Supervising
Office conflicts don’t have to be destructive. For example, imagine that two employees disagree over the best way to complete a task or solve a problem, can’t resolve their quarrel, and dump it in your lap. To help these two get back to work quickly, try this approach.
Hiring the right person is a time-consuming process, and you don’t want to waste an interview on a candidate who’s not going to be a good fit for the job, or your organization. Bad hires aren’t always obvious, though. Here are some danger signs to watch out for as you consider candidates before and during the interview.
When you ask employees questions, the way you ask influences not only the answers they give, but also your relationship with the employees afterward. It’s easy for a simple question to appear like an aggressive one to employees. Here are some examples.
Does your team really behave like a team? Over time, some teams develop cliques and grow distant—if not downright hostile—to outsiders and new members. If you want to keep your team productive and healthy, you have to keep the “in-crowd” from taking over. Here’s how to intervene.
If you point “human speed bumps” in the right direction, you can turn their pessimistic outlook into a strength.
Heading a committee or leading a project team is quite a job to begin with. When the group’s work gets heavy or complicated enough that you have to appoint subcommittees to handle specific areas or tasks, your job can become even tougher. These four tactics should help.
Running a department or business is a serious endeavor. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a sense of humor.
One of your employees has done something wrong. Before you call him or her on the carpet, ask yourself these questions.
Most managers don’t spend a lot of time on discipline, so it’s no wonder that many of them aren’t very good at it. Correcting mistakes and misbehavior is part of the job, though. Learn to avoid these pitfalls.
It’s not simply what you offer in the way of money and position that affects your hiring success rate. How you behave as an interviewer also carries great weight. Take note of these interviewer behaviors that applicants are very aware of—and don’t like.
Conflicts at work may be inevitable, but they don’t have to be destructive. Remember this advice for keeping disagreements between employees from spiraling out of control.
Your younger workers will sometimes offer ideas that really aren’t that good. But you should never shoot down the employees who bring them. Their willingness to take risks is priceless.
Management is about getting results through people’s efforts. That means effective communication is essential. Here’s what to do.
