March 2009

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Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes Tenacity, a leadership quality; probably least understood and underestimated. It is often abandoned when frustration or boredom sets in. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a definition of tenacious is: persistent in maintaining, adhering to, or seeking something valued or desired. It comes from the latin tenac – tenax tending to hold fast and from tenēre to hold. Think about the manager who inherits a group of employees – a few are superstars, most are competent, and there are always the couple who need a jump start every day. How does is the boss ...

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Reading time: 2 – 3 minutes It is a classic wimpy boss situation where a crisis is demanding you to make a decision. The employee is getting ready to revolt or walk off the job. The manager is under fire with his boss to cut costs. The salesperson is watching negotiations with the customer falter. Two employees have rubbed each other the wrong way for the last time and begin a shouting match in the office. Whatever the situation may be, I am sure you can write your own script. You are at the breaking point; the escalating situation has ...

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Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes Companies are tightening the belt. Management is making tough decisions. Often, decisions they have never had to make over the last 10 years. Budgets are getting slashed, people are being laid off. Tunnel vision is the norm. Sounds kind of stressful to me. At some point, managers and companies will see the cracks in their plans. It may be putting too much responsibility for change on a single manager, or cutting back too deeply in non selling areas of the company. The challenge will be to figuring out what can be rebound or rejuvenated ...

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Your boss just did something wrong. What do you do? Report them, ignore it, or talk to them? The answer may depend on a number of factors.
Severity
What the boss did or did not do may make the difference. If the action breaks the law or goes against a company policy (especially one where termination is a potential outcome), it is best not to approach the boss directly. In these situations, talk with an independent party – someone who is not directly affected by the incident. This may be

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Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes Last week, I was called in to help with mediation in a home care situation. In this case, the caregivers are on the payroll of the family. It is an intense and emotional situation as the quality of service provided directly affects the quality of life of the person receiving the care. The mother’s son is the neophyte boss, never having to manage others throughout his career. The frantic call came while I was out of town, one of the part-time care giving aids had just tendered their resignation. It’s taken a long time ...

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