Can a manager be an effective coach? Some (often, professional coaches) say that they can’t and shouldn’t, because they have too much of a vested interest in the outcome of the coaching and couldn’t possibly be neutral enough to hold back on their opinions.
Then again, a lot of managers think they are already coaching when what they are really doing is a lot of teaching, advising and telling — or, worst case, micromanaging (think Pointy Haired Boss from “Dilbert”). They use the phrase “coaching” to describe just about any conversation they have with an employee.
Both are valid positions. It all depends on how you define what “coaching” is. I like to think of it as the skill and art of helping someone improve their performance and reach their full potential. There is a spectrum of coaching skills — from directive (teaching, advising, giving feedback, offering suggestions), to asking questions and listening — the real magic of coaching is when the coach takes a more non-directive approach (asking questions and listening) and the person can solve his or her problems. (read more…)
Prudential Investments Mutual Funds, part of Prudential Financial, spends a lot of time providing thought leadership with input from Prudential Financial’s affiliated institutional managers. A topic it has recently given much attention to is fixed-income choices in defined-contribution (DC) plans. In 2012, Prudential Investments Mutual Funds published the white paper, Insights on Investing: Fixed Income Options within DC Plans, for the purpose of initiating dialogue with advisors and consultants.
In this three-part blog series sponsored by Prudential, we will examine how fixed income can enhance retirement menus. This interview was originally published in the November 2012 issue of Financial Advisor magazine.
In today’s Part 1, the experts explain why offering a wider selection and variety of fixed-income choices to DC plan menus can potentially provide higher returns, greater diversification and less volatility to retirement portfolios.
Part 2 of the interview will look at ways to construct a better portfolio.
Part 3 of the interview will explain how financial advisors can help in this effort. (read more…)
The following answers and images are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council, an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. The YEC recently launched #StartupLab, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses via live video chats, an expert-content library and e-mail lessons.
1. Thinking everyone had the same thought process
A mistake I made early on was thinking that our employees had the same thought processes and learning tactics that I did. Explaining something, walking away and expecting them to execute the task as I saw it in my head proved unrealistic. Now, I ask employees to tell me what the end result will be or explain the process so I can figure out if we are on the same page. — Kim Kaupe of ZinePak
2. Not firing sixes fast enough
Employing sixes [of 10s] at a startup can sink your business. (read more…)
SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 190,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our e-newsletter.
Last week, we asked: How do you deal with rudeness in your organization?
- I immediately confront it, and harshly: 39.97%
- I ignore it: 23.26%
- I act overly nice in the face of it: 34.76%
- I act rudely in return: 2.01%
Rudeness won’t be tolerated. About 75% of you confront rudeness as you see it, albeit using different tactics. Direct confrontation definitely calls it out but leaves the possibility of escalation and further rudeness. The other half of you “kill them with kindness,” which clearly has its benefits. The bottom line is, as a leader, you are responsible for the culture in your organization. If you tolerate rudeness, it could lead to a toxic culture which will lead to poor performance and turnover. (read more…)
Of the top 16 things to do in Las Vegas, according to Yelp and other sources, shopping accounts for six of them. With the help of a map from Esri, visitors can pinpoint which malls and shops are worth stopping by during their trip to Sin City.
Fashion Show Mall hits the list at No. 7, and Miracle Mile Shops is No. 10. The Grand Canal Shoppes and The Forum Shops at Caesars are Nos. 13 and 14, respectively. Other stores on the list include M&M’s World, at No. 9, and Bonanza Gift Shop, at No. 15.
The Las Vegas Convention Center, Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil are the top three activities for visitors.
The map also includes top dining destinations and hotels. (read more…)
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