The 5 most-clicked links in SmartBrief on Workforce this past week:
- Smart exec, dumb decision
- Being honest about “overqualified” candidates
- 3 layoff mistakes to avoid
- How to hire better people
- Why incentives don’t work
Image credit, iStock (read more…)
Today’s guest poster is Jeff Brainard of Catch Your Limit, a strategic management and marketing firm in Tallahassee, Fla., where he also blogs regularly.
Are you a Boomer-AB? Maybe you’re a Gen X-I. Or are you a Red-Traditionalist?
Great. … I’ve learned that I hate details and have a constant need for praise. Now that I’ve learned that my boss only cares about results and has a mistrust for institutions, what do I do?
Organizations lose value every time we do a workshop, lunch and learn, or retreat with no follow up, no action plan and no way to incorporate what we’ve learned into our organizational culture. The knowledge is only valuable if it’s put to use. We can’t expect to change behaviors or attitudes in the course of a brief learning session. We can only gain understanding in that time.
For such such sessions to have any long-term value, the language of generations and communication styles has to become a part of the organization’s language. (read more…)
More than 146 SmartBrief on Workforce readers weighed in on last week’s SmartPulse question: What is your temperament style?
- Worker – 64 votes, 44%
- Thinker – 61 votes, 42%
- Watcher – 15 votes, 10%
- Walker – 6 votes, 4%
The vast majority of you classified yourself as either Workers or Thinkers, under the taxonomy created in John Boe’s article, Principles of Persuasion. Workers are results oriented, value achievement and fear loss of control. Thinkers are analytical and cautious, valuing accuracy.
These aren’t just nice things to know about yourself; if you think deliberately about your own temperament and those of the people you work closely with, you can dramatically improve communication and productivity in your workplace. (read more…)
No one likes laying people off. It’s one of the least-pleasant responsibilities that managers have, which is why we’ve created so many euphemisms for it. Still, sometimes such cuts must be made to save the organization. If you are in the unenviable position of having to let people go — and a lot of managers will find themselves in that spot this year — don’t do it foolishly. Here are three mistakes you must avoid when cutting jobs.
- Using irrelevant criteria. Seniority, family ties and how badly someone needs a job are all common ways of deciding who to let go. They’re all also really foolish ways. Instead, use this opportunity to analyze your business’s needs, as well as individuals’ performance. This is your chance to prune your organization of underperforming divisions and slacker workers, Wendell Williams writes at ERE.net.
- Being stingy with severance. A couple weeks’ pay and a few m onths’ worth of health insurance premiums are a worthy investment in your departing employees’ goodwill.
Re-entering the workforce is always tough, but it can prove especially challenging during a recession. If that’s your situation and you are in the Washington area on Feb. 7, please consider joining me for a discussion on how to get back into the workforce during tough economic times. I’ll explain how to bolster your professional image and make the most of temporary and contract work, among other topics. 10 a.m.-noon, The Women’s Center, 127 Park St. NE, Vienna. 703-281-2657. Registration is required. Cost: members, $35, nonmembers, $45. (read more…)
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