Blog - Ken Okel: Recent Episodes
Ken Okel
If you work at a business that has just been acquired, then it's understandable if you're nervous about a merger. A lot of uncertainty comes when new ownership takes over. Often these deals happen in secrecy, so they come as a big surprise. What should you do next? I asked my LinkedIn connections for their [...]
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A good way to get work done faster and improve your work-life balance will see you solve procrastination with deadlines. In many cases, wanting to do a good job with projects is important. But are you spending too much time on certain things, in the pursuit of perfect, where the extra effort does little to [...]
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If you learn your company has just been bought, then it’s understandable that you may feel some panic. Acquisitions can make you feel like the little fish that has just been eaten by a larger fish. And for many employees, news of a merger comes out of weeks of secrecy. But is worrying about the [...]
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It’s not uncommon for a leader to spend time looking for workplace problems with employees. Whether it’s in a big factory floor or a high rise office, leaders will notice mistakes or things that are being done the wrong way. Rather than saying nothing, a correction is offered. This is good, as you don’t want [...]
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If you're a leader, then understand you will be judged on responding to an unexpected challenge. Some sort of problem will emerge, you likely will have little control over it, and yet you'll be expected to find a path out of the challenge. Do you have the skills to make this kind of fast adjustment? [...]
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Celebrate episode 700 of this podcast with a story about why you may need to redefine impossible. When faced with an unexpected challenge, do you find yourself immediately throwing in the towel and saying, "It can't be done."? What if, in those moments, you were selling yourself and others short? Join me on stage, at [...]
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If you’re struggling with an increasing workload, then you may want to use routines to empower your workday. You don’t want to have your time spent just reacting to the latest crisis. By creating some productive routines, you can add some much-needed structure to your day. These good habits can also include game-changing activities like [...]
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You may have trained your employees in what to say, but have you considered how employee nonverbal communication can hurt your business? Without realizing it, employees might be sending signals that push customers away. How Employee Nonverbal Communication Affects Customers Recently, I had an appointment at my dentist’s office. Now, like many people, I don’t [...]
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For businesses that have been around for a while, it's important to consider if you're old or experienced. The two are not always the same and you need to understand the difference. If your business is just old, then trouble might be down the road. Find out what makes something old, still relevant, in this week's [...]
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These tips for smart networking at conferences can help you boost your return on investment when you attend events. For many, the ability to connect with fellow professionals is a big reason why they go. But you may not get the success you desire if you don't have a strategy. Find out how your fellow [...]
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If you have a lot of stressed out Monday mornings at work, then you may need to add some strategy to the start of your week. Too often, the start of what you hope will be a productive time, becomes bogged down by lots of distractions. And some leaders may not know how to prioritize [...]
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In a world where technology is everywhere, should your smartphone be banned in meetings? Meetings are a place where lively discussions are supposed to happen, leading to major decisions. Does the smartphone interfere with that productive process? Recently, I polled my LinkedIn connections on the topic and found there's support for several different strategies when [...]
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A great team building question can open the door to improved employee engagement. The question we’re discussing today is easy to ask. However, the answer requires some thought. This great team building question can also help your business strengthen your hiring process because you’re going to get some great inside information you can hire with [...]
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You’re not alone if you feel it is harder to maintain your work-life balance in 2024. A rapidly changing marketplace, economic uncertainty, and new job demands may see your work life taking over your personal life. For some, the problem is forcing them to not use all of their PTO (How to Solve the Employee [...]
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If you're outsourcing a task, then you need to ask your provider, "Who does does the work?" The answer can save you time, money, and frustration. When you hire someone to do a job for you, it's understandable to expect their showcased level of quality. That may not be the case, as your account may [...]
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In business, it's easy to let cheap problems hurt your productivity. These are little issues that are extremely annoying. But they aren't your big problems or your most pressing issues. Are you giving these cheap problems too much of your attention at the expense of more important things? How can we handle this time management [...]
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As a leader, you must ask yourself if your business is ready for unexpected employee absences. Lots of things can take your valuable employees out of the office for an extended period of time. Can your business function effectively without them? If you’re not sure, then you need to follow a simple process that ensures [...]
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If you’re a leader, solving the employee PTO problem is crucial for maintaining a productive and engaged workforce. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, 46% of U.S. workers do not use all of their paid time off (PTO). The Employee PTO Problem: Why It Matters While the idea of your employees working more [...]
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In your career, it's important to consider who's watching you. There's a good chance you may be exhibiting behavior that hurts you but you believe that you can get away with it because no one is looking at you, in the moment. You believe that if no one sees it, then it doesn't matter. That's [...]
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Having a sense of purpose at work is an important part of a career. It's empowering to find that connection, as it can help you stay motivated and help you get through challenging times. Not long ago, I polled my LinkedIn connections about their purposes at work and I discovered they fall into four categories. [...]
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Even the most social professionals want to know how to network better at conferences. Networking is an important skill that opens the door to new ideas, additional connections, and peers who can support you outside your organization. At conferences, it’s not unusual to find a packed agenda, leaving some unsure when the best time is [...]
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While many understand its benefits, committing to self-care is apparently a challenge. Simply put, self-care sees you make healthy choices that can empower your mental and physical health. It’s an important component of your work-life balance. Recently, I polled my LinkedIn connections with the question, “Why do people struggle to keep up with self-care?” Let’s [...]
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In business, you need to watch your words with customers. The things you say to them, even as offhand remarks, can become major turnoffs. And in a competitive marketplace that could cost you business. Even if you have the best marketing and branding, you and your employees can repel customers with your words. Let's go [...]
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If your Monday morning productivity is a concern, then you'll like these tips to start your week off strong. Each is designed to be easily implemented. Complex things usually never become habits. You don't want to get into a situation where you feel like you're falling behind on your week and it's only Monday morning. [...]
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If you can shortcut understanding with smart phrases, then you can improve your customer service and employee training. In business, your ability to clearly convey information will likely define your success. But are your words confusing or too hard to remember? What if you could speed up understanding through some creative wording? Enjoy a real [...]
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Complaints from colleagues are not unusual in a fast-changing, challenging world. But what should you do when someone comes to you to vent? And how are things different if you have no involvement with their job? Recently, I asked my LinkedIn connections to imagine a colleague came to them with a complaint that’s unrelated to [...]
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Have you ever wondered if you can change your clients? Sometimes, they can be demanding and ask you to do things beyond your scope of work agreement. I was asked this question by an audience member not long ago. And while this isn't exactly my area of expertise, I understood the problem and knew there [...]
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If your company has been bought, then you may be saying, “Now what?” For employees, there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world of mergers and acquisitions. Let’s face it, being gobbled up by a bigger fish should make you nervous, especially since these negotiations usually happen behind closed doors. Recently, I asked my LinkedIn [...]
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When you've got a tough challenge, what you do next is very important. Obviously, you'll want to pursue a solution. But how do you go about that process? Leaving it to chance may not produce a good outcome and could waste a lot of time. Instead, define how you'll approach finding a solution. Learn how [...]
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While you may feel your business provides excellent service, you should ask whether your customer experience needs a punch list. A punch list is often used in construction projects as a way to address small problems that need to be fixed before the project is complete. It’s all about uncovering some of the little details [...]
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It's important for leaders to understand that employees can learn how to exceed limitations at work. It can be easy to pigeonhole people's skills and their ability to make positive changes. That kind of growth can happen faster than you think, especially during challenging times, if you're open to providing three key pieces of information. [...]
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While right now many are dealing with the pain of the problem, you can take some good business lessons from CrowdStrike. The company’s software crash left airlines, banks, and many other industries scrambling to operate. This is not an article about the impact of bad computer code. Instead, it’s about how leaders can respond to [...]
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You may recognize some of these common boss complaints. While some might call them minor quirks, they could represent problems that could impact your hiring and retention efforts. And if you're a leader, you may not have realized certain behaviors could become a turnoff for employees. Why not change behaviors before you get a bad [...]
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While embracing unexpected change may sound like a skill that requires some clairvoyance, it's something you can master on the job. It's all about thinking proactively, rather than waiting for situations to happen. If you only react to these events, you're likely operating in a state of panic, which may not product the best results. [...]
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Whether it’s an iPhone or an Android, do you have a policy for smartphone use in meetings? The devices have become as much of workplace culture as a pen or a Stanley tumbler. But do our phones hurt our performance in meetings? After all, that’s where big decisions need to be made or important information [...]
