Managing People at Work

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Managing People at Work

Helping your team see beyond the daily grind

Teams everywhere get caught up in debates about small details, word choices and minor process tweaks while major market shifts happen around them. This tunnel vision isn’t a character flaw, but a natural response to heavy workloads and competing priorities. The question isn’t whether big-picture thi

Mastering the manager’s trifecta: Fairness, communication and comparison

The moment one team member questions why a colleague receives more recognition or lands a coveted assignment, that doubt begins to quietly spread through your team. Your response to these pivotal moments determines whether your team grows stronger or fractures—affecting not just individual morale bu

Place the ball in employee’s court

Managers sometimes confuse offering support with taking over. Shifting decision-making and responsibility back to workers, though, improves their accountability, problem-solving skills and engagement. Strengthen your team by allowing them to take ownership of decisions, actions and next steps. Here’

The human side of workload management

Do you manage a team member who can’t go a day without complaining about a never-ending to-do list? Avoid the temptation to brush off the person as a whiner. Instead, examine the situation with thoughtful and compassionate eyes to see if you can adjust the workload or the behavior.

Transform or terminate: The elements of effective PIPs

When managers realize they have an underperforming employee, they face a difficult choice: Invest time in turning the situation around or cut their losses. Performance-improvement plans offer a structured approach to addressing performance issues, but their effectiveness depends largely on implement

Comparing profiles: How to analyze differences in job candidates

Hiring decisions often hinge on more than just résumés and interviews. Subtle cues—like offhand comments or inconsistencies in background checks—can reveal potential legal risks. Here, we profile six candidates, each bringing unique strengths and considerations to the table.

6 ways to increase remote productivity—without multitasking

While devotees tout multitasking as a secret to success, they likely overestimate their “talent.” They might be doing more harm than good.

How to be inquisitive without sounding accusatory

How can you acquire information on progress without coming off as blaming someone?

Summer heat: 7 tips to keep workers safe

As temperatures start to rise, remind supervisors to keep in mind these seven safety tips from OSHA to help prevent heat stroke or other heat-related illnesses.

Unleash the power of the Pygmalion effect in your management arsenal

Phil Wilson, author of the upcoming book The Leader-Shift Playbook, says that many managers operate on the “Villain Assumption,” believing their teams are unmotivated or incompetent when they don’t meet expectations. Leaders who shift to a “Hero Assumption” mindset—believing that their team has unli