Great teamwork doesn’t happen by accident; it requires leadership that proactively creates team cohesion and a positive work climate, with members who clearly understand their role and what it means to be an effective team member. You can read Dr. Teschner’s full column on this topic in the January 17, 2020 edition of the New Hampshire Business Review here: https://www.nhbr.com/building-great-teams/.
Read MoreSupervisors are more effective when they hold regularly-scheduled, individual meetings with all direct reports. I don’t just mean the usual day-to-day contact about active projects, but rather 30-60 minute meetings held monthly (or biweekly) on a planned schedule. Such meetings a powerful way to develop deeper relationships with your staff and discuss important work issues.
Read MoreEvery leader would do well to take a close look at their business culture. Does every staff member have a clear sense of their role and how it fits into the greater mission? Does everyone understand and embrace the mission statement or do they see it as something that collects dust on the wall or simply gets lip service? Are there inconsistencies between leadership words and actions that undermine employee trust?
Read MoreThe most effective leaders “encourage the heart” including cheering and rewarding successes, promoting staff appreciation, and building community spirit. In their book The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations, Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner highlight this as one of five key leadership practices. Encouraging the heart has many aspects including
Read MoreWhen things aren’t going well at work, it is easy to fall into a pattern of blaming others, gossiping or playing the victim, but, even when frustration is justified, these are self-defeating strategies. Things may not be perfect at work, but it is up to each of us to apply self-leadership skills to find solutions that work for ourselves (and hopefully for others as well). For more on this topic, read my New Hampshire Business Review column: https://www.nhbr.com/encouraging-self-leadership/
Read MoreA positive work climate with a sense of belonging enhances employee motivation, and an important component is a leader who helps people see meaning and purpose amid their daily work tasks. How many people do you know who do the minimum required and survive in the workplace, but don’t thrive and are not high performers. Contrast that with those who are fully engaged and always do more than expected. What is the difference?
Read MoreThe most effective leaders have regularly scheduled individual meetings with all their direct reports. This is not the same as typical day-to-day contact that you may have with staff as needs arise. Rather these are biweekly or monthly sessions that include goal setting, collaborative problem solving, coaching/mentoring, feedback on performance issues, and assessing staff development needs.
Read MoreThere are so many titles on leadership, one wonders where to begin. These books challenged me to see things from a new perspective and take my leadership to a higher level. For details, check out my NH Business Review column:
https://www.nhbr.com/great-leadership-reads/.
Read MoreIn their classic book The Leadership Challenge, James Kouzes and Barry Posner describe “enabling others to act” as of the five practices of exemplary leadership. This important leadership competency includes building relationships and a climate of trust, enhancing collaboration, using influence to facilitate positive engagement, and empowering and mentoring others to grow and take initiative.
Read MoreHow each of us influences others, whether positively or negatively, is critically important to both our personal and work lives. Here are some simple actions every one of us can do to support a healthy work culture:
· Act positive -- it’s contagious
· Encourage others -- we all need a kind word sometimes
· Embrace gratitude.
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