Employee Engagement

Why Hope Matters Now

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

It’s easy to cultivate a sense of doom at the moment, and there are ample reasons to give up hope. But business leaders should resist the tide of negativity, says a prominent psychologist. That’s because hope serves a bottom-line business purpose.

Boosting Engagement While Cutting Costs

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Yes, it’s possible -- even amid a full-blown economic recession in which massive layoffs, closing facilities, and declining profits are the norm. Here’s how one hospital turned the budget over to its employees and reaped a windfall.

What Leaders Must Do Next

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Most senior executives are pushing hard to keep their companies together. If their businesses are to survive, those leaders can’t overlook opportunities to boost productivity and profitability -- and that means employee engagement is more critical than ever.

The Economic Crisis: A Leadership Challenge

Tue, 12 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

The economy may get worse before it gets better: Most economists say the U.S. GDP will turn around by mid-2009, but the unemployment rate will continue to climb through 2010. Here’s how executives can keep employees engaged in this rough economic climate.

Hospitals: Never Have a Never Event

Thu, 07 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Medical errors are responsible for injury in 1 out of every 25 hospital patients and perhaps up to 98,000 deaths each year. These events are not only tragic -- they’re costly. An engaged staff can cure this problem.

Making Mergers Work

Tue, 05 May 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Mergers, acquisitions, joint marketing agreements: Some thrive; many fail. Two management experts say that successful corporate marriages aren’t all that different from productive partnerships between two colleagues. Here are the eight elements of a prosperous merger.

Employee Disengagement Plagues Germany

Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:00:00 GMT

The vast majority of the German workforce is not engaged with its work. Though not a hot topic at last week’s G-20 summit, this presents a serious threat to productivity -- and ultimately to Germany’s gross domestic product.

How U.S. Bank Weathers the Crisis

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Since the financial crisis began last year, more than 30 banks have gone under in the United States alone. U.S. Bank’s financials, however, remain fundamentally sound, thanks to its conservative lending practices and an intense focus on people.

What if the Recession Endures?

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 11:30:00 GMT

Despite small signs that the economy is improving, executives and managers are hunkering down for what could still be a long economic downturn. Here’s how to keep teams engaged until the economy improves -- whenever that is.

What Strong Teams Have in Common

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Gallup has been studying leadership teams for nearly four decades, and that research has uncovered five telltale signs of strong, high-performing groups of employees, report Tom Rath and Barry Conchie, authors of Strengths Based Leadership.

The Strengths of Leadership

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT

We all have natural talents, but the greatest leaders are unusually aware of theirs. They know what they’re good at, and they don’t try to make themselves well-rounded or like some other leader, say the authors of Strengths Based Leadership.

Building Engagement in This Economic Crisis

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT

The global economy is floundering, but there’s little managers can do about forces beyond their control. There are, however, things they can do to protect their companies, their employees, and themselves. In fact, engaging employees could mean their company’s survival.

Diversity: An Elusive Concept

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Many companies have a robust program for recruiting a diverse array of people, but they aren’t able to transform this diversity into organizational excellence. As a result, the real challenge is not creating diversity but inclusiveness.

HumanSigma Rule #2

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Emotion frames the employee-customer encounter. This is the second rule of HumanSigma management, and Alegent Health applied it to create a culture that emotionally engages its employees and customers. The result has been greater performance in the metrics that matter most.

What Makes a Great Leadership Team?

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 10:00:00 GMT

One of the core principles of strengths management is that people don’t need to be well-rounded to succeed. It helps, however, if teams are well-rounded, say the authors of Strengths Based Leadership.

What Followers Want From Leaders

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 09:00:00 GMT

Believe it or not, the "vision thing" pales in comparison to what followers really want and need: a sense of trust, stability, hope, and compassion. So say the authors of Strengths Based Leadership, which is out this month.

Finding Your Leadership Strengths

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:00:00 GMT

Research shows that effective leaders must possess a high level of self-awareness. But too many leaders are blind to their own personalities -- they simply don’t know their own strengths and weaknesses, say the authors of Strengths Based Leadership.

How The Ritz-Carlton Manages the Mystique

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:00:00 GMT

All companies do things like pay close attention to standard business measures and train their employees. But this luxury brand watches things that most companies ignore, then uses what it learns to create ongoing, top-to-bottom learning.

HumanSigma Rule #1

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Organizations can’t measure and manage employee and customer experiences as separate entities. This is the first rule of HumanSigma. Here’s how two very different companies -- ASB Bank and Waste Management, Inc. -- applied the rule to make their businesses more productive and profitable.

News Flash: Workplace Socializing Is Productive

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Contrary to their every instinct, managers should actually encourage their workers to chit-chat, to gather around the water cooler -- even to gossip. An MIT researcher reveals why these guilty pleasures are, in fact, good for a company's productivity.

The Power of Two

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

You are built for collaborating and for forming productive and meaningful partnerships. You actually acquired this trait from your ancestors. But chances are, you’re not making the most of your many opportunities to partner more effectively at work.

Your Organization’s Survival Plan

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Amid this economic crisis, severe budget cutting is inevitable and has already begun in many organizations. But when it comes to figuring out where to make those cuts, think long and hard before you act. According to three top Gallup management experts, when the going gets tough, high-performing companies actually double down their investments in people.

Confronting the Last Taboo: Pay

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Leading economist Alan Krueger argues that companies can get away with paying lower wages than competitors without losing many employees, though there are hidden costs. He also says that organizations are right to keep pay a secret.

Who Needs a Palin or a Biden?

Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:00:00 GMT

So Barack Obama chose Joe Biden as his VP nominee, and John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Big deal. Why should executives care? Well, studying these tickets (and others) reveals many do’s and don’ts for your own business partnerships.

Do Your Employees Trust You?

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:00:00 GMT

An expert on well-being, John Helliwell explores the connection between distrust and unionization, why too much paperwork can cause workers to feel less engaged, and why we are apt to keep office politics alive, even when it makes us unhappy.