For a company to stay on the cutting edge you need to create a culture for learning. The technology that drives IT departments is in a constant state of change. Your employees need to continue to obtain the knowledge and training needed to implement and support both present and new technologies. As a manager or a member of leadership it is your responsibility to encourage your employees to … [Read more...]
How to Deal with Team Member Personalities
It only takes one difficult personality on a team to make the team unproductive and the team environment unpleasant for everyone else. There are ways to deal with these team members and hopefully get them back to being a constructive member of the team. With proper guidance and coaching these bad apples can be shined up into good team members. There are always a few who do not turn around and … [Read more...]
Ten Things Your Employees Want
As managers we get so busy with our own work we can overlook the needs of our employees. Do you know what makes your employees happy? The best employee performance management program will fall short of your goals if you fail to meet the basic needs of your employees. Why should you care? Employees who are happy in the job are more productive and more content. They have fewer sick days, better … [Read more...]
Communications Skills – How to Be Specific
To be a successful manager you must be able to communicate effectively with others. One way to become a better communicator is by being more specific with your message. Do you talk with a team member about an issue but the behavior or problem continues? Do you assign tasks that are not done they way they should be? If so the problem may be you are not being specific enough when communicating … [Read more...]
Management By Walking Around MBWA
Management by walking around, sometimes called management by wandering around is the western version of the Japanese Gemba walk. It is Genchi Genbutsu which means “go and see for yourself”. The place you go to is the Gemba, the place where it happens. In this case where the work happens. Read the article The Gemba Walk – A Tool For IT Management and Leadership for more on the Gemba walk. In … [Read more...]
20 Leadership Principles Every Manager Needs
IT Managers need to be a good leader to be successful and manage successful teams. Whether you are a project manager, a department manager or a team manager learning the some basic principles of leadership is essential to becoming a better manager It is what you do that makes you successful. That is why these 20 leadership principles are mainly about actions. To be a successful manager you must … [Read more...]
How To Deal With Low Morale in The Workplace
Problems with morale in the workplace are more obvious now. Employees are worried about the economy and possibly their jobs. Let us assume for this article that economic worries are not the reason for low morale in your workplace. I wrote an article a few months ago called “Tough Times Call For Strong Leadership” that addresses that issue. There are any number of reasons low morale can creep into … [Read more...]
Coach Your Employees – Their Success is Your Success
Leaders are only as successful as the people who report to them. This is why it is important to develop your reports to be the best that they can be. Not only does their success directly reflect well on you but you strengthen your team to meet new challenges. Coaching is not just a tool for correcting behavioral or work related issues. It is a tool that can be used to develop and improve your … [Read more...]