4 Tips for Mastering the Most Difficult Performance Management Conversation

In a recent article for the July edition of The Ken Blanchard Companies’ Ignite! newsletter, senior consulting partner Ann Phillips describes three types of conversations managers need to master—goal setting, feedback, and one-on-ones. One element within the feedback conversation—redirection—tends to be especially challenging for managers. It focuses on those times when a manager must provide…

Got Dinged on an Internal Survey? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I lead a business unit in a global services company. Our sector is highly competitive and it is “go go go” all day, every day. Our company recently instituted an internal survey designed to measure employee experience and asked business units and departments to give feedback on each other. Our business unit got…

Not Sure About Giving Feedback? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I run a small team for a large nonprofit. One long-term member of the team really knows the ins and outs of the organization and can be really helpful. The problem is, he does a couple of things that drive everybody crazy. He often decides to do things—presentations, publications, project plans—differently from the…

New Hire Is Dressing Inappropriately? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I am a VP of international sales in technology. We are a fast-paced and very lean startup, so we barely have any HR department and no employee manual yet—certainly no one who can help me with this. I recently hired a young woman who is just great. She is smart, quick, she goes…

Struggling on How to Kick Off a Feedback Session? Try These 3 Tips!

This Blanchard guest post is by Certified Professional Coach Antonio Estrada. I once conducted interview-based 360-degree assessments with three executives in the automotive industry. Coming in as a third party consultant, I perceived a cautious skepticism from the leaders under review. I decided, right at the onset, to create an environment conducive to their learning from…

Co-worker Won’t Shut Up? Ask Madeleine

Dear Madeleine, I work in an open environment type of setting, and for the most part it works. I manage a large team and I recently hired a new team member. She interviewed well and had great references, but now that she is settled in she never shuts up and we are all going insane.…