We’ve heard the slogans: “People are our most important asset.” “We want to be an employer of choice.”
And we know most companies fall far short of those aspirations, for lots of reasons.
Sometimes, it’s because their leaders say the words but really don’t understand why they should have an engaged workforce. To them, it seems like […]
Amazon and some of its workers are going through tough times right now. News coverage of Amazon’s labor problems often refer to the company as being “at war” with its employees.
Imagine that.
It’s like an auto-immune disorder in which the mechanisms designed to keep the body healthy attack it instead.
The company’s leadership needs employees in order […]
Do you know what insubordination is? Do you think your managers do?
It’s an ugly word, isn’t it? Such hierarchical language, hinting at dominance and submission. It all seems so out of place for today’s workforce. “You are my subordinate, I am your superior. You must act submissively, or I shall charge you with insubordination.”
Except that’s […]
When an employee questions one of your decisions, how does it make you feel? Is your first thought, “Who do they think they are?” Are you tempted to say, “That’s above your pay grade?”
Or are you happy to take a few moments and explain why you made the call you did?
Your answer reveals a lot […]
We love our rules, don’t we? They’re important to us because we feel that by regulating the behavior of others, we are safer, healthier and richer. After all, isn’t civilization simply a system of rules and consequences?
So, we apply the same thinking to the workplace. There are rules about what time to show up, how […]
