Performance reviews.  Ugh! Employees dread them and you likely dislike doing them.  They can make people feel unsettled or even a bit squeamish.  This is likely because they are not typically done the right way.  Sure most companies provide score based forms to fill out in order to ‘rank’ your employees from best to worst. .. read more →

  The other day I was sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office waiting to be called for my appointment.  Because mine was among the first appointments of the morning it allowed me the opportunity to watch the office come to life for the day. As staff members started their day they clustered around.. read more →

Companies are traditionally judged on productivity so why should you care if your staff is happy as long as they get their work done?  You have enough to worry about, real things such as quota’s, sales, and operations. Not so fast!  As it turns out there’s a strong link between productivity and employee happiness. Consider.. read more →

No doubt about it, working in customer service during the holidays is tough! Managing a customer based business during the holidays is even tougher. While holiday business is a boon for the company it can take a toll on you and your staff.  It seems everyone wants time off, and you have to decide who.. read more →

There’s a (fairly) new holiday in town. The first week of October is officially ‘National Customer Service Week’. You may be tempted to roll your eyes at the thought of another distracting holiday interfering with productivity – but wait… Customer Service Week was designed with 5 objectives in mind all crafted to increase your bottom.. read more →

One of the best leadership skills I can recommend is being comfortable with public speaking.  Whether you are teaching your staff about new products or services, communicating with clients, speaking at a managers meeting or presenting an idea to the CEO, knowing how to get your message across clearly and concisely will take you far. .. read more →

Being a great manager is a lot like being a football coach. Your goal isn’t to run each play and score a touchdown by yourself but to make the most of your team, building on their strengths to make them stronger and helping them compensate enough for their weaknesses that they become irrelevant. As a.. read more →

Employee engagement is the hottest buzz-word in the world of management right now.  But exactly what is it and why is such a big deal?  The Conference Board Leading Economic Index®    a U.S. group made up of top industry leaders describe employee engagement as ‘A heightened emotional connection that the employee feels for his or.. read more →