Management Information


Motor Vehicle Policy and Your Employee Risks


It is becoming more common for employers to require employees to use their personnel motor vehicles for business use. Reimbursement for business use is commonly by way of a kilometre/mileage allowance or a general motor vehicle allowance for the year.

Five Principles of Effective Communication


The problem with communication is the illusion that it has occurred. George Bernard ShawI'm sure this has happened to you: a colleague has just done the exact opposite of what you wanted him to do.

Time Management and Team Development - The Yes and No of It


Sometimes.In fact making some small changes to the circumstances when we use these two little words, can make all the difference.

Rapid Culture Change is Possible


Purpose: Show how immersion leadership training makes strategic initiative success possible.Adults learn through experience.

Focus and Shoot


One of my earliest childhood memories is watching Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) win his third Most Outstanding Player award while leading UCLA to its third straight NCAA title in 1969. Of course, March Madness? is now ingrained in our sports psyche.

Summertime Blues


It's hard to believe the year will be half over in just a few weeks. All the planning you did is either turning out great, coming along slowly but surely or hasn't really gotten off the ground because other issues keep getting in the way.

Managing Dickheads


"We are so different and individualistic that we can't work together." Subroto Bag chi, a senior executive in wipro technologies and Indian Technology MNC, said to his chairman in a straight talk.

The "Better Product" fallacy


Another fallacy ingrained in the minds of most marketing managers is the belief that the better product will win the marketing battle.Behind the thinking of many marketing managers is the thought that "truth will out.

The "Better People" Fallacy


It's easy enough to convince your own staff that better people will prevail, even against the odds. It's what they want to hear.

Your Company Without Training - Any Questions?


Okay, be honest!Are you guilty of sticking in a few boring videos and calling it training?Do you send in your department heads to deliver a few, rushed, canned presentations and call it orientation?Are you then surprised when your new employees don't live up to your expectations, and your employee turnover numbers keep rising?What if you took the time and money that you spend on employee recruitment and put it into employee training? Would it make a difference? Would it be worth the effort?You Bet it Would!!Take, for instance, The Container Store, who has made the top of Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list for the 6th year in a row! In an employee's first year they offer over 241 hours of training, far exceeding the training hours offered by other retail stores. In the next 18 months they are slated to open 5 more stores, creating over 6000 more jobs!More impressively, the retail industry averages 150% employee turnover, but The Container Store averages only 25%!!Learn also, from ACTS Retirement Life Communities, a Continuing Care Retirement Corporation, based in Pennsylvania with additional locations in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina.

Have You Fixed the Broken Window?


Left alone it doesn't take long for a building with a single broken window to rapidly become a building with many broken windows. Fixing problems when they are small will prevent them from developing into larger problems.

Is Your Employee Newsletter Management Propaganda?


It should not be. If it is an effective newsletter, it will serve the needs of readers (employees) as much as it serves the needs of the publisher (management).

Group Decision Making : Are the Decisions Really Made by the Group?


GROUP DECISION-MAKING: Many managers feel they are well-versed in areas of group effort, such as problem-solving, goal-setting, and action planning. Frequently, however, the implementation of such techniques never seem to get beyond the initial stage.

Problem-Solving Success Tip: Look For Sponsors And Solution Owners


Look for sponsors and solution owners rather than problem owners.Everyone participating in the situation owns the problem, like it or not-and nobody likes it.

Poor Employee Performance: How to Deal


KEEP WRITTEN RECORDS: "Document !Document! Document!" Keep a record of periodic performance reviews, incidents of unsatisfactory performance, conferences where warnings are administered or terminations are announced. Issue warnings and terminations in writing as well as verbally.

The How-Tos of Firing Incompetent Employees


CATEGORIES OF OFFENSES: Most organizations have two categories of offenses in their policies. One category is for flagrant actions which are cause for immediate termination.

Budgets!


Budgets! There I've said it. For some the most hated and feared word in business.

Assertiveness Helps Accomplish Everything


When trying to get something accomplished, assertive behavior is the most effective. Although other methods may accomplish the intended ends, the alternatives imperil our own rights or those of others, creating conflict and building mistrust into relationships.

Pricing Strategy for Retail Flower Shops


When you create your profit and loss statement to assess the health of your business, you will see:Sales minus Cost of Goods Sold equals Gross Profit.You pay for all of your expenses with the gross profit.