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These good business takeaways for 2024 can help you avoid some common problems. All are actionable and some might say a few of the tips are a bit obvious. The power of these takeaways is that they identify challenges where you need to act. Things will not get better if you do nothing. Let's strengthen [...]
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Some leaders make a big mistake when they don’t consider the cost of micromanagement. Sure, it’s important to make sure employees do things correctly. But if you’re providing a distracting and unwanted level of supervision, then you could be creating problems, instead of solving them. Let’s go over some of the common scenarios that see [...]
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Let a trip to the dance floor provide you with inspiration for better employee training. Ideally, you want your employee training to become second nature for people. This prevents a lot of mistakes and costly shortcuts. Often employee training doesn't go far enough to reach your level of desired excellence. See how some simple dance [...]
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50 cent problems at work can really harm your productivity and distract you from your big picture goals. While these issues are annoying, you may be giving them way too much attention. You don’t have an unlimited amount of time to get things done. The faster you can identify these problems, the more time you’ll [...]
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Let's make better decision at work. Because there's a chance you're making important decisions based on random factors. That can lead to disappointing outcomes. I've found that with a little more consideration, the quality of your decisions will improve. Let's look at four elements of this process, in this week's episode of The 2 Minute Takeaway [...]
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A lot of businesses struggle with the question of whether you should DIY professional services. You have a need to get some new, specific task done and it’s tempting to try to do it yourself. But would the project be handled better if you hired an outsider who is an expert in that area? While [...]
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You need to make sure you don't create a communication gap with your employees and your customers. Otherwise, you may allow rumors to spread about your business. Plus, this poor communication habit could see you wasting a lot of time with unwanted distractions. Find out why, not saying anything, is never a smart communication strategy, in [...]
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Finding your purpose at work can play a big role in your work-life balance. It’s that thing that gets you out of bed, on a Monday morning, ready to reengage with your job. Recently, I saw a survey about how a sense of purpose at work was very important to Generation Z. That made me [...]
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If you can follow some simple strategies for work-life balance, then you can make some positive improvements in your life. Often, when we think of work-life balance, it's about major changes. Unfortunately, the bigger the change, the more likely it won't become a habit. Instead let's focus on four actionable strategies. Rebalance yourself, in this week's [...]
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If you can embrace a new communication process, then you can master how to make a fast change at work. Businesses often find themselves needing to respond to new demands or market conditions. Your ability to get your team to do things differently is very important, especially if you need it done quickly. You need [...]
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These successful habits for remote work are designed to empower you, if you're new to working from home. Whether it's your first job or one that no longer has an office, some good habits will make your work life much easier. Otherwise you may find yourself wasting time and energy. And for some, working from [...]
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The Easy Hike Earl chapter showcases a great example of why it’s important to understand client exceptions. Earl was a nature guide who mistakenly believed that everyone wanted to do the kind of hikes that he enjoyed. Others considered them to be nothing more than a guided, forced march. The Easy Hike Earl problem can [...]
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These Monday morning productivity tips can help you start your week off strong. Otherwise, you may immediately feel like you’re falling behind on things or are underachieving compared to others. I’m a big fan of routines and I want to introduce you to four good habits for making the most of the start of your [...]
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It can be uncomfortable to get the courage to change. Professionally, you may feel stuck or unwilling to get out of your comfort zone. What if you could solve this problem with a mindset adjustment? Join me on stage for a memorable and fun story about how you can find the courage to make a [...]
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The Nickel and Dime Danny chapter gives you a funny look at the lengths some employees will take to get back at their employers. While my book, Get Better! provides positive lessons from unexpected mentors, I also thought it was important to share a few examples of what not to do. You may know a [...]
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If you're having a hard time finding new workers, then you should consider these hiring tips for overqualified employees. There's a good chance you may be missing out on some people, simply because they may seem too good to be true. How will these employees fit into your work culture and are some of them [...]
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The Escape Artist chapter provides a funny example of the lengths some leaders will go to, in order to avoid their quirky issues. This true story sees a new CEO deciding it’s better to use a fire escape to enter his office building, rather than risk having to make small talk with his employees. But [...]
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Responding to a tough challenge is an important skill for leaders. It’s likely not one you’ll use every day but when you need it, it will feel priceless. Workplace challenges will always happen and often at the worst possible time. Your ability to pivot to a next step, quickly, is very important. This is not [...]
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While you may enjoy a lot of professional success, it's good to know how to come back from a setback. These disappointing moments may leave you baffled and unsure how to handle things. I've asked my LinkedIn followers for their best ways to come back from a setback and I think you'll be able to [...]
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The Don’t be Afraid chapter of Get Better! provides a good message for high achievers, who may need to be pushed. Sometimes, when you’re really good, you stop growing professionally. Over time, that may limit you or cause you to fall behind others. Join me as we see how a symphony conductor uses the words, [...]
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Ask yourself these important business questions to unveil ongoing problems or new opportunities in your organization. They are designed to make you face some important truths. While each question is rather simple, they can lead to productive discussions. Start asking the right questions, in this week's episode of The 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast. Get your copy [...]
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The Watch Yourself Willie chapter provides an important lesson in approaching feedback, especially when it could be negative. It came from a top TV news executive. When it comes to feedback, often it’s easy to be resistant to the advice, even if we know it will steer us in the right direction. Why do we [...]
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Have you ever wondered about the biggest boss complaint? What is the area where leaders fall short? I believe most bosses have good intentions and are hard-working. But stress and other challenges can sometimes bring out less desirable behavior. And some leaders are just bad at what they do and perhaps they’ve been promoted into [...]
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If you need a pep talk or words of encouragement for your employees, then consider saying, "Priceless must be played." It's a reference to a very expensive musical instrument and why it can't hold its value if it's locked in a case. Enjoy this short story from one of my speaking presentations, that's designed to [...]
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The Don’t Open the Oven chapter provides an important lesson in avoiding micromanagement. It comes from a professional chef. In your world, you may feel like your employees need some additional supervision but could that looking over their shoulders actually affect their performance? What’s a better way to handle this situation? Find out more in [...]
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As you look to build teamwork and celebrate accomplishments, you need to ask yourself if employees want office parties. You might be surprised to learn some of your old traditions may no longer fit your team. A lot has changed in the workplace over the past few years and some may want office parties to [...]
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The Beautiful Is Hard chapter of my new book, Get Better!, is about embracing higher standards when you may be tempted to take some shortcuts. This lesson takes place in a ballet dance studio, when some talented performers are getting some tough love about making it to the next level. It's an important training lesson [...]
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While attending a conference, should a leader party with employees? Often these events have a scheduled open night, when people can explore nearby attractions. Let’s say employees are eager to let off some steam and invite you to join them. Recently, I asked my LinkedIn connections about how you should approach after-hours, off-site celebrations. Here’s [...]
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If you want to improve your employee productivity and culture, you need to ask yourself if assumptions produce problems. Because you may be guessing a lot, on the job, about important things and you might be getting it wrong, more than you think. While it can be good to trust your instincts, you also need [...]
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It’s smart for leaders to understand change at work. Because there’s a good chance something you’re doing, no longer works as well as it once did. This is no one’s fault. It’s simply a product of progress. Can you step back and take a critical look at your business and decide if you’ve fallen behind [...]
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Whether you're a recent college graduate or a seasoned professional, you'll appreciate this business career advice. It's adapted from a hypothetical commencement speech. Rather than share old jokes or generic success formulas, I wanted to give you some actionable ideas. Grow from these four professional strategies, in this week's episode of The 2 Minute Takeaway [...]
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An important business lesson is that activity may not equal progress at work. This is especially important in organizations where productivity seems to be falling. It’s possible employees are keeping busy all day but accomplishing very little. For some leaders that’s a big surprise. Hopefully, understanding how activity may not equal progress at work, will [...]
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No matter how good your are at your job, you need to watch out for productivity killers at work. These are things that distract you from your job. They may end up hurting your work-life balance, as you find yourself having to do things, like stay late or work on weekends, just to keep up. [...]
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If you're looking for professional success, then you need to consider whether you're ready for your big break. Great opportunities sometimes arrive when you least expect them. You don't want to look back and feel like you didn't perform at your best, during an important moment. The good news is that you can start preparing [...]
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When your business needs to make a big change, don’t make this policy change mistake. It’s easy to think of doing things, in a new way, as a one time switch. But employees often need little reminders or course corrections to make sure they continue doing things the new and hopefully improved way. The old [...]
