Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 17, 2009

Nearly all employees want to do both a good job and please their supervisor. When they succeed, send them a thank you for a job well done. A short note (handwritten is particularly good) thanking them for a good job is extremely powerful. Particularly for new employees on your team. Or, for employees new to the workforce and early in their careers. Include in your note a sentence regarding what they did especially well and how their specific action made a positive impact.

Project 65

Project Career Power Team 65

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 21, 2009

The next time you are looking for ideas for how to grow revenue, streamline processes and procedures and/or reduce expenses, dig deep within your organization. Don't ask only your direct reports for their suggestions. Instead, ask everyone at all levels. Some of the best ideas will come from your lower and mid-level employees who are interacting with your vendors, customers and co-workers every day in the very areas that, if improved, could make the most dramatic impact.

Report 50

Report Information Process Team 50

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 20, 2009

If you manage a small business or a department within a large organization, a great way to improve the cohesiveness of your employee team is to engage them in an activity away from the workplace. Engaging in a community service activity is a great example. Your team can work at a food bank. Or, they can pick up liter along a highway. Or, they can provide a service at a local senior citizen center.

Team 50

Team Bond Team Building Banking 50

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 19, 2009

As a manager, having an open door policy means your employees know they can come to you just about any time with any news, problem or concern. Good managers also let their employees know that the open door policy means employees can and should come with even bad news. Or, news about mistakes they have made. But, for employees to bring you bad news -- often more important for you to hear as a manager versus hearing good news -- you need to provide a non-threatening environment as part of your ope

Policies 50

Policies Resistance Environment Management 50

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 18, 2009

One of the best ways to determine if your service/business/organization is providing excellent customer service is for you, as a manager, to pretend you are the customer. Try it today. Contact your business via the phone, mail, and via the web. Use all three methods! Make a different contact each day for the next week. During those different instances, ask to reach a person where you only know their first name.

Policies 50

Policies Productivity Products Organization 50

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 16, 2009

Picture this. You call an employee into your office for a meeting. As your employee is explaining something to you, you turn to your computer monitor to check e-mail. Or, you answer your phone. Or, you look at your mobile device. Or, you engage in a conversation with someone who enters your doorway. Do any of these once and your employee will likely forgive you.

Skills 50

Skills Management 50

Eric Jacobson

AUGUST 16, 2009

If you're a parent of two children you already know that when the two are fighting and child #1 tells you what happened, you then ask child #2 what happened, and most often the truth is somewhere in the middle of what the two children have told you. Surprisingly, many managers, even when they are parents, don't use this parenting "discovery" skill in the workplace.

Skills 50

Skills Management Organization 50