Memos to Managers

The 6 kinds of terminations … and how to avoid lawsuits for each one

08/21/2008

Terminations are the spark to many employment lawsuits. And for each of the six kinds, there are some common steps employers can take to make sure they defend themselves if the termination is challenged in court …

Are you a micromanager? Control the process, not the people

08/01/2008

As a manager, you must remain involved in your employees’ activities. But where does involvement stop and micromanaging begin? Sticking your nose too deeply into an employee’s work process can be counterproductive. Let’s say you overheard an employee refer to you as a micromanager. To find out if it’s true, answer the following questions using […]

How to master the art of effective delegating

07/01/2008

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Writing reviews: Steer clear of two common errors

06/17/2008

How to measure an employee’s ‘intangible’ traits

05/22/2008

As part of the performance-review process, supervisors are typically called upon to evaluate employees on the basis of intangible factors, such as cooperativeness, dependability and judgment. The higher up the organizational chart, the more important those traits become. Yet most supervisors find intangibles the most difficult factors to evaluate, probably because they seem so personal. […]

Help employees accept inevitable change

04/24/2008

Employees are constantly facing changes to their work environment. Supervisors who are able to understand the impact of those changes on their employees—and are able to help them through those unsteady times—will earn their employees’ trust and loyalty.

6 steps for managing ‘difficult’ employees

04/07/2008

Retaliation: The legal risk of ‘getting back’ at employees

04/01/2008

Most managers know that it’s against the law to discriminate against employees and applicants because of their race, gender, age, religion or disability. But you may not know that those same federal laws also make it illegal for employers and supervisors to retaliate in any way against employees who voice complaints about on-the-job discrimination.

Responding to employee rants: 4 do’s and don’ts

03/01/2008

7 ways to get the most out of Millennial employees

02/01/2008

In today’s workplace, many supervisors have to manage people from four different generations, all of which respond to different kinds of carrots, sticks and management styles. The breakdown: Traditional workers: born before 1946 Baby Boomers: 1946–1964 Generation X: 1965–1979 Millennials: 1980–1995 According to anecdotal information and research (see box below), managers in U.S. organizations are […]