Blog - ResourcefulManager

6 Ways Leaders and Managers Can Build a Culture of Trust

by Allison Hail October 14, 2018

As managers and leaders, we depend on our team members as much as they depend on us. The productivity, innovation, and personality of managers create a culture of trust in a business team and also drives success.

If employees feel like they are part of a workplace which cultivates them as thinkers and people, their job satisfaction will increase significantly.

And your job as a leader becomes a whole lot easier.

However, to gain access to your employees’ great ideas and adequately address challenges when they arise, you must first establish a culture of trust in which every employee feels comfortable to speak up and be themselves.

Here are 6 key ways to establish that culture of trust.

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Leadership

5 Leadership Weaknesses That You Can Turn Into Strengths

by John Walston September 30, 2018

Not all bosses are created equal. Some may be born leaders, but most of us have to learn how to master the role.

But even if you’re doing a great job of leading your team, there’s always room for improvement, right?

And the good news: 70% survive their leadership weaknesses, says Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman, authors of Speed: How Leaders Accelerate Successful Execution.

But first, you need to identify your weaknesses. Here are five common leadership liabilities shared by Business News Daily – and how to turn them into assets:

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Employee Engagement

Storytelling as a Leadership Tool – And How to Do It Effectively

by John Walston September 9, 2018

Storytelling isn’t just for the office gossip anymore. It has real leadership advantages.

Managers can more effectively sway people with stories than with logic. A well-delivered tale can win hearts and minds.

Here are the keys to effective storytelling:

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Performance Management

4 Steps to Deliver Difficult Messages Without Ranting, Raving

by John Walston August 26, 2018

Let’s say you have two employees who are struggling and need to change course:

Darlene is quiet, sensitive. Carla is abrasive, defiant.

Neither is easy to deal with, especially when you need to have a difficult conversation.

And doing that in today’s workplace makes it even more complicated.

Is there a middle ground – a way to deliver tough feedback to a wide variety of employees?

Or must you scream, rant and rave with some and sandwich it with niceties for others?

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Performance Management

Be a Coach, Not a Boss: 5 Steps for Inspiring Employees to Greatness

by Hawley Kane August 12, 2018

Describe the best manager you’ve ever had.

What qualities in that person did you most admire? Why did you like working for them? What did they do to make a positive impact on you and your career?

While everybody has different criteria for what makes somebody a great manager, there are typically some consistencies. I bet the person you’re thinking of helped you play to your strengths and work on your weaknesses. They celebrated your successes and guided you through failure. They listened to you, developed you, empowered you, and trusted you.

In other words – they were more like a coach, and less like a boss.

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Employee Engagement

Dealing with Office Gossip: Good Advice to Give Your Direct Reports

by John Walston July 29, 2018

Dorothy Parker, the satirist, is famous for saying, “If you have nothing good to say about someone, sit next to me.”

Someone like Parker is likely employed at your organization. These are the folks who live for the scraps of information – negative or positive – that are traded day in and day out in most workplaces.

Office gossip and the office grapevine are as old as the workplace and as difficult to manage as the people and processes in them.

People can rarely resist “spilling the beans” when they hear a juicy tidbit of information, whether it’s about work or a colleague.

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Performance Management

7 Ways to Help Employees Improve Performance – Backed by Research

by John Walston July 22, 2018

Managing people is a continual improvement process.

Master a skill, grasp new knowledge, achieve a higher goal – then move on to the next. It’s your job and privilege to take employees to that next level.

Here are the seven best, research-proven ways to help employees improve performance – plus two tactics that don’t work.

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Professional Development

How to Disagree With Your Boss – And Still Have a Good Relationship

by John Walston July 8, 2018

Your boss has a really good idea – at least she thinks so – and you hate it. Awkward, isn’t it?

On the one hand, you owe it to your company to point out the problems. On the other hand, you don’t want to hurt a good relationship.

Fortunately, you can disagree with the boss – or anyone – when necessary and still maintain the relationship, plus accomplish goals.

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Employee Engagement

8 Must-Have Management Traits That Inspire Employees

by John Walston June 24, 2018

To light a fire under employees – and keep it burning – be an inspiration.

Employees with inspirational bosses are engaged, productive, reliable and loyal, a Gallup poll found.

Almost all of those who don’t have an encouraging boss are actively disengaged.

How can you inspire employees? Do what inspirational bosses have in common:

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Employee Engagement

7 Phrases That Hurt Morale and Undermine a Positive Workplace

by John Walston June 17, 2018

As a leader, you want to be a straight-talker. No sugarcoating, exaggerating or minimizing. But there’s a fine line between straight talk and a toxic tone.

Some seemingly innocent phrases can have a negative impact on everything from morale and productivity to the bottom line.

So, you want to avoid phrases and mindsets – like these seven – that can pollute a positive work environment.

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