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There are warning signs for your work culture and smart leaders will notice and act on them. Otherwise, your business is likely headed for trouble. Think of it like the gas gauge on your car. Once the needle hits empty, you need to fill up or wait to hear your engine shut down. The outcome [...]
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If your workdays feel hectic and unproductive, then you may need to rethink your workload. There's a chance your focus may have gotten slightly off and that problem has grown over time. I took a poll on how business professionals get their work done and it produced some useful guidance. I'll also discuss the strengths [...]
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A common management team building mistake happens when there is conflict between two departments, in the same business. A leader decides the best way to resolve the issues is to get both sides together to talk things out. While this sounds reasonable, if both sides aren’t prepared properly for the session, the situation could get [...]
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For some, learning how to maintain customer loyalty during price hikes has become an uncomfortable challenge. But with inflation, raising the cost of your services may be unavoidable. What’s the best way to do this, without turning off your customers? Recently, on LinkedIn, I conducted a poll, where I asked my connections about about the [...]
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If working from home sees you feeling drained at the end of the day, then you may need some ideas for work-life balance for remote work. Over the past few years, we've had a dramatic change to how we work and it's understandable that some problems have emerged. Working from home is expected to continue [...]
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If you’ve ever struggled in school or not studied enough, then you my have asked the question, “Will this be on the test?" Beware! Today in the world of business, it’s a question that’s still worth considering. Because how you respond to information that may seem worthless may play a big role in your success. [...]
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In a rapidly changing world, it’s important for your business to have a workplace happiness plan. While the emotional state of employees may be hard to judge, it plays a big role in things like retention. So caring about it might not be a bad idea. Beyond building a strong employee culture, surveys have found [...]
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Stop ignoring customer complaints because they may hold some important truths for your business. Yes, there is a group of people who are never happy about anything and will nitpick any shortcomings. They are not the focus of our discussion. Instead, consider whether you have grown so resistant to negative feedback, that you ignore anything [...]
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Whether you’re connecting with customers or employees, you’ll likely benefit from this webinar presentation tip. Over the past few years, webinars, covering things like training or sales, have become a more accepted form of communication. You may be comfortable with the buttons and settings but you may be hurting yourself with some presentation mistakes. While [...]
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If you want to reward top performers at work, then you should consider some of these employee recognition ideas. Taking a moment to honor these people can become an important and appreciated part of your workplace culture. Recently, I held a poll on this topic on LinkedIn. Here are the choice and the voting results: [...]
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In today's uncertain business climate, it's smart to get ready for a layoff. Even the most optimistic employee should be prepared to hear bad news. After all, someone you've never met, may make a big decision about your future. If that bad day comes, why not be empowered, ahead of time, through preparation? Find out [...]
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If you’ve ever worked in business, then you may have wondered whether you should fire your customers. While customers make everything possible, some of them can be overly demanding, which can hurt your focus. And sometimes their bad behavior costs you more than they are worth. But should you fire your customers if you want [...]
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Rainy day activities can have a valuable impact on your business. Otherwise, you and your team may miss out on a great opportunity to update some processes or things that you'll need to use later on. Think back to when you were a kid and it was raining outside. You couldn’t play outdoors. Often a [...]
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Leadership overreactions happen when a leader tries to quickly solve a problem but actually makes the situation worse. Keep in mind these actions often come from good intentions. But the decisions may hurt workplace culture and undermine those who make up your leadership team. Let's calmly react to the problem of leadership overreactions, in this [...]
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While you may know you need extra help at work, do you know when to hire a freelancer? They can save you a lot of time and take on some of the work that you and your team may not like performing. But a freelancer does represent an addition cost. How can you know if [...]
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While leaders may acknowledge employee engagement problems, very often there’s not much consideration about solving frustration at work. If left unaddressed, little issues will grow like weeds and have a damaging impact on your work culture. Recently, on LinkedIn, I conducted a poll, where I asked people about the biggest source of frustration during their [...]
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While success should be your professional goal, you need to stop fearing failure. Because when things don't go well or as planned, some important growth can happen. What if failure was less of a dead end and more of an unexpected pit stop on your leadership journey? Learn to harness the power of failure, in [...]
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It’s possible that mixed messages at work could be acting like sales repellent for your customers. This can easily happen when the customer experience is defined in ways you did not expect. And sometimes it’s about negative interactions. No matter how much you spend on branding and marketing, little actions by your team members could [...]
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Poor leadership communication is usually a root cause of a struggling business. Without this critical element, you’ll likely see decreased efficiency and limited progress. Boosting teamwork will never be more than a talked about goal. Let’s explore four common communication challenges that business professionals face, which can result in poor communication and have a significant [...]
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Busy or demanding times can make even the most effective managers fall into these common leadership mistakes. The problems can slow down a successful organization and take people's focus off your goals. Many of the mistakes fall into the category of bad behavior. The good news is you can break these harmful habits easily. Let's [...]
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If your business is struggling with change, then you should ask yourself if you are a good times leader at work. This kind of person does very well when the stakes are low and there aren’t many challenges on the horizon. But if the business environment changes, suddenly your skills may not match the demands [...]
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In business it’s important to understand what’s your competition. Competition allows us the chance to gauge our progress and success. From there, we’re able to make adjustments or keep doing more of the same thing. However, a lot of leaders focus on the wrong things or too narrow a vision when it comes to your [...]
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Even the most successful people need to consider if you can lead under pressure. It takes a different set of skills to get through stressful days and unexpected challenges. Maybe you thought your position would be all smooth sailing. How do you navigate troubled waters? Find out some actionable strategies designed to strengthen your leadership [...]
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“Should we make a change?” That’s a phrase business leaders have asked themselves for decades. Maybe you’ve said it before. You feel that something: a person, a process, or a provider agreement isn’t working as well as it has in the past. But you’re nervous about making a change. What should you do? While not [...]
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As texting becomes a more popular method of business communication, you hear complaints about the work text message offender. These people, on both sides of the phone, may have picked up some bad communication habits that lead to confusion and frustration. Recently, on LinkedIn, I conducted a poll on annoying business text message habits. Below [...]
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Leaders need to understand the reasons why you lose employees. People have always switched from one job to another. Usually, it's not a random choice. Rather than trying to get a bulk discount for goodbye cakes, why not try to figure out if there are things you can do to convince good employees stick around. [...]
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Leaders need to understand that their day-to-day actions can hurt team culture. These can be simple little things that some might call, shortcuts. However, these acts do break the rules of your organization and don’t think that your actions are going unseen. And when a bad habit becomes business as usual, you could hurt team [...]
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Things don’t stay the same very long, and embracing change in business is crucial for growth and success. However, many professionals find themselves making excuses to avoid change or challenging situations. Let’s explore ten common excuses used by business professionals and talk about how to overcome them. It’s about leaving a culture of fear and [...]
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Leaders can immediately improve company culture if they learn how to answer employee questions. This is not just about the information you share but how you conduct yourself in that moment. It can be easy, during busy times, to rush through responses or push them back to someday. Don't believe that employees are not reacting [...]
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Are a good listener at work? When asked this question most business professionals will probably say, “Yes, of course,” while a room of employees may be shaking their heads to suggest otherwise. Listening is a skill that we understand and appreciate but one that can be difficult to practice during busy times. Eventually, it becomes [...]
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Leaders may think that motivating your employees will produce better results but the opposite may happen. Because if used incorrectly, motivation can become a retention killer. Let’s say you have an employee who works hard every day, sacrifices for the job, and always takes on the hardest assignments. That person’s philosophy is to give 110% [...]
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Some simple steps can help you prevent some customer service mistakes. Employees may be costing your business money due to some common bad habits. Often, these are a sign of training that didn't go deep enough, considering the entire customer experience. Let's reinvigorate your sales process, in this week's episode of The 2 Minute Takeaway [...]
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If you feel like your organization is not focused on the right things, then ask employees what word describes your business in 2023. It’s a simple exercise that can let you know the current state of perceptions and priorities. The question can also serve as a call to action to change. And it may reveal [...]
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When you need to get creative, it’s good to understand some ways to get mentally unstuck. Whether it’s fear, a deadline, or the need for some new ideas, researchers have found there can be many reasons why the brilliance you seek, feels out of reach. What can you do to get unstuck and get your [...]
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While you want to improve your performance on the job, you may not know how to get more success at work. I believe four key areas can help provide a useful roadmap. In most cases, these involve making little adjustments that can pay off in a big way. And one of them, believe it or [...]