On the Road to Assertiveness


Learning to be assertive takes time, courage and the ability to recognize the situation for what is really is.You want to get something done, and you need another's help.

Supervisor-Employee Relations: Tips For Managers


Supervisor-employee relations are a critical part of a work place atmosphere and promoting productivity and cohesiveness. The following tips address these issues:1.

Important Communication Tips For Managers


The following tips will help you communicate more effectively with your employees:1. Let employees know that having feelings is okay.

How Your Feelings and Those of Your Employees Can Make The Difference


How we feel is really more important than what we know. This is because how we feel plays a bigger role in our behavior than knowing what we should or should not do.

The Changing Boss-Secretary Relationship


THE CHANGING BOSS-SECRETARY RELATIONSHIP: Imagine a partnership at work. One member is outlining the agenda for the annual stockholders' meeting, the other is managing the logistics.

How Bad Communication Can Hold You Back and How to Break Free of It


The reason jobs are often not done right and employees are fired is because of lack of skill. Right? Wrong! Poor communication and ineffective human relations are the major causes.

Using an Appraisal to Benefit Your Organization


PERFORMANCE APPRAISALS BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION:Appraisals help spot employees with potential for advancement. Appraisals bring attention to the so-called high-potentials - people who have both the will and the ability to excel in the organization.

Improved Communication to Improve Results


Facilitating good communication can make the difference between a well oiled, effective team and disorganization and ambiguity. By following the tips below, you, the supervisor, can take steps toward improving communication with your employees:1.

Todays Employees and Their New Needs: What You Need to Know


Today's employees are not only interested in security or in pay and fringe benefits. They are often placing increased value on being recognized and involved in reaching personal growth goals.

Help Your Employees Prepare for a Performance Appraisal


PREPARING EMPLOYEES FOR THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL INTERVIEWS: Remind employees to give some thought to the purpose of performance appraisal: it is a means to learn from the past, plan for the future, and improve effectiveness and work satisfaction. The performance appraisal discussion is an opportunity to motivate, recognize, and reward your employee.

Communication, Feedback, and Participation: Three Easy Tidbits For Smarter Business


On communication: One of the biggest strains on the communication process occurs when the sender or receiver is experiencing stress, anger, or frustration either at work or at home. When a situation is emotionally charged, it is difficult to express yourself clearly and maintain a positive communication relationship.

Conference Calling Can Save Your Sales OrganizationTime and Money!


Conference calling can save you money. There is no doubt that inthe sales business, every second counts.

Help for the Meeting-Weary Manager


Most of us have found ourselves working on a team at one time or another. That means we have been asked to attend, and even participate, in lots of meetings.

Try It Out On Your Team First


Wow! You're brilliant! You have a great idea. You've looked at it every possible way to find holes in your logic, fallacies in your assumptions.

Project Management, A Forgotten Perspective


Effective project managers know how to get the job done, and get it done right. Success comes not only from wise selection of the team members and utilization of the best project management software tools; effective managers know how to lead, and how to encourage project team members to do their best.

Are Your Marketing Pieces Up to Date?


The other day someone asked me for one of my informational brochures. As I was giving her the piece I stated that if I were printing these today it would be a little different.

Hows Your HUB?


Marketing gurus are always coming up with new lingo but oftentimes they are restating the old tried and true concepts in new terms. Marketing students from the 70's and 80's will be familiar with the acronym USP.

Performance Management Made Easy


Performance Management is a process that both employer and employee often fear!Why is this so!There is much misinformation about the performance management process and performance appraisals in management circles today. We often think that best practice demands that we must performance appraise 'no matter what'.

How to Manage Your Most Valuable Assets - People?


People management and leadership has become a major topic of conversation in today's market place and have assumed mythical qualities. Managing you people is not that difficult if you are willing to invest one thing in their development; YOU.

Performance Appraisal Scenarios: Improve Your Communication


IMPROVING COMMUNICATION DURING THE PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: If the employee has trouble getting started on the self-appraisal you might say: "Why don't you start by talking about the XYZ project?" (Pick a topic that the employee will feel comfortable with, a success rather than a failure.) "It seems to me that the PDQ project was harder than we expected.

