Managing People at Work

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Managing People at Work

5 ways to solve simple problems before they spiral into big ones

While they might not seem that way in the moment, early signals of trouble can be a godsend. They create awareness at a point where you can act before matters escalate. Here are five ways managers can learn about and handle simple problems before they turn into something more.

Don’t wait for disaster: 4 ways to prepare now

When your current to-do list grows longer by the minute and everyone from new hires to established clients demands your attention, the last thing a leader feels like doing is thinking about crises that may arise down the line. But this enables leaders to construct plans under calm conditions.

7 strategies for managing a bad day without dragging others down

All people experience the occasional bad day, including managers. But when you’re the one in charge, your bad day can turn into everyone’s problem. When workers encounter a grumpy leader, it raises the odds of them becoming negative, too. To deal with an occasional bad-day bout, try these strategies

How to conduct difficult raise conversations with employees

Few conversations unsettle managers more than when an employee asks for a raise. The stakes are high: Deny the request outright and you risk losing a valued team member; approve too much and you might strain budgets or set unsustainable precedents. Navigating this moment takes preparation, empathy a

How to turn online rants into real-world leadership lessons

When thousands of employees take to Reddit, a popular online forum, to share stories about their workplaces, the themes reveal more than gripes—they highlight real leadership pitfalls.

Strong communication sets top companies—and managers—apart

When times are tough, how well are you communicating with your employees? New research suggests the answer could determine whether your organization thrives or struggles.

Helping your remote team navigate uncertainty

The truth is that uncertainty is exhausting. As leaders—especially long-distance leaders—our job isn’t to make the uncertainty disappear (spoiler alert: you can’t), but to help our teams navigate it.

35,000 decisions a day: Protect yourself from decision fatigue

Decision fatigue is a form of mental exhaustion that occurs after making too many decisions. With cognitive resources taxed, it reduces the ability to make sound, rational choices. Wondering if you suffer from this condition? Examine your behavior regarding decision-making.

Stop reverse delegation: Keep tasks from boomeranging back to you

Sometimes, a delegated task ends up back in the manager’s hands. With reverse delegation not in anyone’s best interests, the question becomes how to eliminate it. Try these strategies.

Managing moods: The dreaded hidden half of leadership

Most people step into management thinking the hardest part will be setting a strategy or hitting targets. Then reality hits: Much of the job revolves around moods—your team’s, your boss’s and sometimes your own. The real work often looks less like project tracking and more like emotional triage.