Make Coaching More Effective by Following Up Too many managers don’t follow up after coaching sessions, thereby squandering the important time they invested in the first place. No matter how successful a session feels, if it doesn’t lead to change, it hasn’t been effective. You need to track people’s progress. You’re not going to remember… Continue reading Make Coaching More Effective – Management Tip

Make Quick, Direct Feedback a Part of Your Routine Many managers don’t give effective feedback because they’re simply pressed for time. There are three ways to make this easier – for you and your employee: Create a standard way in. Reduce the time you spend mulling over each conversation by establishing a simple, routinized way… Continue reading Give Quick and Direct Feedback – Management Tip

Expand Your Network Beyond the Usual Players We all know that a network is important for success, but few of us devote sufficient time to making it useful. If you leave things to chance, your network will be too inward-facing and not diverse enough. You need to learn to network outside your organization, team, and… Continue reading Expand Your Network – Management Tip

Set Goals with Your Spouse It’s easier to achieve our goals when we’re not trying to go it alone. For many of us, our closest and most trusted companion is a spouse. Yet many couples  rarely plan or set goals together – and this can actually make it harder to achieve them. To improve your… Continue reading Set Goals with Your Spouse – Management Tip

Let Your Employees Nap at 3 PM If you want to maximize your employees’ performance, consider circadian rhythms when setting  assignments, deadlines, and expectations. The most important tasks  should be done when people are at their peaks in alertness (around  noon and 6 PM). The least important should be scheduled for when alertness dips (very… Continue reading Let Your Employees Sleep – Management Tip

Set Limits with a Talkative Colleague or Client Let’s face it: Some people don’t know when to stop talking. But how do you escape when you’re dealing with a long-winded senior executive or important customer? First, diagnose the problem. Does your boss tend to deliver speeches in meetings when there’s no agenda? Does your biggest… Continue reading Set Limits on Talkative People – Management Tip

Know When and How to Ask for Help People often don’t ask for help because they think it’s perceived as a sign of weakness. But you can’t be successful if you don’t ask for what you need. So here’s how to make it easier: Help others first. Build a positive reputation as someone who’s willing… Continue reading Know When and How to Ask for Help – Management Tip

A Healthy Lunch Can Fuel Better Productivity What we eat affects our performance more than we realize. That’s why a poor decision at lunch can derail an entire afternoon. Foods like pasta, bread, cereal, and soda  give you a burst of energy, followed by a slump. And high-fat foods like cheeseburgers and BLTs make you… Continue reading Better Lunches Improve Productivity – Management Tip

To Get Candid Feedback, Ask for It Getting honest, useful feedback is the fastest route to better performance. But people are sometimes too nice to share the full picture or too intimidated to be fully truthful. You need to be clear that you want honest feedback. If you say, “Don’t be nice, be helpful,” people… Continue reading Ask for Feedback – Management Tip

The Safe Way to Disagree with Your Boss You should be able to express your views  openly and honestly, but it can be tricky to disagree with your boss. You have to express dissent effectively. First, before you disagree, have a conversation about how to handle disagreements when they arise. It helps to establish these… Continue reading How to Disagree with Your Boss – Management Tip