In the 18th century, the 13 colonies that became the United States of America had to fight the British for their independence. The people who work for you shouldn’t have to fight you for their independence. People crave control over what they do. My youngest grandson is a good example of how this works. When he was a » Read More
Category: Great Working Environment
Leadership: When was it great to go to work?
For more than 20 years, I started every class in basic supervisory skills the same way. I asked participants to identify a time when it had been great to go to work. Then they split into workgroups where they shared their experiences with the other members and then came up with their own list of the characteristics of a » Read More
Boss’s Tip of the Week: Try it their way
Sure, you’ve got experience and you know how things should be done. But if you think you know the only way, you’ll miss out on some helpful innovation and miss an opportunity to improve the working environment. Two facts are important. First, you don’t know all the ways work can get done. Second, part of » Read More
Happy and productive workers
Matt was really happy when he went to work last Friday. He and his wife had just found out she was pregnant. He was thrilled. He told everyone, but he didn’t get much work done. Then, there’s Vic. Vic was easily the most unhappy worker I’ve ever known, but he always did good work. Once I asked him why » Read More
What office layout is best?
Today, it seems, just about every company wants to move to open plan offices. They’re after innovation, the Holy Grail of the 21st Century. The best design, they think, is one that fosters lots of chance encounters and opportunities for collaboration. But what about productivity? Jim Morgan has researched that » Read More