"Michael, I’m just not feeling all that motivated right now.” I get it. It would be unrealistic for everyone to feel motivated all of the time. Sometimes you need a little spark to jumpstart your motivation. Here are a few tricks I have learned: Think about...
“In Africa there is a concept known as Ubuntu - the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others; that if we are to accomplish anything in this world it will in equal measure be due to the work and achievements...
Love or hate Google, you can’t argue the company has done an excellent job of growing. It’s also a very people-centric company in a lot of ways. Google surveys its employees regularly to find out how managers are doing. There are three buckets of information they...
“So, Michael, what’s your leadership style?” This question makes a lot of job-seekers flinch. How to sum up the way you work and relate to people professionally in a soundbite? If you’re interviewing, it's a good idea to have a pre-thought answer in your pocket. To...
Are you the best remote boss you could be? People in leadership positions have had to make a deft switch to leading remotely. By now, you probably have a rhythm and system down. But if remote work is going to continue to be a norm at...
Forget about Zoom. Plenty of hiring managers are still conducting initial interviews over the good old-fashioned phone. So, if you’re on hunt for a job right now, make sure your skills are polished in that arena. Some people find it challenging to build rapport over the phone,...
Are you supporting your employees’ well-being? You should be, if you want to be a competitive employer. As SHRM reports in “5 Talent Management Trends and the HR Skills They Require,” employees today expect more than a simple health insurance benefit. They want benefits that support...
Want to get the most out of your team members? Encourage them to be themselves. Study after study shows that supporting individuality is good for business. Encourage your employees to be themselves. One 2011 study of recent MBA grads showed that those who felt they could express...
You know you have an excellent IQ. But what about your EQ? EQ stands for “emotional quotient,” and like IQ, it measures intelligence—but in a different way. EQ measures how well you understand emotions (both yours and those of other people), and, in turn, how you...
A group of people ride the same bus on the same route every day. They all keep to themselves. The bus is a pretty quiet place. One day, an older gentlemen gets onboard. “Hello!” he addresses the bus driver. The driver gives him a funny look. The...