Workology: Workforce America (sample page)

	November 2001

Workology > Workforce America > Nov. 2001: People Management
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1. Bumbling managers create bruised employee loyalty	Handling the aftermath of the terrorist attacks posed an acid test for employers. Employees' conclusions about what they saw either deepened their commitment or damaged it beyond repair.
2. Appraising the performance appraisal	While the key to employee satisfaction doesn't begin and end with a performance appraisal system, perhaps it's time to look more closely at how your organization handles the appraisal process.
3. The 10 most common employee handbook mistakes	Employee handbooks are essential for businesses to run legally and efficiently. Yet a single faux pas could spell the difference between smooth sailing and being marooned in a lawsuit.
4. An alternative to incentives (Free registration required)	The logic behind incentives is flawed, and until managers understand why the logic is wrong they will continue to fall into the incentive trap.
5. Employees at midlife: Crisis or transition?	Employees may need special support to adapt successfully to a new phase of their life and career.
6. For whom the bell curve tolls (Free registration required)	Performance appraisals used to be a way to reward employees. Now so-called forced rankings are being used to lay them off. But will you be sued if you use them?
7. Managing effectively and compassionately in difficult times	Suggestions for trying to get back to "business as usual."
8. Practice What You Preach: Part 1	Excerpt from David H. Maister's new book, "Practice What You Preach," in which he spells out what managers must do to create a high-achievement culture. Also see Part 2.

9. Lessons in authentic leadership	Leadership isn't about having the answers.
10. Setting expectations, successfully	Some managers unwittingly play a nasty game of "Blind Man's Bluff," when it comes to setting expectations with their employees.
11. Move to remote work may be limited by heavy workloads, face-time cultures	Cross-industry findings by consulting firm WFD show that access to technology is not the key barrier to remote work.
12. Self-evaluations: How to prompt pearls, not puffery	Supervisors who ask employees to stand before the mirror and evaluate themselves get a type of feedback that’s rarely available through other channels. But the practice isn’t without its pitfalls.
13. Four suggestions for a positive, interactive workplace	Many companies are mired in poor performance because their employees are not working as effectively as they could be. But ironically, the problem does not stem from the workers.
14. Saying 'no' and why	Explanations have far more long-term value than quick, one-word responses via e-mail or voice mail. Even when you can't say "Yes," tell your team that you would like to, and hope to one day.
15. How to be effective as a boss without 'bossing' people around	If you don't want your credibility to drop, follow these five tips for exercising your influence subtly.
16. Employers urged to take the wheel against distracted driving (Free registration required)	Cell phones aren't the only distraction tempting a nation of bored and restless road warriors, and that's a message employers urgently need to drive home to their employees, according to one organization.

17. Leading high-impact teams: Coping with uncertainty	Several practical "to dos" from the new book, "Leading High Impact Teams: The Coach Approach to Peak Performance."
18. Making beautiful music together	For both employers and employees, here's the right way to conduct an annual review.
19. Give good feedback	Giving good feedback is an art that, practiced well, endears bosses to those they supervise like no other skill.
20. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa! (Free registration required)	We need strong leaders with vision and drive. But so-called tough bosses who suck the life out of those around them do more to undermine organizational success than promote it.
21. Culture of collaboration	The biggest challenge of getting employees to work together online isn't a technological problem -- it's a cultural and organizational one.
22. What works: Refreshing lessons in empowerment (Free registration required)	A lemonade stand is no Fortune 500 company, but with refreshing simplicity it reveals some of the key principles of empowerment.
23. Reviews in the round	360-degree feedback is no panacea for dysfunctional organizations to work their way out of trouble.
24. Moving beyond money enriches the workplace	In our rapidly evolving world, people want more than survival or money -- they want a life.

25. Company ethics: A two-way street	A new study shows that the success of ethics programs depends in part on whether employees perceive their organization treats people in a generally fair way.
26. The Art of Management	No boring management theories here, just common sense observations dealing with the fundamentals of motivation.
27. Difficult employees require extra TLC	Subordinates with bad attitudes can be a real headache for managers. But with a little care and nurturing, managers can gain an employee's respect and boost his or her performance.
28. Better performance reviews, great results (Free registration required)	Rather than conducting annual performance marathons, Bristol-Myers' new program concentrates on ongoing appraisals.
29. The importance of penning praise	Writing thank-you notes isn’t the "be all and end all" of motivating employees. But notewriting can go a long, long way toward keeping people pleased as punch on the job.
30. Vary your leadership style to get results	Good leaders need different styles of leading and they know when, and why, to use each style.
31. Survey: 68% of workers use sick days for other reasons	Employers continue to be hit hard by the high cost of "sick time," according to the 2001 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey.
32. Hello, boss? I won't be in today	Absenteeism, valid or not, can be a real problem for many businesses. But just how bad is the absenteeism problem nationwide?

33. Set performance standards -- and reap the rewards	Setting exalted standards or goals can often nudge unexpected gains from workers and leave you looking the hero rather than the heavy.
34. Buoying morale and productivity during layoffs	The employees who aren't axed often experience heavy stress and ill health. Good communication, accommodation and emotional support all help.
35. Achieving harmony and high performance in the workplace	The key to creating a stable, productive workplace is to put employees in charge of their own success.
36. High anxiety at work	When bad news strikes suddenly, companies can often find themselves ill-equipped to deal with the reaction of employees.
37. Job Tenure as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Autonomy and Satisfaction (PDF format)	This study examines a critical aspect of employee empowerment, autonomy, and its relationship to job satisfaction and the extent to which that relationship is moderated by job tenure.
38. How to get your employees to buy into professional dress	Besides being leaders, motivators, change agents, and task masters, today's employers now must be professional dress consultants as well.
39. What you miss when turning a blind eye	As an HR manager, blindering is an especially heinous limitation for you because of the important role you play in hiring, promoting, reviewing and firing decisions.
40. Managers thrive in crises by listening to dissenters	Leaders need loyal followers, especially in times of crisis. Yet what distinguishes great from merely competent leaders is the ability not just to tolerate but to seek out and encourage dissenting ideas from a diverse group of people.

Workology > Workforce America > Nov. 2001: People Management

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