Employee Engagement

Amid Job Losses, All Isn't Lost

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"The unemployment rate shot up by half a percentage point in May, the biggest single-month increase in over twenty years," notes Princeton economist Alan Krueger. The job cuts have hit the retail and financial services sectors particularly hard, and they illustrate problems in the economy in general. But they also point to opportunities for forward-thinking business leaders.

Making Sense of China

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The factors that motivate China's executives and workers are no different from those that motivate any executive or any worker. So says Zhang Zhixue, an expert on Chinese business, who thinks Westerners are needlessly perplexed by China.

Which Job Seekers Use the Web?

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

A surprise: Younger employees are less likely than their older counterparts to use online job search tools. Read about this and other findings from recent Gallup research on the many ways job seekers look for new work in the Internet age.

The Heart of Great Managing

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

"Our people are our greatest asset." You've probably heard that statement before. But if this is really true, why do so many companies entrust the development and motivation of those essential "assets" to bad managers?

Transformational Change in Higher Education

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Nova Southeastern University in Florida has gone to vast lengths to build its brand, in much the same way a successful business would. Here's how the school applied management practices commonly used in corporations and governmental organizations to its brand-building effort.

Job Seekers: Personal Connections Still Matter

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

Sure, Internet sites like Monster.com are useful when employees are looking for a new job. But job seekers say they continue to rely heavily on people they know to help them find work, according to a recent Gallup study. Here's how to reach those prospective employees.

The Five Stages of Workplace "Tribes"

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

Two researchers say that your tribe is more important than anything else at work. Here's how companies can harness the power of that insight to understand and influence team performance.

The Problem of Pay

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

To understand how compensation motivates -- or demotivates -- employees, executives must come to terms with, and learn to manage, the irrational, emotional nature of pay.

Turning Around Employee Turnover

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

Companies can reduce costly churn if managers know what to look for. But they usually don't -- and that's because too many managers think money is at the root of the turnover issue. This article uncovers the real sources of the problem and reveals the reasons most people quit. Find out how to keep good employees from walking out the door.

Where Are the Leaders in Government?

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:45:00 GMT

In this candid interview, a former CIA executive tells how bureaucracy and hierarchy undermine leadership and what can be done to create the government we need now.

Debunking Strengths Myth #3

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When it comes to first impressions about employees' talents, you should trust -- but verify -- them. A good way for managers to do this is to ask probing questions of each individual member of their team.

The Business Value of Niceness

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Upscale clothier Jack Mitchell, author of the bestseller Hug Your Customers and CEO of Mitchells/Richards/Marshs, explains his infectiously enthusiastic approach to management in his latest book, Hug Your People. In this interview, Mitchell tells why positivity is good for productivity and profits.

The Twelfth Element of Great Managing

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

When Gallup analyzed high-performing workgroups to understand what drives their success, one of the dozen elements that emerged as most important was the statement "This last year, I have had opportunities at work to learn and grow." Decades of research reveals that employees give more of themselves when they feel a sense of progress rather than feeling stagnant, according to the authors of 12: The Elements of Great Managing.

How to Keep Great Nurse Managers

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Hospitals have been worried about the steady stream of nurses exiting the profession and the relative trickle of those entering it. That concern led two researchers to tackle these essential questions: What makes nurses stay? And what makes nurse managers, who are responsible for managing and motivating nurses, stay -- and stay engaged in their jobs? Here's what they discovered.

Knowing Your Company's Vital Signs

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Employee and customer engagement are leading indicators of financial performance. The authors of Human Sigma: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter explain.

The Eleventh Element of Great Managing

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This element is measured by the statement "In the last six months, someone at work has talked to me about my progress." Some people think a performance review will suffice. But it's not nearly enough, write the authors of 12: The Elements of Great Managing.

What Generation Gap?

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Contrary to conventional wisdom, job seekers from different generations -- Baby Boomers and members of Generations X and Y -- often look for the same things from prospective employers, according to recent Gallup research.

The Tenth Element of Great Managing

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Measured by the statement "I have a best friend at work," this element has proven to be incredibly controversial to executives. But those business leaders who think friendships are none of their business don't understand human nature, according to the authors of 12: The Elements of Great Managing.

Toyota Tackles an Audacious Goal

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

George Borst, president and CEO of Toyota Financial Services, had a daring plan for leading TFS through an expansion of its customer base and product line. But that required transformation in every aspect of his organization -- new people, infrastructure, knowledge, and skills. Some of the changes offered fresh opportunities, but others presented big problems. What's more, the expansion required Borst to discover new methods of leadership. Here's how he successfully transformed his organization -- and, in the process, himself.

When Engaged Employees Meet Engaged Customers

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The authors of Human Sigma: Managing the Employee-Customer Encounter tell why people are the fulcrum of profitability and why it's tempting to replace workers with machines -- and why you really, really shouldn't.

Job Applicants Are Customers Too

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

All too often, companies treat prospective employees in ways they would never dream of treating their customers -- much to the dismay of frustrated job applicants. What those companies don't realize is that every time they aggravate a prospective employee, they risk damaging their organization's reputation and brand.

Many Paths to Engagement

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

There isn't a perfect route to employee engagement, a single path that passes from manager to employee to productivity to profit. Instead, there are as many effective ways to manage people to attain high performance as there are great managers. Want proof? Here's the story of two managers with very different styles, both of whom have become highly successful with the same company, Mars Incorporated.

The Economics of Happiness

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Leading economists are joining researchers who seek new approaches to measuring -- and influencing -- well-being. Here are their latest insights into a subject that has implications not only for business executives, but for global leaders too.

The Ninth Element of Great Managing

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

It's summed up this way: "My associates or fellow employees are committed to doing quality work." This means that managers should make sure that their teams aren't infiltrated by slackers, who can hurt performance and undermine the morale of those determined to do their jobs to excellence.

How Employee and Customer Engagement Interact

Thu, 13 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Conventional management wisdom holds that engaged employees create engaged customers who foster organizational success by delivering positive financial outcomes. Though this theory has some validity, the reality is more complex, according to the authors of Human Sigma.