Managing people

Dismayed by the State Department employees who peeked at Senator Barack Obama’s, Senator Hillary Clinton’s and John McCain’s passport files? Shocked by the nineteen employees, including physicians, who furtively glanced at Britney Spears’ medical files? Don’t be. Snooping isn’t rare. When I worked for CSO, a magazine devoted to executive-level security professionals, I heard countless […]

Mastery, membership, and meaning are all more important than money.

Stay in constant touch and have a plan for their return.

With nervous, but mostly eager, anticipation I walked up to the C-suite floor to meet with a senior manager at Merrill Lynch. When I'd initially met him...

Five scenarios every new leader encounters.

To get yourself and your team off to a good start for the new year, focus on progress. Our research discovered that fostering progress in meaningful work is the most important way to keep people highly engaged at work — even if that progress is a “small win.” We call this phenomenon the progress principle; […]

Most companies say they're committed to advancing women into leadership roles. What they may fail to recognize, though, is that systemic barriers are...

Diagnosing and dealing with difficult directors.

Police departments aren't the only ones considering it.

In the latest issue of Business Week, Stephen Baker’s article “Beware Social Media Snake Oil” makes a provocative argument. He claims that all the hype around social networks, wikis, and blogs for business neglects the potential risks and time wasted. While I think he is overstating the argument, he is bringing up a vital question […]

More than 50 years later, we still don't know what to do about it.

Being conflicted is exhausting.

What do IBM, Texas Instruments, Owens Corning, and Duke Power have in common? They’re all redesigning their organizations around their core processes—and reaping enormous benefits as a result.

As a teacher, I know how vital positive feedback is for keeping students motivated, productive, and satisfied. And I have seen, both in the classroom and in offices where I’ve worked, that particular ways of being positive tend to yield the best results (see my post “The Art of Giving Praise“). But I have to […]

Stores have evolved, so the jobs should too.

Set clear expectations.

It can happen to even the most competent leaders. Your team members disengage or stop coming to meetings. They refuse to, or simply don't do, what you...

A 3% increase in unemployment rate was linked to a 1% increase in the number of people in pain, according to an analysis of data from 1.3 million people in 146 countries.

Little Johnny comes home one day, looks down at his feet, and gives you his report card. You smile at him as you open it up and look inside. Then your...

Joe Ryan turned a small-town cosmetics company into a national powerhouse, making employees happy and shareholders rich in the process. Does it really matter that he cheats on his wife?