Inspirational Power ( Part 1 )


The Fundamentals of Strategic Marketing, Some Key Traits for Greater EffectivenessProbably, the greatest challenge to marketing management in the next five Years will be to change quick and fast enough, in order to keep pace with new technologies, new markets and new corporate valuesAccording to the definition of the AMA, "Marketing is an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers and for managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its stakeholders. "Customer focus has nowadays become a cliché among marketers keen to win competitive advantage.

Dissenion Down On The Cubicle Farm


How content and satisfied are American employees? Not very!According to Corinne Maier, a psychotherapist and author of "Bonjour Laziness," corporate cubicle inhabitants are anything but tranquil and joyous. These natives are truly restless.

Having Your Phil


February 2nd, at approximately 7:30 a.m.

How to Coach Your Emplyees and Increase Motivation


It is easy to spot the difference between a work team that is "motivated" and one that just goes through the motions. The motivated team produces at or above the level expected by top management, has only occasional absences or tardiness, and low employee turnover.

Performance Evaluation: How To Create Change


STEPS TOWARDS GIVING A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW: Give specific feedback. Statements such as, "You're doing a good job" and "You'd better shape up" are almost without value unless accompanied by specific feedback on what the employee is to continue doing or to stop doing.

Appraisal Interviews: What To Say & How To Say It


STEPS TOWARDS A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW:Don't say: "You just don't seem to care about doing a good job." "You seem to be more interested in scoring points against Charlie than in working with him.

Training Adults, Not Teaching Children


Adults are vulnerable to personal and professional embarrassment from poor performance in the training program. Poor performance in the classroom may become the basis for personnel decisions by supervisors or the source of ridicule by peers.

Performance Evaluations Can Be Beneficial


THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW MEETING: It's a fact - most supervisors and employees have negative feelings toward performance appraisals and appraisal interviews. It's often necessary to shift people's thinking from the perception that the interview is a time of judgment to the perspective that supervisors can provide support and direction to employees who want to improve their productivity and be involved in the process.

What Makes a Good Appraisal Interview?


WHAT MAKES A GOOD APPRAISAL INTERVIEW?Here is a tip for supervisors that will contribute to a successful appraisal interview. Give advance notice.

The Idol-Makers


The end of the television season in May included the usual array of cliffhangers on shows like "Alias," the departure of Noah Wylie from "ER" and the finale of the highly-rated "Everybody Loves Raymond" after 210 episodes. On the last day of "Sweeps," more than 29 million people tuned in to see the crowning of the fourth "American Idol.

The Three-Dimensional Communication System


Human communication is always three-dimensional. No spoken or written message is ever just words or rational thoughts.

Creating a Team Working Environment


TEAM DECISION MAKING: Managers who invite participation believe that people directly affected by a decision should be involved in making that decision. The effort is toward joint, cooperative decision making.

How to Create a Trusting Manager-Employee Relationship


BUILDING TRUST AS A MANAGER: 1. Be reliable.

How to get an Audiences Attention


A trainer dryly discussing how to motivate people in an organization basically has just another "point-by-point" presentation. But suppose that he mounts the podium and begins to speak.

Small Business Outsourcing: An Introduction


Outsourcing is the delegation of a business process to an external service provider. The service provider will then be responsible for the day-to-day running and maintenance of the delegated process.

Joint Accountability: Another Key for Your Effectiveness


I once was part of a group of management professors who often taught in executive development seminars. Other non-management professors in the school ran these.

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Ideas for Everyday Training


This article relates to the Training competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It tells the story of a group of team leaders who worked together to find ways to use information sharing and communication to provide valuable employee training.

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Workplace Ethics: Reaching the Highest Standard


This article relates to the Ethics in the Workplace competency, commonly evaluated in employee surveys. It gives examples of how employees and customers consider ethical behavior and sound values an integral part of your organization.

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: The Organizational Structure of Our Growing Business


This article relates to the organizational structure competency, commonly evaluated in employee satisfaction surveys. It shows how structural concerns can affect the typical employee workday, as well as feelings towards your organization's management hierarchy and reporting structure.

Tales from the Corporate Frontlines: Employee Ideas Achieve Work Life Balance


This article relates to the Work/Life Balance competency, which investigates how your staff feels with regard to the balance between work and personal life. It explores issues such as priority of family and hours on the job, also covered in this competency.

Group Meeting Disrupters


MEETING DISRUPTERS: If two participants are carrying on a personal discussion that interferes with a meeting, direct a clear and simple question to one of them. In order to avoid embarrassing them, address them by name before asking the question.


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