One of the most critical problems in all workplaces across the world is communication and interpersonal relationships. People just do not seem to get along
Communication skills are very important when coaching your employees. There are a few key things that you need to keep in mind… Coaching is meant
Discussing taboo topics is like opening a can of worms- once you discuss it, you can’t ignore it. Taboo topics, if left ignored, can start
Is an employee romance something that management should consider handling Among those who are married or in a relationship, meeting through friends or family is
Communication skills in the workplace are a crucial element in effectively fostering a good relationship between management and employees. Coaxing employees to speak up about
Telling white lies is one of the most common practices in the office, despite the fact that it’s a known problem in business communication skills.
Are you consistent about creating realistic and actionable goals for your company? A lot of business owners and managers set goals for their team without
There is a saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” While I don’t necessarily believe this completely, it does help you think
Managing change continues to be at the top of the corporate leadership agenda and is often seen as a core leadership development issue. We all
You can safely assume that there will be market crises that will affect your business from time to time. Running a business is far from
Leaders today have a lot of stress in their professional lives. They are doing more with less, have boards to answer to which make high
Feeling uncomfortable is certainly not pleasant for anyone – in any situation. Because of this, a lot of people will do everything possible to avoid
No matter what your business is if you do not have a good and reliable customer service to back you up, your company will sooner
Customers are getting more aggressive these days. They try to use all the tactics they know to get what they want. In fact, lots of
What manager doesn’t want motivated employees? Absolutely every manager I have ever talked to asks me the same question: “How do I motivate employee performance?”
Firing an employee is not an enjoyable task for anyone. In fact, many managers and business owners find this very difficult- traumatic, even. The way
Sometimes it is necessary for a company to consider terminating an employee during the probationary period. The probationary period is a crucial time when the
As a CEO you have the opportunity to directly increase sales…if you don’t agree, read on because what I have to share will have you
Ask any boss what part of their job they dread the most and they’re likely to tell you that it’s about terminating key executives. It’s
Dealing with drunk and hung-over employees can be a tricky situation for any boss, so how does one deal with this in an effective manner?
Why would I write a post about measuring the performance of sales personnel? Aren’t the only criteria that they make their numbers and close the
Being in a leadership position always requires you to make decisions, sometimes it requires you to make big decisions, and sometimes they are smaller. No
Is there a way to make better decisions? You bet…decision making is something we do every single day, even if we don’t recognize them as
We all know that if you work, there is stress associated with it. Trying to balance your professional and personal life causes stress. It’s impossible
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, in this world of AI becoming so prominent,
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, what do you think the workplace of the
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, what do you think is the role of
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, how do you help a CEO become better
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, can we create an environment where the whole
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland the host of the Business of Intuition Podcast, how do show my team that I
In this video, Linda Finkle is asked by Dean Newland host of the Business of Intuition Podcast – how do I retain my employees and
Pick up any magazine or do a search on the Internet and you’ll find there is a connection between successful people and goal setting. It
Planning is a leadership skill you want to develop Among the skills one would expect from a leader, planning is one of the most important
Acquiring and being able to retain top talent is tough. Once they are on board you don’t want to lose them. And you want to
Every day we face having to make decisions. Why do some decisions come easily and others we struggle with; at times even avoiding making the
It’s not always easy making decisions. As a leader, you are often faced with many crossroads that will test your decision-making skills. Most of the
Employees look up to their leaders for guidance. As they say, actions speak louder than words, so what managers show their employees stay in their
Anyone in the corporate world would agree that leadership skills training is among the most popular topics discussed in books and seminars. And people love
Employees are the heart and soul of every successful business. Making employees’ concerns and welfare one of the top priorities of an organization is universally
The definition of employee motivation is defined as a high level of energy, dedication, and focus that employees bring to their jobs. Wouldn’t it be
The success of a company relies heavily on its employees. Companies can only survive and operate smoothly if the company goals complement the goals and
One of the most important keys to organizational progress and learning how to be successful in business is setting clear goals. Before you begin another
I am often asked, by my clients and other leaders, what’s the #1 secret to increase employee motivation? I wish I had an answer to
