what’s new in succession planning, we turned to BLR’s newly-published Top 10 Best Practices in HR Management for 2012. We’re dealing with an aging workforce. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that over one-third of the civilian employees working for the federal government are eligible for retirement. […]
Successful mentoring relationships start with a clear agreement about goals, procedures, and limitations, says mentoring expert Lois Zachary. Too often mentors and mentees start off without doing enough preparation and end up with an unsatisfactory experience, she says. Zachary, author of The Mentor’s Guide and the recently published The Mentee’s Guide to Mentoring, provides guidelines […]
The new mentoring depends on a reciprocal learning relationship, she says. Zachary, author of The Mentor’s Guide and The Mentee’s Guide to Mentoring, presents seven elements of successful mentoring programs. 1. Reciprocity In the new mentoring, there is equal engagement of both parties. Both have responsibilities, both have roles to play, and both have something […]
A great man once said, “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.” The man credited for uttering those words? Dr. Seuss. But how right was the author of those wonderful children’s books? In my estimation, he hit the nail on the head. I was on the phone the other day with a […]
One of the traits I think is important in a leader is consistency. It’s not always easy to assess in job candidates, but it certainly shows itself (or not) over time. Webster’s defines consistency this way: “steadfast adherence to the same principles, course, form, etc.” A consistent leader has a steadfast adherence to the same […]