HR Tips
Dealing with a Toxic Boss
May 18, 2011 1 Comment
Employee Engagement “Employees don’t leave their company—they leave their boss” says the author of a recent Florida State University study of 700 workers. The study revealed that many employees believe their supervisors don’t give credit when it’s due, gossip about them behind their backs, and Read More
Company Policy for Instant Messaging and Text Messaging
May 16, 2011 0 Comments
HR Policies In just a few years, instant messaging (IM) and text messaging (TM) have become pervasive. As you no doubt know from experience, IM is usually sent via desktop or laptop computer, whereas TM is transmitted via cell phones or handheld devices such as Read More
The Grapevine: Informal Lines of Communication
May 11, 2011 0 Comments
Communication With apologies to Marvin Gaye and his 1967 hit for Motown Records, if you want information to spread quickly in an organization then look to the “grapevine”. The grapevine, of course, is the informal communication network in a group or organization that is an Read More
A Free Communication Method that is Thousands of Years Old!
May 9, 2011 1 Comment
Communication If you read the verbatim minutes of a meeting, you wouldn’t grasp the impact of what was said the same way as if you had been there or saw the meeting on video. Why? There is no record of nonverbal communication. The emphasis given Read More
When Do Teams Make Sense?
May 3, 2011 1 Comment
Team Work Many organizations have embraced the team concept wholeheartedly. But as it is with most things, there is also a negative side to teams. Teamwork takes more time and often more resources than individual work. Teams have increased communication demands, conflicts to manage, and Read More
Hiring Team Players
April 28, 2011 0 Comments
Assessments The Los Angeles Galaxy professional soccer team paid enormously for British star David Beckham’s talents, seemingly without considering whether he was a team player. Some people already possess the interpersonal skills to be effective team players—but when faced with candidates who lack team skills, Read More
The Importance of Team Roles
April 26, 2011 0 Comments
Recruiting Understanding the differing roles on a team and using this information to select team members can lead to greater team success. A study of 778 major league baseball teams over a 21-year period highlights the importance of assigning roles appropriately. The study showed (not Read More
Screening Job Applicants for the “Right Stuff”
April 21, 2011 1 Comment
Assessments A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHrM) identified that skills shortages in the workforce appear to be growing. In the poll of over 400 Human Resources managers and 300 employees, 55% said that workers entering the job market in the next Read More
Team Diversity – A Mixed Blessing?
April 18, 2011 1 Comment
Organizational Development Team diversity, whether racial, gender, or other differences has both benefits and costs. Research shows that team diversity appears to increase conflict in the early stages of a team’s formation and this often lowers morale.
Groupthink – The Downfall of Many Teams
April 13, 2011 1 Comment
Organizational Psychology Have you ever felt like speaking up in a team meeting but decided against it? One reason may have been shyness or you may have been a victim of groupthink! Groupthink occurs the team’s need for consensus overrides the expression of deviant or Read More