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To maximize productivity at work, you may want to improve your onboarding process. Otherwise, you may be hiring talented people but making it hard for them to be successful in your organization. And some businesses have great onboarding plans but fail when it comes to implementing their vision. In today’s world of hiring and retention [...]
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Effective work instructions could be the missing piece in your organization. As a business leader, providing clear and concise directions to your employees will likely create a productive work environment and help you reach your goals. Without them, otherwise successful businesses may slide into mediocrity, as confusion, mistakes, and a falling workplace culture become commonplace. [...]
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Whether you're focused on customers or employees, you need to understand that mixed messages hurt your business. This kind of communication can easily start to happen in successful organizations. If you don't correct it, then it can become a form of self-sabotage, costing you big bucks and opportunities. Let's make sure the messages you are [...]
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Have you ever wondered if you can make luck at work? This is especially true if you’ve lived through some frustrating days or have seen some important opportunities pass you by. From your point of view, some people seem to have been born lucky at work. Everything seems to go right for them. The good [...]
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Smart leaders understand the importance of preparing your business for employee vacations. Whether it’s a summer getaway or a winter break, you want to make sure productivity stays high when people are out of the office. Often, this is neglected or people think it will just work itself out on its own. What happens next [...]
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If you're concerned about employee retention and engagement, then you should find your business heroes. These are the people who make a big difference in your organization, even though many of them do this under the radar. Take the time to identify these people and use them as a template that can inspire others to [...]
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No matter your experience level, it’s important to learn how to find little victories during challenging times at work. There will be days or even weeks when it feels like nothing is going right. Often, this is due to things outside your control. Unfortunately, professional success is a road that may see you encounter adversity. [...]
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In today's fast-paced and rapidly changing business world, the power of adaptability has emerged as a key soft skill. This trait empowers business professionals aiming to thrive in their careers and actively contribute to the success of their organizations. What can you do to embrace this skill? Let’s explore why adaptability is so crucial in [...]
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If you feel like you need to start using nametags at work, then your business may need some strategic retention tips. These can help you hold on to more of your top performers. And while paying more may work in some situations, a pay raise may not be enough to retain someone if your competition [...]
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It’s not unusual to find that talented professionals may struggle with networking. It can be awkward trying to showcase yourself, while also learning about the other person. What if there was a simple question that you could ask, during these moments, that could make the process more fun and engaging. Plus, it may help set [...]
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It’s important for business professionals to stop making assumptions at work. Otherwise, you may open the door to mistakes, costly misunderstandings, or imaginary personal conflicts. It's easy to assume that our colleagues or clients share the same priorities, have the same skills, or communicate the same way we do. However, these assumptions can lead to [...]
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In order to prevent bad employee behavior, leaders may need to adjust their workplace culture. During challenging times or times of uncertainty, your team may lose its focus. In its place, more selfish behavior may start to move in. The good news is that you can maintain good workplace culture, through some strategic moves. Say [...]
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In business, it’s important to understand trade-offs. Very often, circumstances are never all good or all bad. They fall somewhere in between. Understanding the difference is important, as you may find yourself in a situation, where you may be tempted to make a quick decision, without knowing all the factors. It can lead to some [...]
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While I have not been asked to deliver it, my 2023 commencement address is designed to help today’s graduates, as well as those who graduated in the past. Commencement addresses need to be a mix of congratulations, inspiration, and honest truths. The concepts should be easy to remember and apply. It’s funny that in a [...]
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In business, you can be busy all the time, during challenging days but do you worry about the right things? It's easy to put your focus in the wrong place, when a more urgent need may demand your attention. Often, we fall into this problem over time, as we lose track of top priorities. How [...]
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Whether it’s customer service or employee relations, it’s important to demonstrate gestures of respect. These are small acts you do that say a lot, without any words being said. Ideally, these gestures of respect become automatic and a valued part of your business culture. But sometimes they are forgotten. It can happen easily, when people [...]
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Knowing how to prepare for opportunities at work is an important business skill. As a professional, you know it’s possible you may have chance to lead a new project or earn a promotion to a higher position. Whether it is, being prepared is crucial. So, how can you make sure that you're ready to seize [...]
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While people may want to improve their personal or professional lives, do they need motivation to change? Simply knowing that something needs to get better, may not be enough to produce action. A status quo that's not getting better can become comfortable, if you're not careful. Instead, empower yourself with several actionable improvement strategies, in [...]
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If you’re concerned about your business falling behind the competition, then make sure you don’t overpay for average. This can happen when standards start to fall over time and you keep accepting them. You may have worked with someone or received goods and services, in the past, where everything was fine. But some time has [...]
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Understanding how to prioritize your workload is an essential skill, whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out in your career. In today’s world, with so many tasks to manage, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and unsure where to start. There’s not necessarily one way to do it. Often it is a matter of [...]
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If you're self-employed, then you may need to hear this solopreneur work-life balance tip. There's a good chance you need to reconnect with some of the fun traditions from the Monday through Friday work world. For instance, the office holiday party. These events give you a chance to network with colleagues and celebrate your accomplishments. [...]
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Whether you’re networking or just catching up with a colleague, it’s smart to ask about a tough lesson. This is an excellent conversation starter, as many people will have a pretty engaging answer. Even if they don’t, when you ask about a tough lesson, you also have the chance to share your experiences. This kind [...]
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In a world that is increasingly work from home, you may need ideas how to maintain work-life balance remotely. You want to make sure that you’re effective at your job but don’t let it become an unwelcome guest in your home. A survey from AT&T found the hybrid work from home model, is expected to [...]
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An important leadership skill sees you able to get employees to follow your instructions. While this may sound obvious, there may come a time when you need to make a fast change in your business and your employees are the ones who must make it happen. Are you going to rely on chance to make [...]
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It’s not negative to imagine your worst case scenario at work. This practice is like preventative maintenance for your car. While you don’t expect something to go wrong, right away, it’s smart to think about what could happen. Because in business, things can change quickly, whether it’s staffing, suppliers, or market changes. Do you want [...]
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Customer complaints are often quickly dismissed, when they may provide a gold mine of information. That said, there are those, who are chronic complainers and will never be happy with anything. But mixed in with their thoughts may be some legitimate problems that should be addressed. Keeping an open mind, may unlock future growth, as [...]
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At a time when you may be looking for a retention or team engagement edge, you may want to consider some employee appreciation gifts. This kind of gesture happens outside people's normal compensation. For some, the biggest challenge is selecting the gift. Recently, I conducted an unscientific survey on LinkedIn and found that people have [...]
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Before you judge someone at work, you need to step back from the situation. Because sometimes your first response to their actions or comments may be unfairly negative. It turns out you are missing some key information that would change your perspective of the situation. While you can’t know everything, shouldn’t you reserve judgement until [...]
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While it can be a stressful and challenging experience, you can prepare for a layoff. The upside is that if the worst case scenario happens, you’ll have a game plan for next steps. Layoffs are being more and more common. According to layoffs.fyi, which follows the tech sector, more than 166,000 people have been laid [...]
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Let's continue our self-publishing discussion with more book writing tips. As you know, having an idea for a book is great but actually writing it is a different story. In episode 618, I talked about the importance of having a vision for your book, why I went with self-publishing, and how to do some market [...]
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While you may be very busy at work, do take some time to thank your mentors. These are the people who have helped you along the way and probably have played a major role in your career success. Don’t think of this as a one-way transaction. Because when you thank your mentors, you may be [...]
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It’s easy to fall into the trap of leadership overcorrection. This happens, in business, when something has gone wrong or not as well as it should. The leader then decides bold action needs to be taken. While this is preferable to doing nothing, the action doesn’t entirely solve the problem and may create new issues. [...]
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If you've been thinking about becoming an author for a while, then these book writing tips may give you the push you need. We live in a time when book publishing is more accessible than ever before. You do still have to write the book and that's where some become challenged. In this two part [...]
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Leaders of successful businesses realize the value of looking back. While it’s important to understand today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities, don’t forget your past accomplishments. In them, you may find values like pride and inspiration. And there’s a good chance that something you did in the past, could help you with some of today’s challenges. [...]
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Sometimes future success comes when you learn from failure. Often successful people don’t get it right all the time. Yet we may believe one failure defines you forever. What if failure was more like the starting line for future success? Like many, I enjoy watching the highlights from the NCCA Basketball Tournament. It’s fun to [...]
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While some may not expect to hear this kind of career advice, ask yourself if you should be more selfish at work. While I am a big fan of teamwork, I also know that being too helpful can come at a price. In today's business world, people are being asked to do more and that [...]
