Dear Madeleine, I manage a large team of accounting professionals for a company of about 4800 employees. I have worked very hard to create a great team, and I have excellent, dedicated people. My problem is our payroll manager (PM). He is generally very easy-going and a hard worker. He is a whiz at working…
Dear Madeleine, I am a sales EVP in fast growing but incredibly competitive software. The pandemic threw demand into overdrive, which is great, but it means quotas have ballooned as well. Our structure is regional and all of the regional VPs report to me. My issue is one very whiny VP who is convinced that…
Last week I took to social media to ask the question “What do you value most about your company and your leader?” It wasn’t a large sample, but big enough to get some diversity of thought. Take a look at some of the responses I got back. As I read through the results, I realised…
Dear Madeleine, I’ve got a member of my team who has “retired in place.” No matter what I try, I can’t get him to engage. Any thoughts? Frustrated Dear Frustrated, I think the only thing to do in this situation is to have a serious sit-down with your disengaged team member. First, put the facts as…
People who embrace life with gusto enjoy better health and more happiness and fulfillment says Ken Blanchard in his latest column for Chief Learning Officer magazine, Blanchard goes on to explain that the same principle applies at work, yet many people who’ve been in a job for a while see the days ahead as something…
Last week I met with a group of sales managers for a national retailer that is doing very well. Turnover is low. Same-store sales have been outpacing their peer group for five years. Quarterly and annual financials have been excellent. The question they were asking was, “How do we keep our people motivated?” I asked…
The more that virtual teams become our normal way of working, the more we realize how difficult it is to build the positive relationships so critical for team success. A face-to-face meeting for team building is best, yet most teams can’t afford that luxury. So how do you build team spirit when you can’t have…
“Not looking out for the emotional well-being of our people hurts individuals and organizations in terms of increased illness, stress and disability claims—not to mention the opportunity losses of productivity and creativity,” explains motivation expert Susan Fowler. Surprisingly, when Fowler talks with leaders about what is motivating them on their current tasks and responsibilities, people…
Consider these five statements. True or False? Money cannot buy you happiness. Money may not buy happiness, but it will buy things that make you happy. The more money you have, the happier you are. Seeking wealth, status, or image undermines interpersonal relationships and connectedness to others. Pursuing money or other materialistic values results in…
Two years ago I was in Kenya doing some volunteer work when our van got stuck in the mud on the way to visit one of the local schools. We tried everything to get unstuck but nothing worked. We needed help. In the workplace as well as other areas of our lives, we sometimes encounter…