Most people will tell you they are working as hard as they can, says bestselling business author Vicki Halsey. “The problem is, they still aren’t able to keep up with the workload. Today, people need to work smarter, not harder,” says Halsey. “That means leaders need to (1) be sure direct reports are clear on…
Want a more purposeful, aligned, and engaged organization? “Make sure managers and direct reports are taking a collaborative approach to performance,” says Susan Fowler, senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies and coauthor of the company’s Self Leadership training program. “It starts with agreed-upon goals,” Fowler continues. “In my early days as a consultant,…
Best-selling business author Scott Blanchard says managers who are effective at goal setting with their people keep two things in mind: The big picture—why we are doing it and what matters about it? The short term—what do we need to do now to move forward toward the larger goal? Blanchard gives an example of this…
Performance planning, coaching, and review are the foundation of any well-designed performance management system, but the results of a recent study suggest that leaders are falling short in meeting the expectations of their direct reports. Researchers from The Ken Blanchard Companies teamed up with Training magazine to poll 456 human resource and talent-management professionals. The purpose was…
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…
“I don’t want to be a micromanager!” I hear that statement all the time from my coaching clients. I get it—no one wants to be known as a boss who hovers over people and tells them what to do all the time. However, what I’ve noticed with some clients who desperately do not want to…
Managers don’t have enough high quality conversations with their direct reports, according to Ann Phillips, a senior consulting partner with The Ken Blanchard Companies. This deficiency has a negative effect on both productivity and morale. “Part of effective communication between manager and direct report is a mindset and part is a skillset. Both are required,”…
Dear Madeleine, I am an experienced manager but I am in a situation that is stumping me. I have a large team, and we have a reputation for getting a lot done, very efficiently. One team member—L— has been with the team since before I took it over. She is in her early 40s, a…
“If you’re always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” –Dr. Maya Angelou It is so rewarding to coach clients who want to be amazing and who dare to rise! They are fully aware of their current reality of operating in the normal status quo and are now ready to…
Research conducted by Gail Matthews, a professor of psychology at Dominican University in California can help increase your chances of goal success from 43% to 76%. In working with 149 adults from different business and networking groups, Matthews found that Those who wrote their goals accomplished significantly more than those who did not write their goals.…