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In a world that loves shortcuts and hacks, it’s important to acknowledge that beautiful work is hard. Excellence has to be earned every day and that may may require an extra level of focus and attention from your team. This is an important message to embrace and one that needs to be repeatedly communicated to [...]
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Otherwise good leaders can undermine their talents with some bad leadership habits. These can develop over time and can hurt employee engagement and performance. Think of your leadership path as sometimes needing little course corrections. If you don’t make any changes, then while you’re doing your job, you’re not performing it as well as you [...]
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If you feel like employees are not taking your direction well, then you should take this approach to feedback. Feedback, when delivered well, can improve performance. But sometimes, it's used more like a hammer, when a feather would be a better tool. Most of us were never taught how to deliver feedback in school and [...]
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Your business needs an after-hours communication strategy. At a time when employees are concerned about work-life balance, you can’t leave this policy to chance. Because there may be a situation where some people are expected to respond to messages at all hours of the day, while others get to enjoy their free time. That’s a [...]
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During challenging moments at work, you need to ask yourself if you are a good times leader. This is someone who performs well during successful periods. They don’t shake things up and employees like working for them. The business grows at a predictable rate. But if unexpected challenges show up, they may not know what [...]
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Do you ever feel like you self-sabotage your workday? This can happen when you find yourself busy all day and yet accomplish very little. And while you know your goals, you never have much time to spend on them. The problem is that you're filling your day with lots of things that monopolize your productive [...]
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During busy times at work, it can be easy to forget how to help your customers. It’s when you’re anticipating their needs and acting on them, without even being asked. The same principle can apply to your colleagues too. And whether you’re a customer or a coworker, don’t you appreciate it when others look at [...]
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It’s important for business leaders to understand why employees leave their jobs. This gives you the ability to adjust to marketplace conditions or make some internal changes. If you can uncover the trends, then you can make adjustments. Recently, on LinkedIn, I conducted a poll on the topic of people leaving their jobs: What was [...]
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To get ahead in your career, you need to be able to listen to your advice. Sometimes, we ignore the great words of wisdom we readily share with others because we doubt ourselves. This kind of behavior can really limit your potential and see you waste time, trying to find the perfect solution to your [...]
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Do you have the courage to embrace self-improvement? Because in today’s world, yesterday’s standards may no longer get you the results you need. Your ability to get better, on the job, is an important skill. Are you going to embrace self-improvement or are you hoping it just happens by chance? Need inspiration? Consider the story [...]
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When an employee asks you a question, are you prepared to answer? Because the employee is not just looking for information. They are also likely watching to see how you answer. At a time when retention concerns continue, you want to make sure your behavior is not a turnoff. Consider these tips to help you [...]
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If you feel like your workplace productivity is either stuck or going down, then it may be time to change your meetings. You're likely spending too much time in them and accomplishing too little. You may be surprised to learn that certain behaviors are the root cause of the problems. Maximize your meetings, with some [...]
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If you’re concerned about sales and customer service, then you need to call your business. This gives you the invaluable perspective of the outsider. It’s easy to underestimate the impact of endless phone prompts or outdated messaging on your phone system. The trap is spending a lot of time when these things are created, then [...]
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If your business interacts with customers, then it’s important to have a commitment to serve. While this may sound obvious, retention challenges and turnover have made some organizations forget this important pledge. We’ve all been in that situation where we encounter someone, who works in customer service, but does not seem interested in helping customers. [...]
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If you feel distracted at work, then the problem may lie with your leadership style. You may be making some common mistakes that encourage people to interrupt you with questions and concerns. Your productive time is valuable and how much of it are you losing to all of these distractions? Make some simple adjustments and [...]
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If you don’t know your top priorities at work, then you may find yourself accomplishing a disappointing amount on the job. Understanding the most important things you need to do is a key indicator of success. At a time when retention is low and hiring is slow, overworked professionals may find they’re having to perform [...]
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While the keys to professional success may seem elusive, you can take steps today to improve your tomorrow. Usually, your career doesn’t magically transform overnight. But if you can focus on the right things, you can make progress. Recently, I held a LinkedIn poll on the topic of professional success. Here’s how it turned out: [...]
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Some unexpected issues could put your business branding in danger. While you may have spent months coming up with logos and taglines, customers and potential employees may be judging you on very different things. Often you have no idea and may wonder why you're not as successful as you expected. Uncover one of these potential [...]
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If you’re a leader, you need to consider what’s missing in employee feedback. This is especially important if you feel like the constructive comments you make are not producing any changes. While you may feel like your words are pure gold, something in your communication process may be letting you down. As a result, bad [...]
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Watch out for mixed messages at work. Because they can easily undermine your business. Think of it as a form of self-sabotage. These mixed messages, when you’re doing one thing but perhaps saying another, can take many forms. Let’s focus on those that involve employee culture and customer service: Alignment Issues Recently, I visited a [...]
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While it's easy to talk about improvement at work, will you commit to higher standards? This kind of pursuit of excellence does not happen overnight. Often, it's about making little changes that add up in a big way. When these best practices become daily habits, you unlock the door to higher performance. Let's start your [...]
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If you look closely at your business, you may find a great source of innovation. You’re concerned about discovering new ideas that will propel you to future success. But where do you find them and will they fit your business? You may be surprised to learn the most creative new ideas may come from some [...]
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To improve employee retention and engagement, start to look for heroes at work. Often, you may find they are people who may appear to be Clark Kent, when their impact on your organization is more like Superman. Don’t ignore those who contribute to the success of your business. It’s possible to have two employees, who [...]
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Success in business often depends on understanding how to avoid the innovation trap. This can make you think that you're doing important new work, when it's really more like the old way of doing things. Your ability to change when challenged by new issues is critical to your success. It's time to understand what you're [...]
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A great professional habit for you to develop will see you schedule free time. This is designed to make sure you protect your work calendar from being monopolized by things like other people and meetings. While there’s nothing wrong with being busy on the job, you want to make sure you’re giving yourself a chance [...]
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If you don’t recognize a lot of the faces in your workplace, then you may have too much employee turnover. While it’s natural for people to move on to other opportunities, turnover rates have gone up over the past couple of years. Recently, on LinkedIn, I conducted a poll on what is a sign of [...]
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Otherwise successful businesses can fall into some workplace productivity traps. While none will immediately ruin your organization, they can slow things down and really limit your potential. You don't want little problems that can grow over time, to define your future success. Take control with some simple tips, in this week's episode of The 2 [...]
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If you feel drowsy all day and can’t perform as well as you used to, then you should wake up for this easy tip for more sleep. A lack of sleep is an ongoing problem in the United States, according to the Casper-Gallup Sate of Sleep in America 2022 Report. Even those who are disciplined [...]
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If your business is facing challenging times, then you should look for signs of trouble with your employees. Right now, you may be having to make choices that are unpopular but necessary. This could involve perks going away or other cutbacks. Often, people don’t immediately share their dissatisfaction with supervisors. Instead, they start to act [...]
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The price of procrastination is wasted time, stress, and a loss of productivity. It all comes from delaying decisions about most problems at work. The passage of time will not magically solve the issue and things may get worse. But I understand it is tempting to delay a response until tomorrow. Use these tips to [...]
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If you need better guidance at work, then you should listen to your own advice. I’m guessing that you happily share your wisdom with others, who may be facing challenges. But when it comes time to act on your own problems, do you hesitate, doubt yourself, or keep looking for the perfect solution? This is [...]
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As you look to make improvements in business, you need to make sure you don’t worry about the wrong things. Your focus is valuable and it is not unlimited. Some make the mistake of putting their attention where it really doesn’t matter. When I worked in TV news, the big thing was making sure your [...]
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If you don't respect your deadlines at work, you may be opening the door to mediocrity. Deadlines exist for a reason and you may allow some bad habits to undermine them. Also, arbitrarily setting deadlines can lead to other problems. Let's take the time to make sure you're approaching your ticking clock of needs in [...]
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These 5 tips for attending a conference are designed to maximize your time, networking, and learning at your next industry event. As a keynote speaker, I’m at a lot of conferences, conventions, and annual meetings. I’ve seen how some gain a tremendous amount from these events, while others feel like they are a questionable use [...]
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To get yourself out of professional rut, you may need the gentle push to change. This is something that inspires you to start doing things differently. Without the push, you may be tempted to delay making changes and ultimately find yourself stuck in your status quo. In today’s business world, your ability to respond to [...]
