February
2007
Managers who introduce a strengths-based approach to their teams invariably ask this question: Is there a "dark side" to employees' strengths? Can a person with strong command become too pushy, or a person with strong analytical talents drive colleagues crazy with endless questions and hypothetical scenarios? In this article, a strengths expert probes these vexing questions and, using real-life examples, offers surprising (and reassuring) answers.
The Big Game is over, and the Indianapolis Colts have emerged triumphant. But who were the winners in that other "game" -- the one where advertisers spend millions to compete for viewers' attention? You've probably already read "reviews" of the ads in your newspaper or online. Our branding expert, however, raises more fundamental questions: Can marketers win at all by running expensive ads during the Super Bowl? And what would count as a victory?
Psychologist Shane Lopez has many reasons to be optimistic about the bottom-line power of hope. Far from being a mere warm-and-fuzzy attribute, hope can be measured, increased, and deployed. And Dr. Lopez contends that it plays a central role in business as it drives persistence, motivation, goal setting, and innovation.
Making sure employees know what's expected of them at work is the foundation of management. Supported by decades of Gallup research, the authors of 12: The Elements of Great Managing explain why.
Try though they might, people can't be anything they want to be, and managers would do well to help dispel this myth, writes the author of StrengthsFinder 2.0. But don't despair, he says: Employees can become more productive and help their companies succeed if they make the greatest use of their talents and strengths.