https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/Though thousands of books, blogs and papers on management are written every year, motivating and managing people is really about using your own common sense to create an environment in which people can do their very best work. Learn from my 30 years of management experience, and discover just how rewarding people management can be! hourly12000-01-01T12:00+00:00https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/633860We’ve all heard and read the corporate rap time and again. “Our employees are our greatest assets!” How then have 15 million dedicated, hardworking “assets” ended up unemployed? We all understand the uncertainty of the times; we get it. But what’s hard to swallow is the walk versus the talk. If...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/632393A professional acquaintance of mine always ends his phone calls and emails with, “Make it a great day!” Not ‘ have a great day,’ which seems very passive as compared to ‘ make it a great day.’ What appeals to me about his sign-off is the sense of control it promotes. Versus sitting around hoping...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631534In a recent post, a business blogger told the story of an excellent worker who was laid off. Her performance ratings were among the highest; she never whined about the amount or complexity of her work; and she was respected for communicating exactly what she was doing at all times. And that’s...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631411Julia, my 13-year-old granddaughter, is as connected as they come. Typical of her generation, she keeps her friends apprised of her every move via fast thumbs and abbreviated use of the language. When she sends messages to me, I spend a lot of time deciphering the acronyms, hieroglyphics of...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631124There’s a lot of current discussion about how important transparent leadership is in developing engaged, motivated workforces. So true! In fact, I’ve read research that shows that frequent, honest communication from the top of organizations can override the damage done by inept supervisors....https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631123If you’re a manager or supervisor right now, your life is probably making big sucking sounds. You’ve been told to reduce staff which, if you’re like me, is about as easy as figuring out which of your children you’d hand over to a kidnapper. It’s the pits, no other way to say it. However, you’ve...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631116Some people are natural communicators. They’re articulate and at ease no matter the circumstances. They exude confidence and positive energy, and very often, they’re found at the highest levels of health care, business, government, or even family pecking orders. They possess the rare (and...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631111In years gone by, the suggestion box usually sat next to the time clock, convenient to workers as they punched in and out. Employees stuffed the box with their ideas and hoped for a frozen turkey as a reward. Fast forward to today when many companies pay a healthy percentage of first-year savings...https://www.blogit.com/Blogs/Blog.aspx/Manage4Success/631110Several years ago, a colleague dropped me a note of thanks for being his mentor, which was very rewarding to me. But until that moment, I didn’t know that “mentoring” was what I was doing. I just thought of it as listening, offering advice if asked for it, and showing support. But, surprising to...