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While it may feel impossible, you can get rid of mistakes at work. These are those little errors, like typos, that produce frustration, cost you money, and waste your time. While you may be tempted to immediately blame someone for the problem, you may have a larger issue that needs to be examined. Use this [...]
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Just because you’re in charge at work doesn’t mean you can’t commit some common leadership problem solving mistakes. Many of them are rooted in the fact that you’re very busy on the job and may want to get rid of issues as soon as possible. While that strategy may work on some days, certain problems [...]
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If you’re self-employed, this may be the year to consider holding a solopreneur holiday office party. For those of us, who are your own boss, you realize that you’re missing out on these fun celebrations. This year, you may have noticed more signs of holiday office parties, on social media. Business and executive coaching firm [...]
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If you need your employees to do things a specific way, right away, then you'll profit from these tips for employee motivation. Simply giving orders may not result in the fast change you need. Instead, you may want to unleash several strategies, designed to make employees embrace and appreciate the new change. Get motivated in [...]
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When it comes to challenges at work, you need to understand that professionals help you solve problems. These are people who are outside your organization but are really good at what you need help addressing. One one hand, it’s a no-brainer to reach out to them. On the other, you may question whether it’s worth [...]
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Look to your neighborhood supermarket for a great lesson in how to get people to follow your instructions. This is important if you need to introduce employees to a new process, customer service procedure, or some special branding. While you can explain how you want things done, you can’t constantly look over people’s shoulders to [...]
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While it may sounds obvious, the key to a high performance at work is learning how to spend your time the right way. Often, good leaders and employees are undermined by little things that limit their potential. Add them up and you've got productivity problems. What if you could better focus your workday and eliminate [...]
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These three tips for work deadlines can energize a professional culture where productivity has fallen, unexpectedly. There’s a good chance you may be doing things that make it hard for people to accomplish your goals. As someone who spent a decade in TV news, I understand the importance of deadlines. It’s a skill that is [...]
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Whether it’s employee holiday gifts or employee appreciation gifts, it’s good to use generosity to recognize achievements and loyalty, as well as serve as a source of motivation. At a time when retention may be a concern and budgets may be tight, you want to make the right choice. A lot has changed in the [...]
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Successful leaders understand the value of being able to predict the unexpected. In business, while you don't have a crystal ball, there are some common workplace scenarios you should expect could happen. Are you ready to respond to these challenges or do you want to leave your business vulnerable to unexpected change? Prepare now for [...]
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As a leader, how are you at correcting mistakes at work? Do you look at these situations as an opportunity to punish or a chance to improve? The difference may define your professional success in the future. While blame and shame may be tempting, you may want to step back and do some detective work. [...]
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As an author, I’m often asked for tips for how to write your book. My approach may provide some guidance for future authors. I think of how to write your book, much like I do any workplace performance challenge. I break things down into actionable steps, as a way to make sure your words make [...]
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If you can remember your good habits at work, then you'll likely regain a lost level of performance on the job. Have you ever had a good habit that you stopped doing because you got busy. There's nothing wrong with the habit and no reason why you shouldn't go back to it. Yet, some of [...]
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Do you feel like you’re losing the fight to control the flow of info at work? This can happen when you become overwhelmed with information and lose track of what’s the best use of your time. Before long, you’re working through extremely busy days but you accomplish very little. Time is not an unlimited resource [...]
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If you feel like you're not reaching your career potential, you may want to be more selfish at work. Understand while I'm not suggesting you become a character from the 1980s nighttime soap opera Dallas, you may want to slightly shift your focus from your colleagues to yourself. While it's good to work in an [...]
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As we toast episode 600, I want to share with you two powerful communication tips. One is from a newsroom, the other from an airport. Both can help you in your everyday work. Listen in to this excerpt from one of my keynote presentations, in this week's episode of The 2 Minute Takeaway Podcast. And [...]
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In today’s hectic business world, you need to have some business success habits at work. These things can keep you focused on the job and prevent you from falling into some bad habits. Otherwise, you may find your business lacks focus, especially during times when it’s very important for people to perform at their best. [...]
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With retention and hiring challenges, some leaders may want to take a different approach to feedback. While it's important to make sure things are done the right way, you want to make sure your directions are not turning off employees. It can be uncomfortable to redirect an employee who otherwise thinks they are doing a [...]
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To produce new ideas in business, leaders must understand managing for innovation. You need to create a workplace culture where new kinds of thinking are rewarded. If you consistently shoot down every new idea that comes up, then you may struggle with long-term success. Where is the likely source of the next breakthrough? Find out [...]
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In a world where cameras are everywhere, you don't want to make this customer service mistake. It sees employees say or do things that should never been seen or heard by the public. For those who work with customers, this may require a mindset shift, as they may be sure no one is aware of [...]
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In today’s business environment, you need a self-improvement plan. Changing demands and uncertainty about the economy mean you need to be at your best professionally. And for many of us, that means getting better at one of our weaknesses. How do you start this kind of plan, during busy times, when you may be tempted [...]
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Businesses concerned about employee retention and engagement should create some email and text message rules. These apply to your after hours communication. At some point, our ability to check email and text messages, after hours, has led to it becoming an expected part of a job. But has the convenience of mobile technology and laptops [...]
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If coming back from time off is stressful, then you should consider four approaches to working on vacation. They see you think strategically about how you'll handle the pressures of your job, during your time away. These tips come from a survey I did of professionals, so you know these are tactics being used in [...]
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While I’m sure you’re very busy on the job, do you know your most important thing at work? This is the area where you are paid to make a difference. Maybe you are very skilled in a particular thing or are the only person in your business who knows how to perform a special task. [...]
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If you ever need some small talk, ask, “What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?” to someone. You’ll likely hear a heartfelt or interesting response. No matter the situation, we’ve learned something or confirmed something, we believe to be true, by listening to the information. We love hearing how advice changes or improves someone’s life. [...]
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Some simple steps can help you unlock your performance at work. You may feel stuck or falling behind professionally, due to the things that you don't know or don't know as well as you should. And while you want to improve, you're not sure if it's a smart investment of time and money. Let's make [...]
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If employee retention is a concern, then you should learn how to strengthen your onboarding process. Having an employee join your business, gives you a great chance to showcase your strengths. When onboarding is rushed, a position may start to feel more like an ordinary job, which could open the door to someone looking to [...]
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Your well-intentioned employees may sabotage your meetings. Whether in-person or virtual, you need these sessions to lead to successful decisions and outcomes. Instead, are they becoming a bottomless pit of wasted time? The problem isn’t the fact there’s a meeting but rather the behavior or habits of the people who are in the session. They [...]
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In a busy world, it's easy to feel overloaded with information at work. The problem is that all the info can become a massive and ongoing distraction, which hurts your productivity. As you may have heard, time is money and you need to invest yours wisely on the job. Learn some actionable tips to help [...]
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In your career, you need to find time for self-improvement. There's likely some area where you need to get better. It might be with technology or your leadership skills. Not doing anything won't help you improve. So how do you find the time for this kind of self-improvement? Find out some actionable tips, in this [...]
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At a time when may crave business innovation, don’t let your great ideas get away from you. This happens when you have a flash of insight, only to forget it later, during a busy day. Instead you need to have a system that allows you to capture your million dollar thoughts. While this sounds easy, [...]
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When a business wants to become extraordinary, there has to an understanding that higher standards take more time. You can’t expect to become great overnight. Often higher standards are about little actions that become unconscious habits. Here are some things to keep in mind as you look at build your business culture around higher standards: [...]
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If you feel like your performance at work isn't as good as it once was, then you should take control of your workday. There's a good chance that ongoing distractions and even a few bad habits may be holding back your potential. While you don't have unlimited time to get things done, you can do more [...]
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To keep your performance high on the job, you may want to follow some of these sleep tips for busy leaders. Simply getting a good night’s sleep can give you a big edge at work. But in today’s busy world, you may be shortchanging yourself. Before long, your performance on the job falls and you [...]
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In a fast-changing business climate, leaders must understand that advancement is not innovation. Simply doing things, just a little better than you’ve done them before, could put you on the road to diminishing returns. For instance, the latest version of the Apple Watch represents an advancement of a product. While it sounds like the watch [...]
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While it may seems like an unusual form of motivation, it's important for employees to challenge themselves, in order to avoid workplace stagnation. Often, we look at challenges as negative situations but they may actually open the door to future growth and improvement. What should the members of your team do to stay challenged and [...]
