Employee Stealing? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I read last week’s column with interest because I am also a fairly new manager in a small organization who isn’t sure whether to speak up about a problem. I have five direct reports. Two of them have come to me to say they have seen an employee who reports to another manager…

Leadership Development Training—3 tips for maximum ROI

Back in 2005, one of our clients, American Express, wanted to measure the impact of Situational Leadership II training that they had rolled out in their organization.  The program was delivered via three venues—traditional classroom with people attending in person; completely virtual with people working through self-paced modules; and a third ‘blended approach’ that combined aspects…

Re-engage yourself by sending your brain in a positive direction

Three years of a dismal economy has worn down a lot of people.  While some people (about 20% according to most engagement surveys) have maintained their passion, a large majority have lost their mojo.  Tired of a flat attitude and just going through the motions?  Here’s a three-step process for jump-starting your work environment. Rediscover…

Is this personality trait holding you back as a leader?

In a new online article for Fast Company, Scott and Ken Blanchard identify one of the biggest barriers to people working together effectively. The culprit?  The human ego. As they explain, “When people get caught up in their egos, it erodes their effectiveness. That’s because the combination of false pride and self-doubt created by an…

Three times when it’s wrong to just be a supportive manager

Most managers prefer to use a supportive leadership style that encourages direct reports to seek out their own solutions in accomplishing their tasks at work.  But that style is only appropriate when the direct report has moderate to high levels of competence and mostly needs encouragement to develop the confidence to become self-sufficient. What about…

How important is good management? This McKinsey research might surprise you!

What’s worth as much as a 25% increase in your labor force, or a 65% increase in the amount of your invested capital?  A one-point improvement in your company’s management practices! That’s the shocking conclusion of in-depth study conducted by researchers at McKinsey, Stanford, and the London School of Economics that looked at more than…

Most employees performing significantly below their potential—but does anyone care?

Leadership development training is a smart, prudent investment that drives economic value and bottom line results. But if senior executives don’t care about development then—guess what—development will not be a priority in the company. That’s what Scott Blanchard, principal and EVP with The Ken Blanchard Companies, found out the hard way when his company lost…