Have you ever wondered what factors affect how much employees dedicate themselves to work? These factors form what is called motivation. Motivation is a phenomenon
In the third installment of this series, we’re going to focus on handling lack of accountability and what it takes to get everyone on board
You don’t want to let distractions keep you from successfully accomplishing what you set out to do. Having a plan is key to knowing where
Delegation is one of the most basic leadership skills, you need it if you’re to successfully manage a team or run a company. Leaders have
Key Performance Indicators tell you how well your business is doing. Knowing what they are and how to use them will give you a competitive
Great leaders possess the leadership skills to steer their team toward success through thick and thin. I’ve observed from working closely with executives that the
Are you a problem solver or a fixer? Do you pride yourself on being the individual people go to for answers or solutions? How often
Effective Leadership through Commitment Tracking: How to Keep Your Team’s Trust and Loyalty Admit it, you make more promises than you can actually keep. You
Hiring and retention are two sides of the same coin. You know well enough that you need to invest time, money, and effort to recruit
Let’s face it. No one ever wants to terminate an employee, whether it’s a reduction in force, termination for cause or the employee’s skills have
Terminating employees is perhaps the most challenging part of any manager’s job. No one enjoys having the discussion and even thinking about it makes many
Family business succession planning may not be a very popular topic to discuss, but it certainly isn’t one to ignore. Mom and pop businesses are
Because I work with business owners, entrepreneurs, and executives, we often have discussions on succession planning. Everyone understands the need for succession planning, yet they
Many of my clients are business owners and entrepreneurs, and we often discuss succession planning. If you don’t have a family member who is the
Clients often ask me, “What is Succession Planning?” Simply put, it is the process of identifying, assessing, and developing potential employees to fill key positions
Succession planning is one of the most overlooked responsibilities of the company’s board. That’s why the sudden departure of the CEO causes many a company
Communication problems in the workplace are inevitable. As organizations grow, communication becomes harder. When there were only a handful of employees, staff meetings were done
Leaders are constantly dealing with problems inside and outside the company as well. When it comes to internal problems there are 5 critical problems that
What does it mean to be a truly authentic leader? Is it strictly the act of aligning your corporate actions with your public words? Is
We all have plans in life. Whether it’s a long-term business strategy or planning a menu for a family dinner, it is but natural for
As a leader, you should be knowledgeable in rallying your team through difficult times, and humble enough to know when you need help. Maxwell’s 5
Having conversations with staff where you are discussing performance that is unsatisfactory isn’t fun. No one wants to engage in those conversations, expecting the worst,
Every leader knows that communicating during a crisis is critical. The question is though what do you communicate and how do you communicate the information?
If you’re a leader, I’m sure you’ve found that building a team is one of the most challenging tasks you could have. Building a team
Disclaimer: It is never pleasant to fire someone, regardless if you know that person well or not. However, if you have a poor performing employee
Lack of performance has a price, and it’s probably more than you realize. Motivating the performance of your employees isn’t just something to talk about;
The president of an investment company hired me to come in and help him assess the leadership team and determine if he had the right
Clients often ask me about motivating employee performance: how to do it, is it possible, does the new generation think differently, or do we just
The president of a $100m company hired me to work with one of their key executives because he needed help working on his leadership skills.
Every client I work with sooner or later wants to discuss how to be more productive. They want to get more done and feel that
Great teams are what make high-performing companies work like a well-oiled machine. An ideal team is able to merge individual talents and skills into one
Whether you like it or not, generation gaps exist in the workplace — there’s Gen X, Gen Y, and what they call Baby Boomers who
Success for any organization depends on teams working well together. Every manager would love for this to simply happen organically. Yet it takes a lot
As more companies are moving to remote work forces, something has been left unaddressed. That is access and meaningful access to managers. It’s no longer
Organizations strive to improve productivity and results. Though there are some great teams out there, many fail to produce the desired results because of the
I recently conducted an offsite meeting for a client. The topic of accountability came up and the senior staff decided to ask the rest of
This week’s article is on Emotional Intelligence. Wikipedia defines Emotional Intelligence as the ability to identify, assess, and control the emotions of oneself, of others,
Every company has the same challenge, finding the right talent for their organization who has the ‘right’ mix of technical and soft skills. In fact
We think of time management as the ability to do more, to be more productive, and at the end of the day or week to
Time management is a fallacy. You can’t manage time and we are all bound by 24 hours in a day and 7 days a week.