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Ready for some more time management tips for busy leaders? They are designed to help you perform at your best on the job. Get out of the habit of thinking that every minute is equal and any task can be performed at any time. Instead, take a more strategic approach to your workday. In this [...]
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If you find yourself dealing with ongoing challenges, then you may have fallen into some common problem solving traps. You may allow issues to dominate more your team’s time than is necessary or find excuses to delay solutions. Understand not all problem are the same. Some are like a shot glass, while others are more [...]
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Not every leader is a great communicator and they should know the things leaders shouldn't say. These are little comments that can confuse or turn off employees. At a time when you need performance to be high and turnover to be low, you need to make sure your communication is informative, inspiring, and respectful. Know [...]
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If you run a business and are slipping into mediocrity, then you must raise falling standards. Retention and other staffing issues may have produced a relaxing of some of the things that made you successful. Before long, not many of them are being performed or not performed very well. While there has been a lot [...]
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If you can learn how to hold more productive meetings, then you’ll likely save time and even improve morale. A top complaint is that meetings take up too much time and they rarely result in any action or change. Let’s reinvent the meeting for a modern, busy world. In this episode of our Quick Leadership [...]
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When important work needs to be done, make sure you don’t undermine your deadlines. It’s a form of organizational self-sabotage that can impact the bottom line. While deadlines can represent a great way of making sure things get done, in a timely fashion, you may use them incorrectly. Have you made it impossible for your [...]
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During a time when staffing may be a challenge in your business, you need to understand that onboarding is a retention superpower. You want to make sure that you hold onto your top talent and not let them become disillusioned with their jobs. The key is making sure your onboarding process gives new employees a [...]
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Your employees need to be challenged in order to survive in a competitive business climate. Simply doing things the way you’ve always done them, may no longer lead you to success. Instead, you want to create a workplace culture where employees are looking to grow professionally, while at the same time boosting your bottom line. [...]
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Preventing mistakes at work requires an ongoing commitment, rather than some kind of wave of a magic wand. It takes a strategic approach to problems, rather than punitive. How do you react when things go wrong at work? Often what happens is that the person associated with the mistake is either shamed or immediately forgiven. [...]
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To improve your performance on the job, you need to make the most of your time. Simply working hard, may not be enough because not every minute of your day is going to have the same value. It's smart to take a strategic approach to your time, so you're able to focus on your most [...]
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More and more people want to know how to improve work-life balance at home. In a fast-changing, pressure packed world, work can start to invade your time away from the job. How can you protect your time away from work? Ken Okel has surveyed leaders and found they often follow one of four strategies. In [...]
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To unlock employee motivation, you may need to change how you communicate special requests. These are things like important changes to operating processes or customer service procedures. You need people to embrace a different way of doing things. It has to be done right and it needs to be executed right away. But you notice [...]
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You must protect your vacation to improve performance and retention at work. Otherwise, you may end up promoting burnout, as you and your employees never have a chance to recharge. Studies have found that working on vacation is common. How do you make sure employees can unplug on vacation and not keep getting pulled back [...]
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During challenging times, it’s important for leaders to understand how to communicate change to employees. Otherwise, it will be hard to get people to embrace new ways to do things. If a change seems arbitrary, then it may not be followed. In this episode of our Quick Leadership Tips series, you’ll get some fun and [...]
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To improve your performance at work, make sure you are spending your time the right way. It’s possible to be busy all day and accomplish very little. Your time is a resource and you have to watch out for activities that may seem like a good idea but could lead to problems. For example, when [...]
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Improving your workplace communication sometimes means saying more with less. Because your communication may be long-winded or confusing to employees. If they don't understand what you're saying, then how well can you expect them to perform on the job? Give yourself a leadership communication makeover and pick up a few tips from the world of [...]
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It’s important for people to learn how to share bad news at work. This is about understanding and respecting the power of information, even when it’s bad or disappointing. You want to have an employee culture where people are comfortable sharing all kinds of news. In this episode of our Quick Leadership Tips series, you’ll [...]
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If you want to get an edge in business, then you need to anticipate the unexpected at work. Yes, there will be things out of your control that happen. But with some careful thought, you can lessen their negative impact. This is a different type of strategic planning and one that is focused on making [...]
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If you're feeling a little drowsy at work, then you may need some tips for more sleep. Recent surveys have found that poor sleep impacts workplace performance, for a growing number of people. Do you dream of performing at a high level, without having to drink several cups of coffee? Wake up to some strategic [...]
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Leaders can hold onto great people with these five employee retention strategies. During times of turnover, you want to make sure employees feel good about where they are, have a feeling of organizational direction, and believe they can still grow professionally in their position. But often, these things are lost during busy days. In this [...]
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During busy times, it’s easy to fall victim to some forgotten good habits at work. These are things you liked doing but no longer perform. Recently, I reconnected over Zoom with my friend and colleague, Pat Heydlauff. We talked about an upcoming video project that will highlight her expertise with Feng Shui in the workplace [...]
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Many leaders would love to create more effective meetings but they don't know how. The sessions all start with good intentions but can end with people wondering if anything really happened. The lack of progress frustrates attendees. So let's talk about ways your meetings can become much better, when it comes identifying next steps. A [...]
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An easy workplace performance improvement tip can give you more time and ensure that you’re spending it where it matters the most. The good news is that this is an inexpensive solution that anyone can perform. In this episode of our Quick Leadership Tips series, you’ll learn how to instantly start this process. While some [...]
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When a business finds its rebels for innovation, new ideas can be unleashed. Because you know, at some point, your best practices will become obsolete. It could be a case of technology changing, the marketplace evolving, or your success resulting in old processes feeling like a shoe that’s suddenly too small. In any case, you’ll [...]
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If you're not careful, your employees can hurt your productivity. This especially can happen when they bring you a problem. They way this is done can set you up for success or failure, regardless of the nature of the problem. You don't want to waste time or play catch up on a challenge no one [...]
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Don’t make this hiring mistake when you’re replacing a great employee. Because you may be tempted to quickly bring on a carbon copy of them. In this episode of our Quick Leadership Tips series, you will learn why you may want to approach your hiring process differently. Simply replacing a departing employee may not fulfill [...]
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If you work anywhere near customers, you must act like cameras are everywhere. In today’s world, it feels like every moment of our day is being recorded. You go shopping and a security camera is watching you. You walk through your neighborhood and a door camera captures your movements. And when you’re out and about, [...]
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Many leaders are trying to find some work-life balance options. They've in a world where demands of the job are intruding into their time off work. Can anything be done to restore harmony? Recently I surveyed professionals on some work-life balance options. Find out more about these choices and whether they might be a good [...]
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On the job, you need to stop fearing feedback. Professional growth and development comes from those moments when we learn what we’ve done well and not so well. Isn’t it funny that we tend to accept the positive remarks but deny the negative ones? In this episode of our Quick Leadership Tips series, you’ll learn [...]
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At work, coming back from vacation can become stressful. Whether you take a long weekend or traveled Around the World in 80 Days, you may dread the impossibly high mountain of work that awaits your return. At a certain point, the stress of coming back to work, affects you more than the relaxation of being [...]
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Do you know how to beat an unfair advantage? In business, this is something that gives your competition an edge over you. It may feel like there's no way you can overcome it. Sometimes, there's nothing you can do but often it's a matter of putting things into perspective. In this week's episode of The [...]
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During busy times at work, it’s important to make time for self-improvement. No matter how much you love your employer, you need to take control of your career and your skill-set. And that may mean addressing some of your weaknesses Recently, I conducted a LinkedIn poll about self-improvement. I asked, “Looking back, what subject or [...]
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Successful leaders and employees understand how to give bad news. This is not a skill that's taught in school but one that's important to understand on the job. Otherwise, you may find yourself delaying the delivery of bad news or giving it with so many disclaimers that people may not understand the situation. Take control [...]
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Have you allowed a big fish story to become a key part of your employee engagement or customer communication? This kind of story usually highlights a past success or one of those days, when everyone performed beyond expectations. While it's good to celebrate the past, has your big fish story started to distract you from [...]
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The ability to focus better at work, could help you unlock a new level of performance. My goal is for you not to work more but rather use a higher level of focus to ensure you leave your job at a reasonable hour. If you feel like your workday is full of unending distractions, you’re [...]
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If your organization experiences a lot of change, then you need to understand workplace skill fade. This happens when someone is asked to perform a task, they haven't done for a while, and their performance is poor. It may be a case of being out of practice or simply forgetting what to do. The business [...]
