Communication

Toxic positivity: How HR can foster an authentic culture

02/26/2025

Toxic positivity functions as a destructive force in workplace environments. When employees express legitimate concerns, toxic positivity responds with empty platitudes: “You’ve got this!” “Stay positive!” These responses invalidate employees’ experiences and suggest that their struggles stem from poor attitudes rather than real problems.

Finding the right way to say ‘thank you’ to employees

02/12/2025

With Employee Appreciation Day approaching on March 7, now is the perfect time to plan meaningful ways to recognize your team’s hard work.

How to manage remote workers with eroded social skills

12/20/2024

A study of 1,000 remote workers uncovered critical insights into the interpersonal challenges of digital work environments. The statistics paint a stark picture of social skill erosion.

Prepare to manage election-related workplace tensions

11/01/2024

Political tensions are running just as hot at work as they are on cable TV and the internet. A new survey by ResumeBuilder.com reveals worrisome workplace trends tied to next Tuesday’s election. Many of the 1,000 managers who responded to the survey expect those tensions will continue to intensify even after the votes are counted.

Toxic team turnarounds: Leading the group reconciliation meeting

10/30/2024

After you’ve performed a “team turnaround intervention,” here’s how to lead a large group reconciliation meeting.

From policy to practice: Putting empathy at the core of HR strategy

10/30/2024

Empathy is increasingly recognized as a cornerstone of successful organizations, but HR professionals are uniquely positioned to turn this recognition into actionable strategies.

Real-world scenarios: Toxic team turnarounds in action

10/23/2024

Much of the literature available around employee accountability, performance management and constructive confrontation focuses on individual relationships between managers and their direct reports. However, so much work is done by teams, and it’s important that we look at a team equivalent to ensure we’re able to address larger groups of people with similar types of accountability, performance or behavioral challenges.

Leadership tools for solving the talent shortage: Balance civility and diversity

10/18/2024

Our goal is to solve the talent shortage while working in the pressure cooker of organizational life. Now that we have built a workforce, we need to keep it. We need to be authentic and transparent with each other, which brings me to the issue of civility.

Turn negative performance reviews into a positive experience

10/16/2024

Providing negative feedback during employee performance reviews is an uncomfortable but necessary part of being a successful manager. Surveys show that employees actually value negative feedback when it’s delivered constructively. But a poor approach can cause resentment and further job disengagement. Here are tips to follow when giving your next review.

Employees have gripes? Hold a peaceful meeting

10/07/2024

Sometimes it’s up to HR to help calm workplace discord by facilitating a meeting where staff can voice their grievances. Follow these guidelines to conduct a group meeting for employees to openly express their concerns without fear of repercussions.