I found information on the SBA (Small Business Administration) website. It says that roughly 25 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors following a
In many companies customer service is a department, someone you call when you have a problem or a concern or when something isn’t working. At
The Golden Rule says treat others like you would like to be treated. Today I want to talk about how this applies when you delegate.
I’ve been writing a lot lately about delegation, the who, what, when and how. There’s no question I will continue to discuss this topic as
For some managers, delegating comes naturally. They’re busy and they know that their team members can take a huge load off their back by handling
Intellectually you know that you can’t do everything. You know that in order to get everything done you have to ask others to help, you
When an organization faces big challenges such as a huge loss of market share, a public image crisis at the senior leadership level, a shift
I frequently get asked how to master having difficult conversations. I hear the same comments “I’m not good at having these conversations” or “they always
Few people enjoy having difficult conversations of any type. For leaders reviewing performance of a team member that is performing sub par, this conversation can
How many articles have you read on what makes a great leader? Dozens I suspect. Do you remember how many conversations you have had with
We live in a digital world, and communicating seems easier when we can email or text rather than have a conversation face-to-face or via the
Women are different from men in many ways, including as leaders. And while there are more women leaders today than ever before, they still fall
Whatever your definition of leadership is, one thing is certain. No company can grow without growing leaders. And in order to grow leaders you have
Do you compare yourself to others when setting goals? We live in a competitive world, both personally and professionally. It’s difficult not to constantly be
When goal setting, how often have you or your manager felt a surge of optimism and declared goals that reach for the sky? When the
Do you feel like you are working all the time and yet always seem to be behind? Are your spouse, significant other, or kids complaining
There are tons of articles for leaders on delegating. Yet there isn’t much information on how to work with someone who doesn’t delegate, and really
What’s the difference between control and micro-managing? Not much. Great leaders understand that to get the best from those that work for them they need
Reading books on leadership, going to leadership development seminars and catching up on the latest blogs related to becoming a better leader are important steps
It seems something is in the air the last few months. I keep getting calls from clients about challenges they are having with team members
Critical and difficult conversations may not be the same thing, though we often think of them the same. Critical conversations can be, and often are
In this video Linda shares that at the root of most problems leaders encounter are communication problems. She show you how to use good communication
While I believe there is truly no such thing as time management, we can manage ourselves and how we use time. Managing how we use
Are the leadership skills needed for women different than men? Which gender makes the best boss? Many articles are written espousing that men are better
Leadership isn’t a position or title. It’s about actions and the examples you set. Take a look around you at the leaders you admire.
When I work with teams, even teams of leaders one of the constant complaints I hear is how often their bosses simply won’t decide. They
Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is
We all do it, we miss conversations we should have, but don’t think about having. I’m not referring to those conversations we all hate having
We live in a super fast-paced, digital world where others expect immediate response, and sometimes even instant results. I didn’t grow up professionally in the
Decisive leaders are valued. They make decisions and go with it, and seemingly never look back. How often have you heard from colleagues about
What is the most important leadership skill to have? Integrity! Dwight D. Eisenhower said “ The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it,
Of course, no business can exist without customers, that goes without saying. But how did we get the idea that customers are more important than
Listening is THE most important leadership skill you should master. Actually, everyone should learn to master listening as it at the core of all
Hundreds, probably thousands of articles have been written about projecting confidence in front of an audience when you are making a presentation or giving a
It’s not actually true that complaining accomplishes nothing…and I’ll get to that in a minute. First, let me share a story…last week I was at
Thousands of articles are written every year on employee engagement and how to build strong teams, and they all say almost the same thing.
It’s the start of the New Year and companies all around the globe have or will be working on their business plans. You probably
In this article, I cover why the business management skill of planning is an overlooked and important skill you need to run any business effectively.
