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 […]
We were warned.
For years, companies like Gallup cautioned that the vast majority of our employees were disengaged from their work. Researchers showed us that this lowered productivity and morale, and increased absenteeism and employee turnover. They said that large chunks of our workforce were considering changing jobs or careers.
And they placed the blame squarely on […]
In all areas of life, incentives work really well. They’re easy to understand—if I do this, I will get that—and they focus people on a specific outcome. We start young—eat your vegetables and you’ll get dessert—and we continue to respond to incentives all our lives.
In business, incentives are incredibly successful. Do you want your employee […]
Some companies and their employees are going through tough times right now. In some cases, it’s become so bad people refer to companies as “at war” with employees.
Imagine that.
It’s like an auto-immune disorder in which the mechanisms designed to keep the body healthy attack it instead.
The company’s leadership needs employees in order for the business […]
Imagine you have a skill so rare and so valuable that companies will pay tremendous amounts of money for access to your talent. They’ll go to great lengths to win you over because your extraordinary abilities can bring riches to your company, accolades to your boss, and thrills to your shareholders.
Because they–and you—believe you have […]
Do you know what insubordination is? Do you think your managers do?
It’s an ugly word, isn’t it? Such hierarchical language, hinting at dominance and submission. It all seems so out of place for today’s workforce. “You are my subordinate, I am your superior. You must act submissively, or I shall charge you with insubordination.”
Except that’s […]
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 […]
