Management Archives

How Managers Can Improve Communication at Work

How can managers improve their communication in the workplace? Can managerial communication skills make a difference to the team? Managers can improve their communication in the workplace by building relationships with their employees one-on-one, even in upper management positions. Improved trust and communication lead to a greater understanding of expectations. Read more about the importance of communication skills for managers and how managers can improve communication in the workplace with these insights from Camille Fournier’s The Manager’s Path.

The 3 Skills You Need for Promotion as a Software Engineer

What do you need to know to get promoted as a software engineer? When transitioning into management from engineering, are there extra skills you need to learn? As a software engineer, a promotion often means you’ll need to focus on building new skills. These include clear communication, strategic planning, and adaptability. Managing software engineers requires high-level thinking about business strategy, as well as good rapport with your team. Learn more about the skills you need when transitioning into management from a technical role.

Are Self-Validating People Easier or Harder to Influence?

How do you decide what to do? How do you determine how well you do things? You either validate yourself or look to get that validation from others. That’s true for everyone. Shelle Rose Charvet applies this knowledge to the workplace and provides guidance on how to persuade both self-validating people and people who are more validated by others. Read more to learn about this difference in people and how to make the most of it.

How to Identify & Leverage Different Problem-Solving Styles

What approach do you take to problem-solving? What if you could figure out the approach other people take and use that information to influence them? Some people tend to stick with one way to address problems. Others gravitate toward new ways of tackling issues. Influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet explains how you can identify a person’s dominant problem-solving style and communicate with them in a language they understand. Keep reading for Charvet’s tips along with some supplemental advice from workplace coach John Whitmore.

How to Motivate People at Work: The 6 Motivation Patterns

Do you have a hard time getting your team members or colleagues to enthusiastically engage in a new project? Does it seem like they’re on a page that doesn’t even exist in your book? According to influencing language expert Shelle Rose Charvet, if you learn how someone is motivated, you can consciously match their frame of reference and speak in a language they understand. She discusses six motivation patterns in a workplace context, but you can use her insights in any setting. Continue reading to learn how to motivate people at work by speaking their motivation language.

How the Mighty Fall: Book Overview and Takeaways

Why do so many companies crack under pressure? How can a floundering company recover? While Jim Collins’s book How the Mighty Fall is a warning to companies that have grown complacent, it also serves as motivation for those in the throes of decline. Collins says that by staying vigilant about the threat of failure, you can rechart your course, keep pushing forward, and ensure your company’s survival. Read below for a brief How the Mighty Fall book overview.

The Effects of Poor Leadership on Big Companies

What are the effects of poor leadership? What’s “bad growth” in business? According to How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins, a successful company could become obsessed with growth in all the wrong ways, which he calls overreaching. This is mainly caused by leaders who believe that bigger is always better, but don’t necessarily pay attention to the finer details. Keep reading to learn more about the effects of poor leadership on successful businesses.

The Team-Building Process: Insights From Patrick Lencioni

At what point is a team too large? Are team-building activities worth it? Renowned business consultant Patrick Lencioni knows all about teams. In his book Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team, he defines what a team is and provides guidance on putting a team together and getting it on the right track from the start. Read on for Lencioni’s recommendations for the team-building process.

Patrick Lencioni: Trust Means More Than You Might Think

Do your team members feel like they can be completely open with you and each other? Or, do they tend to guard themselves and be careful about what they share? According to Patrick Lencioni, trust is foundational to team performance. He has written two books about the dysfunctions of teams. The first dysfunction is a lack of trust among team members. He explains what he means by trust, why it’s critical, and how to build it. Keep reading to learn about team trust.

The Result of Ignoring Symptoms of Business Failure

What happens when leaders ignore the symptoms of business failure? Can a company collapse overnight? According to How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins, a major contributor to a company’s downfall is when it disregards signs of decline. Because leaders ignore these signs, they make reckless decisions with potentially disastrous consequences. Continue reading to learn the consequences of ignoring the symptoms of a failing business.