Effective communication is more than just the words coming out of your mouth. We send messages to people in ways we may not even think
When it comes to business planning we often use return on investment or ROI to determine if we are allocating our money in the best
Having teams work well together is critical for the success of projects, and the organization overall. That statement probably has you thinking, well duh. Yet
One of the most challenging aspects of communication is having those ‘difficult conversations’. Examples of those difficult conversations might be: Critiquing a colleague’s work Talking
The most important leadership skill to develop is not how to become a better leader. It’s not how to hire more effectively or build business
It goes without saying that in order to rally the troops and get things done and get things done successfully and effectively that communication plays
Accountability…it’s a word that I hear from every leader in every organization. The question on their lips is how do I get people to be
The true test of your leadership skills is being able to lead your team while you’re away from the office. Ever gone on a conference
Hiring and retention are two sides of the same coin. You know that you need to invest time, money and effort to recruit new employees
Maybe you have already completed your budget and plan for next year. If so, congratulations! Less than 30% of all businesses, especially small businesses, actually
Every company needs to not just generate revenues, they need to inevitably make a profit. Without profit, there isn’t the ability to reinvest in the
Employee retention is a topic every manager I speak with wants to discuss. They tell me how important it is to keep employees and the
I truly believe that the single biggest asset any company has is not whatever product or service they provide, not physical equipment or buildings and
Who among us as leaders hasn’t wondered how to increase employee motivation? What makes one person see what’s necessary and just do it, and the
The #1 skill you as a leader need to focus on improving is your communication skills! Why do I say that when there are so
Whether you are merging with another company, have new leadership, need to change the culture or are simply adopting new technology, change is difficult for many. Ignoring this fact is destined to create stress, frustration and unintended outcomes.
You should think of communication skills as a life skill, not simply a business skill. The problem is though that most of us aren’t
Surprising Factors that Influence Employee Job Satisfaction Almost every year, I read headlines and countless research proclaiming the latest survey on employee job satisfaction. And
As business leaders it is our responsibility to model the behavior we want from those that work for us. It doesn’t matter if you are the
You know you’ve made the right hire and you don’t want to lose your best employee. Their credentials are impressive, consistently bringing their A-game to
Is Employee Engagement Really a Good Thing? Pick up a business magazine, open the internet or attend a conference and the hot topic is employee
Employee engagement is a topic that we hear about all the time. Are You the Cause of Your Workforce Disengagement? What Can You Do
We’ve all been there. You’re having a discussion with a colleague and all the sudden the discussion turns from a discussion to an argument to
Conflict is going to happen at work. It’s inevitable, even in those companies that are rated as the best places to work. When we are
Even day-to-day communication can be difficult and having those critical conversation require Herculean ability. They are thorny, complicated and often messy. Critical, difficult, frightening, challenging,
When there is conflict at work we always believe it’s the other guy’s fault; your passive-aggressive colleague, the boss who is incompetent, the peer who
Communication is more than just the words coming out of your mouth. We send messages to people in ways we may not even think about.
Being a leader or manager isn’t easy. Besides the pressure of meeting deadlines, often with not enough resources, everyone looks to you for the answers.
The decisions you make can affect your business in many ways. But so does consistency, it touches every aspect of your business and can have
Looking for ways to effectively motivate employees and solve the tardiness epidemic that seems to be running rampant in your organization? Your company won’t succeed
Go on any of the job posting sites, pick up a job description or talk to any manager and they all have a common theme…that
Do you remember how you felt when you walked into your office yesterday? Did you feel an intangible but very persistent feeling that everyone is
Lack of growth opportunities for employees often become a hindrance in developing employees. You think this might be absurd, but it’s not. Some of them
Trends of a boss-free workplace have been circulating a few years now. Is it just a leadership fad popularized by tech and startup communities? Or
Accountability in the workplace doesn’t just happen. You have to create it and consistently monitor and manage it. One of the most challenging areas for
Treating junior employees as part of the family might work for some businesses; most success stories of such revolve around small businesses and restaurants. Some
As Dwight D. Eisenhower said “Leadership: the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.” A
The 6 signs you may be a dysfunctional company (or leader) is something we all need to consider…Nobody wants to believe they are dysfunctional, but
Being a leader in the 21st century presents new challenges and there are 5 skills all leaders need to be successful. We live in a
Leadership isn’t about a title or a position you hold on an org chart. Leadership is about the actions you take day in and day
Leadership is not a learned skill. Why do I say that? Because the essence of leadership is about caring about other human beings and their
Often the focus of leaders is on project or strategic plans, competitive tactics, financial statements. While clearly these are vital, all the tactical brilliance of
The news is filled with allegations of inappropriate advances and comments from people (seemingly, it’s always men) in positions of power to those they manage.
