Coach's Corner
Regular columns on workplace issues reprinted from The Province newspaper.
It pays to hire female execs
Q: None of my top women managers are applying for executive positions. How can I change that? A: Good idea, since studies reveal companies with more women in the C Suite and on the board financially outperform others by 35 to 65 per cent. Results are best generated with an initiative actively championed by the […]
How do I keep staff?
Q: I’m having nightmares about coming to work only to find I have no staff left. My company laid off 1/3 of our workforce, and has a wage and hiring freeze so everyone is doing double duty. My staff is overworked, overwhelmed and threatening to leave. How can I hang onto them? A: A Right […]
Emails that get attention
Q: I don’t get the responses I’m looking for when I send e-mails at work. People either avoid replying or miss the point. How do I get straight answers to my questions? A: Corporate e-mail users receive up to 200 e-mails a day. If the recipient only spends a minute on each one, that’s over […]
Managers lead by example
Q: I’ve just been promoted into my first management position. Without technical to-dos to check off the list each day, I don’t feel I’m accomplishing anything. How do I ensure I am adding value to my company? A: It’s a common mistake for new managers to gravitate to tasks instead of people. You got the […]
Start by finding common ground
Q: Two of my managers have been squabbling for years. Rather than working things out between themselves, they bring everything to me. I’m tired of mediating. How can I put a stop to this so they focus on their jobs? A: Being a middle man is a no-win position. It fuels their feud as both […]
Be honest with career coach
Q: I am finally warming to my boss’s recommendation to get coaching. Now how do I choose the best coach for me and get the most value from the experience? A: You’re already on the road to getting more value by your shift in attitude. An open and willing coachee achieves far greater results than […]
Coaches build on your career
Q My boss says I need coaching if I want to be promoted. I’m feeling singled out. How is coaching going to help me and what guarantee do I have that what I say won’t be used against me by my boss? A This is the best possible news. Your boss is actually saying he’s […]
End bullying in workplace
Q: My boss’s friend is disregarding my role as her supervisor, treating me rudely and telling lies about me. As a leader, how can I prevent this kind of behaviour from spreading throughout the organization? A: Examples of workplace bullying include being spoken to in a dismissive tone (“talked down to”); spreading malicious rumours; gossip […]
Bully victim must seek help
Q: I am the victim of office bullying and my supervisor turns a blind eye to the situation. What can I do? A: We expect bullying will end once we leave the school yard; however, according to the Workplace Bullying Institute (www.workplacebullying.org), almost half of working Americans have been affected by bullying on the job. […]
Be very clear in assigning tasks
Q: Even when I give my staff member a simple task to do, such as creating a news release, and explain how I want it done, she solicits her co-workers’ suggestions and the job ends up getting done differently than I wanted. How can I change this? A: It sounds like your direct report may […]
Coach's Corner Postings
- Show Belief in your Employees
- Best ways to deal with work stress
- Startup salary too small- Autonomy, stimulating work may compensate for less pay
- Rewire your brain for 2016
- Apps will keep you grounded during hectic travel schedule
- The right apps are invaluable organizing tools
- Defeating ‘impostor syndrome’ is a must
- New position overwhelms manager- Too much feedback can lead to information overload and cause poor decision-making
- Travel for work, family life clashing
- Coaching helps employees achieve their goals
- Be tactful when the boss seeks your feedback
- Don’t let resolutions slip away
- Team lead needs support from boss
- Give employees time to follow your ideas
- Make new employees feel welcome, part of the team
- Coaching a sign you’re valued
- Isolating worker IS bullying
- Time outs can help you reach your goals
- Right brain thinkers bring new ideas to team
- Take high road and don’t question decision
- Effective mentors make great leaders
- Firing can be overcome
- MBA no guarantee of success
- Take time to get back in the work flow
- Keep your global team well engaged
- Lead from the middle
- Succession planning faux pas
- Timely tips save effort
- Confidence needed to be team leader
- Motivate your staff by reviving effective work habits
- Play nice with vicious co-worker
- Clear communication key to managing offshore staff
- Taking high road pays off in the end
- Give critics a chance to be heard
- Introverts need time and trust to open up
- Managers need to buffer staff from stress
- How to give feedback to under-performers
- Expert status now a barrier
- Hints to help bump up 2012
- Take positives from negative
- Steer clear of minefields
- Set the tone for meetings
- Dealing with clashing values
- Get set up -then unplug
- Meet Gen-Yers on their turf
- Try handling with care
- Make change easier on staff
- Plan project in four steps
- Team resists new vision
- New exec tip: take it slow
- It pays to hire female execs
- How do I keep staff?
- Emails that get attention
- Managers lead by example
- Start by finding common ground
- Be honest with career coach
- Coaches build on your career
- End bullying in workplace
- Bully victim must seek help
- Be very clear in assigning tasks
- Be co-operative on feedback
- Put the spark back into staff
- Time to air your strong points
- If words alone don’t do it….
- How to handle a boss who breaks promises
- Build on your own success
- Stay in touch with your boss
- Your strengths will sustain you
- Lower sights to return to office
- Is time right to take the leap?
- Outlining expectations will save headaches later
- Questions can quell surprises
- Why job can be like marriage
- Be calm when short-listed
- Heart has to be in your work
- How to send your message
- Preparing to cast off the safety net
- How to mute those inner critics
- You’re still the boss of you
- Be yourself, not a work impostor
- Walk with your co-worker through his several fears
- A bruised ego won’t kill you
- Leave your work at the office