As an employee, it can often be intimidating speaking about professional issues in the workplace. You do not want to overstep, say the wrong words, or risk getting fired or put on the bad side of your manager. It is your responsibility as a manager to help those within your department to communicate. Employees who are struggling to…
In 2018, billions of dollars were spent on corporate training and development across the United States. Billion! The good news? The total amount of training investment has been on the rise for the better part of the past 30 years. Intuitively we know that developing employees is a good thing. However, the real problem is what happens after the…
If you’re a manager, your key responsibility should be the management of your team. This includes bringing out the best qualities and work skillsets from your team members. Your ability to give feedback in a way that people can process and produce plays a central role in optimizing employee performance. How can an employee understand what is expected from them and their work performance if…
When it comes to workplace skills, they can be categorized into two types: hard skills and soft skills. These different skills are relatively unalike from one another, but both are needed to be successful on the job. Hard skills are tangible skills that are explicit to your job and are mandatory for you to do your work. For example, if you’re a chef cooking, this would be an example of a hard skill. Soft skills on the other hand are relational or people…
It is important to establish positive and productive relationships between the manager and the individual members of your team. One-on-one meetings help each other grow personally and professionally. One-on-one’s provide a platform for managers and employees to update about a task, set job expectations, assess motivation and engagement, reinforce workplace values and visions, strengthen relationships, and minimize confusion. Great managers know…
We spend lots of time committing to interview practices. We worry about what we will say to future employers in order to seal the deal and get the job. So why don’t we take the same level of dedication and time over writing emails? Or even when we do try, why don’t our emails have…
Delivering negative feedback as a manager is the key to developing strong employees. However, many leaders are intimidated to do so and often avoid it, or they feel it is unnecessary for their time. This results in them either leaving feedback until the annual performance review or firing an employee when they don’t meet their expectations. In turn, employees feel attacked for something…
In a recent research study that surveyed 50 countries (5800 executives), it was found that the biggest breaks in the business were not “digital skills,” but behavioral skills. While digital and technical skills are in high demand, these individuals and job positions can be filled and replaced easily and rapidly since these are hard skills and can be easily taught. Most college graduates and young professionals have the digital skills…
Training will be needed in-person from time to time but for the most part, any education and training that can be completed online will be taught online, from now on. Companies have understood they can do it faster, successfully, and more cost-efficient online. Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, corporate education was taking a turn into the digital learning world. While schools are frivolously attempting to reopen campuses back to full capacity for the fall, companies on the other hand are swiftly and silently planning never to do the exact opposite, switching…
A one-on-one meeting can go downhill very easily. To help prevent this from happening, here is a list of best practices to follow to have a positive one-on-one experience. Schedule accordingly: Schedule your one-on-one meeting based on the number of team members, and on the specific needs of each person. Bi-weekly meetings are good if you have over 5 employees as…