Employee engagement is not a new concept, it’s been around as long as I can remember. It used to be called employee satisfaction, meaning that
We are a society that has come to believe that everyone has to be happy, that all employees need to not only feel heard but
Incompetence is pervasive in all organizations, even really well run ones. No company is immune to having some percentage of their staff either actually be incompetent or
Recently, I was visiting a prospective new client. We were discussing his challenges and how I could help him. At one point I said, “here’s
Mistakes happen. There isn’t anyone who hasn’t made a mistake at some point in their life. We will look back sometimes and realize a decision
One of the biggest challenges for everyone, especially leaders, is having powerful conversations. A powerful conversation can be: A difficult conversation A conversation about something
All organizations go through change. There is no way to avoid it. And, in some companies, change is the norm and it may even feel
Lately I’ve been working with several new companies. The common denominator among these companies is that all have people problems. Big surprise, right? Isn’t that
Hiring is probably the most difficult and unpleasant job every manager has to deal with. In addition to the time investment, there is always a
Raise your hand if this applies to you as you read the article. How many of you hate negotiating? How many of you believe that
When you read the word preparation does it conjure up images of sitting over your computer planning, head in your hands thinking this is a
Several months ago, I took on an assignment that began with evaluating the senior leadership team of the company. The senior executives wanted to know
Talk to any manager and the thing that brings them to their knees is the thought of employee turnover. Even the strongest manager begins to
Leaders don’t get scared, right? Wrong! Every leader I have ever worked with, and just about every leader I know, has at some point in
Failure…it’s a big, ugly word, isn’t it? Most of us think of failure as something bad, something we did wrong. Of course, if that is
About two years ago, I was hired by an organization to conduct two days of training on communication skills for a team of twenty. The
Do you think leaders are born with courage and confidence and maybe even believe that they wouldn’t be leaders if they didn’t have this? If
Great teams are vital to the success of any business. However, creating a good team remains one of the greatest challenges that leaders face today.
“A sense of humor is part of the art of leadership, of getting along with people, of getting things done.” ~Dwight D. Eisenhower One of
Key performance indicators (KPIs), sometimes referred to as key success indicators (KSIs), are measurements that a company uses to evaluate their success at reaching targets.
Great leaders know how to build their teams with winners. This means you need to know how to assess people so hiring matches your business
Does this sound like you? You have a great team but no bench strength? Each person is critical and if someone resigns it’s more than
What does being a great leader mean to you? Before you answer this question, think about any leader you know and try to describe him
When we hear the words “entitlement culture” it generally means that employees have an unrealistic sense of their rights to their jobs. As you read
Leaders are constantly dealing with problems both inside and outside the company. Communication challenges are often at the root of many problems, thus leaders who
When a company is failing just like a sick body, symptoms begin to appear. Often, treatment is aimed at treating symptoms of the disease, while
No matter how long you have held a leadership role, it does not guarantee that you have seen it all, done it all, and won’t
One of the greatest challenges for leaders is navigating through change in the organization. Most people don’t handle change easily and great leaders not only
All great leaders know that actions speak louder than words, but what are your actions saying? As a leader it is easy to focus on
Of all your corporate assets, employees are the most valuable. It doesn’t matter whether you offer a premier product or service, if you are first
Many of us are compulsive about our work and the quality of the work. We find it difficult not to over deliver and know when
Exceptional leaders do many things better than good leaders. For the purpose of this article, I don’t think it’s necessary to define exceptional or make
One of the reasons some teams are successful is the open communication between team members and team members and the team leader. Without this, it
Diversity is a hot topic for many corporations and something to pay attention to regardless of the size of your company. Great leadership means recognizing
Many of us, by nature, are problem solvers, so our natural tendency is to step in and solve a problem when we see one. Others
This could be the topic of three or four articles because the topic itself is big AND there are many ways to look at getting