When asked, the majority of executives, managers and supervisors agree that they frequently make decisions, answer questions and solve problems that should be handled at one or two levels below them. By handling these problems, decisions and questions at the wrong level, the organization is experiencing a kind of waste. Wasted talent, reduced quality and […]
Category: Employee Engagement
Commit or Omit?
The vast majority of bosses don’t intentionally want to make employees miserable – usually it happens completely by accident! Whether it is an act of ‘commission’ or an act of ‘omission’, the results can be destructive. A front line supervisor, manager or team leader can make things better or worse, both with what they DO […]
Supervisor – Salt, Sugar or Spice?
Salt has two primary functions related to food: Preservative and Seasoning. Many people, me included, find that a little bit of salt brings out the flavor of food. In the same way a front line supervisor or manager is responsible for bringing out the best in employees. The supervisor is also responsible for preserving the […]
Transparent or need to know basis?
How much information should a leader really share with employees? Some bosses are like Col. Jessup played by Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men in thinking their employees “can’t handle the truth.” Communication continues to be cited as a problem in nearly all organizations. Solving communication problems is kind of like finding a cure […]
Making amends
Should a leader apologize when he or she makes a mistake, or is it a sign of weakness? In the front line leadership course we have two case studies on balancing friendship and leadership. This is a unique situation faced by supervisors and team leaders who have been promoted from within. One case study deals […]