Memos to Managers

The 5 worst interview questions & what to ask instead

06/24/2022

The interview remains a hiring manager’s most effective tool for evaluating job candidates. Unfortunately, managers too often rely on a list of standard interview questions for which most applicants have canned responses. Here are five common questions to avoid, as well as suggestions for more productive queries that will help you make the correct hiring choice:

10 things your employees are dying to hear you say

04/28/2022

Only about a third of employees these days say they are “engaged” in their jobs. But in the midst of everyday chaos, it’s hard for managers to think about big-picture issues like employee morale and motivation. Here are 10 phrases or questions you can use with employees to build respect, gratitude and trust, according to a new book by Todd Patkin, Finding Happiness.

10 common phrases that turn employees against you

04/28/2022

Managers are human. You’re bound to make some unfortunate word choices now and then. But employees will give you a pass on those annoying expressions for only so long. Spew these 10 phrases at your peril.

5 questions to ask yourself just seconds before you fire someone … and 5 to ask yourself just seconds before you hire someone

03/24/2022

Are you really sure you want to press that button just yet? Run a few things through your mind before picking up the phone … or making the long hard walk down the hallway.

Is your staff suffering from FORTO?

02/24/2022

Make them see the office as an inviting place to come back to.

Should you take that worker back?

01/14/2022

2022 may be the year of the boomerang employee.

Power rankings—for managerial skills

12/20/2021

Here are the top 10 qualities they all must have.

5 tips to get the most out of employees’ annual evaluations

10/28/2021

How do you handle a performance review that involves some news employees won’t necessarily welcome?

8 tips for having difficult conversations via videoconference

09/23/2021

Remote and hybrid work arrangements will almost certainly remain part of the management landscape in the months and years to come. That means it’s time to formalize ad hoc processes that emerged during the pandemic. Whether meeting with employees yourself or training supervisors how to interact with team members, these tips can make it easier to use Zoom for talking about matters that normally warrant face-to-face interactions.

Want to be an effective manager in 2021? Refine these skills

06/24/2021

The working world has been forever changed since teams and workplaces were forced to reconsider how to collaborate, hold meetings, conduct events and interact with external clients and internal partners. Here are the skills you need to master in 2021 to stay on top of your management game.