There is an important point about employee engagement below. But first, a quote. Do any of the following coworkers sound like people you have known? If you can get past the old-fashioned (and hilarious) writing style, this list of bank employees will give you a smile: The place was full of quaint characters. There was West, who had been requested …
Hanging out at airports with Gen Z
I’m not quite sure what to make of this Vice article about “Airport Culture.” The short version: Generation Z in London have been taking the bus to the airport and using it as a hangout. It’s cheap. It’s safe. And you can people-watch or even connect with strangers–many of whom are in the middle of major life events. It is …
For when you don’t understand
We use empathy maps in my line of work. They are helpful to slow a team down so they can get into the heads and hearts of those they are trying to serve (or lead). A colleague passed along this great introduction to the exercise. While I usually see empathy maps used for understanding, say, a customer survey score, the …
Podcast 48: How do you recognize people–and why?
Subscribe and listen on Spotify or Apple … or watch below. We’re taught to say “thank you” from childhood. Why is it so powerful for adults … and why is it so hard? Mike and Mark share stories about its power and how to apply it. Resource: “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People” …
Mental Health in the Workplace: Beyond Looking Out for Bullwhips
HEEYAH! Talk about mental health in the workplace: I would get the voice mail on my work phone maybe once a week. A man would sing, at the top of his lungs, “MINIMUM WAGE! HEEYAH!,” followed by a bullwhip cracking. This went on for the better part of a year. It was, of course, a They Might Be Giants song. …
Are your employees punk?
Do you want employees with green mohawks and safety pins in their cheek? How about employees who understand their work, say what’s really going on, strive to strip away what’s not working, willingly suffer to point out problems and pursue joy in their work? This fascinating article details “principles of punk rock at work” that may resonate with you. If …
Opportunities in American dissatisfaction
Is there an opportunity for employers in this interesting study from Gallup? Americans are more dissatisfied this year than since the annual survey began in January 2001. Conservatives are more dissatisfied with the government–and with corporations. Liberals are more dissatisfied with organized religion. But satisfaction has dropped, period. Is there an opportunity here? Research shows that workers who are more …
Chick-fil-A manager fixes vaccination traffic jam
The PR team at Chick-fil-A must just walk around giving each other high-fives. A South Carolina mayor asked a Chick-fil-A manager to help out at a Covid vaccination site where a software glitch had contributed to a 1-hour backup. The manager got it down to 15 minutes. If you think this is just about process improvement, you aren’t paying attention.
Does your team need a scoreboard or a book club?
Here are two radically different approaches to employee engagement: If your culture revolves around “clocking hours, tight schedules and achieving deadlines,” maybe you need to “gamify your workplace.” Gamification turns work tasks into games where the employee gets real-time feedback (“scores”) that give them something to accomplish or improve against. If you play video games, think “achievement unlocked!” You’ve probably …
Stop delegating and start developing
As a manager, one of the few things you cannot delegate is developing your people. In fact, even when you do delegate, it must involve developing. Don’t take my word for it: Here’s the Harvard Business Review’s approach. Think of it as a bullseye (free download here). What training, coaching and feedback do you need to give in order to …