The state of the American workplace is so bad, the US Surgeon General has now stepped in. The same guy who warns us of the deadly consequences of smoking is now saying Americans suffer from mental and physical health problems because of stressful, sometimes hostile, often toxic workplaces.
He cites specific workplace conditions that contribute to […]
When an employee questions one of your decisions, how does it make you feel? Is your first thought, “Who do they think they are?” Are you tempted to say, “That’s above your pay grade?”
Or are you happy to take a few moments and explain why you made the call you did?
Your answer reveals a lot […]
In Silicon Valley, people see failure as a necessary part of innovation. If you don’t fail, you’re not taking the risks that can lead to a big breakthrough. You’re not risking enough little things to come up with the next big thing.
This is true not only in Silicon Valley, but across the country and across […]
A lot of managers, particularly new ones, make a fundamental mistake. They do the work their teams should do rather than their own job.
Maybe your staff is down a person, and you figure it’s better to pitch in than to stress everyone out. Or maybe the workload is unexpectedly heavy, so you lend a hand […]
We love our rules, don’t we? They’re important to us because we feel that by regulating the behavior of others, we are safer, healthier and richer. After all, isn’t civilization simply a system of rules and consequences?
So, we apply the same thinking to the workplace. There are rules about what time to show up, how […]
Why is it so great to be a manager? Because finally, after all those years of butt-kissing, pride swallowing, teeth clenching agony, it’s your turn on top. You’re the boss now. What you say goes.
It’s time for people to kiss your butt and fear your wrath. And it’s time for you to get your hands […]
When things go wrong at Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s sometimes says that “the contractors” failed to remove dangerous content from the platform.
Many people feel Facebook should be more vigilant. And of course that’s correct. But there is a larger problem here.
By blaming “contractors” for the error, Zuckerberg is implying that these massive fails weren’t really […]
Though it hasn’t been relevant for a couple of decades, the old notion of “paying your dues,” is alive and well.
There are probably two reasons it’s still with us. First, it’s a way of making young workers stop complaining about the unrewarding, difficult crap they have to do.
Tired of fetching coffee for the boss? It’s […]
This will make no sense but it’s the way it is, so here we go.
To be promoted to manager—an incredibly important role in any business and one that is highly influential in the success of the company—don’t take management training classes or read books about management or try to learn about the qualities of successful […]