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On the job, do you wish you could prevent interruptions at work? These are little distractions that disrupt your focus and hurt your productivity. While you want to stay in the loop about things that are happening in your business, you can't get much done if your day is full of constant interruptions. You may [...]
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During challenging times, you may start to commit more leadership communication mistakes. These are the moments when you need to be at the top of your game but fall short, when sharing information. Perhaps you need to rally the troops at an important time or need to communicate a path through an uncertain future. As [...]
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As your business grows, you may consider whether it makes sense to outsource work. An ever-expanding list of duties may overwhelm and distract your team. But when you outsource work, you take on another expense. How do you know when it's worth having someone else invest their time in your work? Find out some actionable [...]
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Leaders may believe there's nothing wrong with giving employees one more thing to do. In the past, managers may have been able to get away with it but with the Great Resignation underway, they may want to think about adding to workloads in a different way. Because sometimes, that one more thing leads to a [...]
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Innovation likely won’t happen in your business, if you don’t have a way to capture new ideas. These are the fleeting thoughts that suggest a new way of doing something. Some may be worthless, some may be game changing. All should be considered, in a rapidly changing marketplace. Here are some tips to help you [...]
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Effective leaders need to develop some Great Resignation hiring strategies. Even if you run the perfect organization, there's a good chance that you may need to fill some positions. Have your hiring practices become out of date or has working from home left some important things out of your onboarding process. Make sure you're showcasing [...]
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Leaders sometimes fall into a trap, when they think about their day as being either busy or effective. It can be easy to think that a schedule that sees you race from meeting to meeting is a smart use of your limited time. While the meetings may be necessary, do you cheat yourself out of [...]
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Successful leaders understand that even during challenging times, you must raise your standards. In today’s world, it’s easy to come up with excuses for mediocrity. It could be the pandemic, turnover issues, or hiring struggles. Unfortunately, some of the challenges won’t go away anytime soon. A new study from Greenhouse found that 75% say they [...]
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The three step improvement plan can help professionals raise their game on the job. Often, they have the skills to be successful but don't have the time to get everything done. What if some little adjustments could help boost their performance? My goal is to empower you with some simple, actionable, and powerful strategies. Let's [...]
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While you likely can't add more hours to your workday, you can get more done if you can improve your focus. You want to increase those times when you block out distractions and zero in on your most important tasks. Otherwise, every distraction that comes up, can break your concentration. Over time that will start [...]
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To strengthen your employee retention, you should take steps to improve your onboarding process. Departures may be inevitable in today’s environment, so you want to make sure new hires develop a strong commitment to your business. That may keep them around for much longer. Right now, when someone joins your organization, does your onboarding set [...]
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Successful leaders understand the importance of making smart bets at work. These are the daily decisions, large and small, that you need to make on a daily basis and they do involve some risks. Do you leave these moments to chance or do you have a system that can help you make the best decisions [...]
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Leaders, who want to keep their top talent, should consider this employee retention strategy. It represents a simple and effective way to help an employee recommit to your organization. This tip is especially useful for businesses that can't offer pay big raises or bonuses as part of a retention strategy. You know the challenges of [...]
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How you look at your productive time can help you perform better at work. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking every minute has the same value. It’s important to remember people are not machines. With a machine, you know the expected output. People experience performance highs and lows during an average day. Understanding this [...]
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Leaders who want to get key points across or focus people on their goals should use this smart employee engagement strategy. It sees you use countdowns, as part of your employee communication. At a time when leaders are looking for new employee engagement and retention strategies, a countdown can provide both. Find out how to [...]
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While they can be annoying and inconvenient, leaders need to know how to solve an ongoing problem. Otherwise, you may allow a small issue to grow. These may be more like seasonal challenges, than daily problems, so it's easy to forget about them. To illustrate this kind of challenge, come with me and imagine we're [...]
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When productive leaders start to feel overwhelmed, it's good to ask, "Is everything urgent?" Because if you're not careful, you can start to treat every task as being extremely urgent. Before long, you're working late every day and your overall performance, at work, starts to fall. How can you better manage your time, so you're [...]
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Do you feel like you need some work-life balance tips? For some, the line between work and home has blurred over the past few years. And technology may feel like a leash, rather than a tool. Recently, I conducted a LinkedIn poll about some work-life balance tips. While the poll’s sample size is not large [...]
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Leaders can improve employee productivity and performance by learning how to communicate importance and urgency. Often, people are led to believe that every task they're given is important. As a result, truly important things may be dropped, delayed, or performed in a hurry. An investment of a few minutes can clear up the confusion and [...]
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During the days of the Great Resignation, leaders need to think about their employee's career advancement. Because some of your top performers may be wondering if they have a future with your business. If they don't think there's one, then they'll likely leave. Can your organization survive a talent drain? While you may not be [...]
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To improve business growth and daily productivity, you need to be challenged. We live in a world that is constantly changing and it’s unwise to never imagine something unexpected coming to your doorstep. It can be easy to think of a challenge as a roadblock, rather than an opportunity for improvement. We often enjoy learning [...]
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Exhausted leaders may need a comeback at work. You've been dealing with ongoing and new challenges for months. Over time, the stress can start to affect your productivity and performance. While there will always be challenges at work, you can change the way you respond to them. Learn some actionable strategies, designed to restore a [...]
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At a time when news of the Great Resignation is making many leaders nervous, you may be looking for some new retention strategies. Ideally, you'd like to keep your top performers around. While some businesses can offer attractive raises, others may not be able to break the bank. How can you stay competitive in this [...]
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Your business may face an unfair advantage. This is a challenge that is difficult to overcome. It’s also frustrating and can distract employees from your big picture goals. As I look back at my time in TV news, I realize that I never worked for a top ranked station. I worked for good stations, in [...]
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If you feel professionally stuck or falling behind the pack, then you should embrace the power of asking for help. In an ever-changing workplace, you can't be an expert on everything. How do you ask for help without weakening your authority? Find out what you can do and several other tips in this week's episode [...]
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Even seasoned professionals may find themselves afraid of feedback. While this anxiety may come when you least expect it, its appearance could hurt your career. Recently, I saw this challenge displayed after watching a virtual presentation. While the presenter did a good job with the technology, material, and delivery, the speaker suddenly changed after saying, [...]
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The rock star productivity secret can save you time and money, as well as prevent a lot of frustration on the job. And even if you don't have great musical skills, the secret is accessible to all. I saw it in action during my TV news days. And while it may not seem like something [...]
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After leaders make a change in their business, it's smart to make dates to reevaluate. The changes may involve things like customer service, staffing, or outside sales. You've tried something news, so why not have a process to check on your progress? Sometimes, a little problem or gremlin is messing up the process. The good [...]
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There is an art to giving bad news at work. While it’s aspirational to imagine you’ll never have to deliver it, it’s likely you’ll have to share some disappointments. These moments may come with staff, superiors, or customers. Whether the bad news is related to a mistake or bad luck, you need to convey the [...]
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Leaders who have to make smart decisions, during changing times, need to understand when a new situation is impossible or challenging. Often, perceived difficulty may keep you from stretching professionally and embracing new things. On the other hand, you don't want to waste time and money. How can you raise your comfort level in these [...]
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If you feel overwhelmed by something new on the job, then you should find your change guide. This is a fellow professional who has been in your shoes and understands your challenge. It could be a new product, customer service process, or even something like dealing with the Great Resignation. They can help you with [...]
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Leaders need to be aware of the possibility of skill fade with their employees. Months of working remotely or performing other duties may have made them forgetful when it comes to certain tasks. This has especially been a concern in the world of aviation, where Covid-19 meant many pilots had much less flight time. While [...]
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Properly managing workplace change can help save you time and money at work. During busy times, leaders may look to find the fastest solution to a problem, which can open the door to unexpected consequences. How can you think things through better, before you make your next big decision? Discover a simple and effective game [...]
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Busy leaders rarely have a chance to ask themselves, "Do I need time to get better?" Better may represent learning a new skill or updating some old ones. These are the things that make you good at your job. Don't let a busy schedule keep you from embracing this professional growth in your career. Otherwise, [...]
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If you feel like The Great Resignation is going to affect your business, then you should consider these hiring strategies for 2022. When turnover is likely, you need to focus on having your new employees become as productive, as soon as possible. That should start during the hiring process. The better you can qualify applicants [...]
The post Hiring Strategies for 2022 appeared first on Ken Okel .