It’s that time of year when many managers and leaders are gearing up for performance reviews – and when the idea of giving or receiving anything less than positive feedback can send both participants into a pit of anxiety. While feedback conversations are intended to improve performance, research by Columbia University neuroscientist Kevin Ochsner shows…
Performance management is a key driver in achieving business results. When you invest in performance management, you strengthen your company culture, your people – both managers and team members – thrive, and your customer and shareholder satisfaction increase. Here’s how it all fits together:
It’s not surprising that many employees feel lost when starting a new job. It’s perfectly understandable to feel that way when adjusting to a new workplace, new coworkers, new norms — everything new! A thoughtful onboarding program is the key to helping employees through this transitional period as quickly and painlessly as possible. Whether you’re…
The research is clear: creating a strong team culture is good for business. Engaged teams are proven to increase profits and boost productivity — and the most successful companies do this by establishing and nurturing high-performing, high-trust teams. But when (and how) do they do it? High-performing teams don’t form overnight. Team building takes time.…
“None of us is as smart as all of us.” We love this quote by Ken Blanchard because it sums up perfectly why it’s so critical to build effective, high-performing teams – the outcomes are exponentially better! There are few things more energizing at work than being part of an incredible team – one that…
In recent years, the traditional approach to performance management—including practices like ratings and forced rankings popularized in the 1980’s—have come under fire. The reasons for this backlash are understandable. Rating and ranking employees favors competition over collaboration and rigid measurement of individual accountability over growth and development. According to a recent Gallup State of American…
All of the best researchers today tell us something we already knew — the more we trust each other and can be true to ourselves, the better we’ll be able to work together. We’ll also be happier, more creative, less stressed and achieve greater outcomes. Building trust in the workplace is something everyone can do.…
As the millennial generation has poured into the workplace, it’s become a hot topic among company and HR leaders alike about how to motivate, engage, develop, and retain the different generations in the workforce. But is the difference real or perceived? Exploring Generational Learning Differences I was recently asked to present on a webinar panel…
It’s long been known that in the natural world, systems need “requisite variety” in order to thrive. Homogeneity, while comfortable, leads to stasis and vulnerability. Variety, however, strengthens ecosystems, making them more agile, adaptable, and sustainable. The same is true in our organizations — diversity in the workplace strengthens the human ecosystem, too. But, the…
We’ve all heard two heads are better than one, right? Collaboration and brainstorming are key to culling the best ideas to the forefront, right? Well, yes and no. A recent NY Times article by Susan Cain, “The Rise of the New Groupthink,” shares research that strongly suggests we humans are more productive and innovative when…