Picture this: a well-known brokerage firm recovering from a major scandal is faced with increasing losses and decreasing brand confidence. A well-intentioned attempt to rally its “dispirited” employees backfires and results in further disengagement. Here’s the true and sad story as told to me recently by a former employee. “I remember sitting at my mahogany
While I travel often for business, my experience staying at the Hyatt Place DFW airport hotel felt different. I was consistently met with genuinely friendly, caring attitudes from all the hotel associates I encountered: from the sales manager who helped me with an extra night’s stay because I needed to arrive early before an impending storm
[Note: This post first appeared on myHR Blog and is shared with permission from Tina Hamilton, PHR, founder of myHRPartner, an HR outsourcing firm. Tina is a well-respected business professional who is frequently quoted in the national media on HR-related issues in the workplace, and I’m proud to know her as a colleague and friend. To learn
I love working with my clients, and yet I get so frustrated sometimes — not at them, but for them. I get frustrated on their behalf because of the organizational absurdity they have to deal with. For example: A management team focuses on improving employee and customer engagement despite inconsistent or no corporate support. An executive director
The answer depends on management’s attention span. No matter how well intentioned, executives who are unable to keep their focus on doing what it takes to make a new approach work will move on when the initiative fails and go after for the next best thing — frustrating their employees in the process. In this
Steer clear if someone you work for – or with – says any of the following: “I’m not the boss because I’m always right. I’m always right because I’m the boss.” “Why should I invest in your training? You’ll just take all this knowledge and go to work for someone else.” “Lack of planning on
I had an interesting discussion with a colleague who manages an internal service department for a medium-sized organization. She’s a supportive manager whose team takes pride in providing quality service to internal clients. However, she finds it a challenge to keep her employees at the top of their game when some internal clients are unappreciative
The phrase “What am I, chopped liver?” is uttered when a person is made to feel that he or she is not special. It’s exactly how some customers feel as a result of neglect by companies. I’m seeing this scenario play out in a membership-based company that’s constantly offering special discount pricing to acquire new customers
Recognizing and affirming employee value is critical to creating and sustaining employee engagement. And while workplace recognition should be a no-brainer, Gallup research found otherwise. According to Gallup practice manager Annamarie Mann and researcher Nate Dvorak, ” … only one in three U.S. workers strongly agree that they received recognition or praise for doing good
A colleague expressed frustration about a corporate search that took nearly a year to replace a department head. It takes time to bring in the right person, and urgency takes a back seat to finding the right fit. The challenge, however, is getting through the process as employees cope with the “temporary” void feeling uncertain