Memos to Managers

Pregnant employee? Better know the law

10/24/2014

When an employee tells you she’s pregnant, it may bring on mixed emotions for supervisors. While you’re happy for the employee, you’re anxious about the impact on scheduling, productivity—and whether she will quit after the birth.

How to make yourself into a leader, not just a boss

09/26/2014

Some people use the words interchangeably. But for many people, the traditional boss is someone who turns employees off, while a leader turns them on. That’s why it’s important to understand how to become a true leader of your team. Here are some useful guidelines.

How to effectively manage workaholic employees

08/29/2014

Suspect you’re managing a workaholic? Here are tips to help the employee find balance, and the organization cut costs and liability.

Let them butt heads! How to inspire healthy conflict

07/01/2014

Good managers want employees to constructively challenge their ideas because it produces better decisions and problem-solving.

Self-test: How well do you keep employees on task?

05/23/2014

Workplace surveys suggest that employees waste up to one full day of every workweek—up to nine weeks a year—with unproductive time. While some of the blame lies with inefficient or unmotivated employees, some can be chalked up to decisions made (or not made) by managers.

Win by losing: 7 bad communication habits to shed

03/05/2014

The quickest way for managers to improve their professional image is to improve their communication skills. And the simplest way to improve those skills is to stop doing things that repeatedly get you in trouble.

Interviewing: Close the sale with the right message

12/26/2013

Everyone who comes in contact with prospective job candidates, from receptionists to hiring managers, must think of themselves as salespeople at times. Here are tips to help achieve that goal.

Better brainstorming: How to inspire group creativity

09/30/2013

Group brainstorming meetings can become productive drivers of company innovation or simply a waste of time. Tips on successfully managing them:

Supervising difficult employees? Mend it, don’t end it

07/31/2013

Rather than ignoring tough situations or automatically getting rid of “difficult” employees, it’s better to learn techniques to effectively manage those situations.

Reining in absences & tardiness: 7 do’s and don’ts

07/05/2013

Managers can’t instantly say, “Be here or be fired” to an employee struggling with attendance issues. Managers have to work with HR to employ strategies that not only combat absenteeism, but also avoid legal trouble.