This is a guest post by business writer Amy Beth Miller. At the time I thought that I was being clever, but it was one of the dumbest things I ever did as a new manager. As I edited a rookie reporter’s story, I smirked as I typed “Sheraton is a hotel chain. The Civil

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The following is a guest post by Darryl Rosen. You glance down at an incoming text while an employee is talking to you. DUMB! Or you bark “Just get it done!” to your team and then walk away. DUMB! According to a CareerBuilder poll, 58% of managers received no training before starting the job, which

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CareerBuilder recently shared their findings from a study on new managers which indicated that a whopping 56% received no management training and 26% admitted that they “weren’t ready” when they started managing others. First, go ahead and read all about the study’s results. Then come on back, because Allison Nawoj was kind enough to answer

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More than a quarter of employees have felt bullied in the workplace, according to a recent CareerBuilder study. The number one offender? The boss. But you’re not stealing lunch money or pushing your employees around, so no one would accuse you of bullying, right? Don’t be too sure. Read the list of common offenses and

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After terminating someone, many managers clam up. They refuse to share information out of fear of legal or other consequences. Although discretion is important, shutting down communication can cause other employees to worry needlessly. They may speculate that you acted arbitrarily and may even conclude that their own jobs are in jeopardy. To strike the

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Employees need to understand the connection between their jobs and organizational strategy if they are going to stick around for the long haul. The more engaged employees are with their organization, the longer their tenure. Improve retention by ensuring that employees: Understand your corporate strategy. See clearly where they fit into that strategy. Know how their

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In an interview for the Intuit Small Business Blog, Kevin Eikenberry offers entrepreneurs and small business owners advice for developing a leadership mindset. He points out three sins every leader should avoid: Micromanaging. Eikenberry says “No one wants to be micromanaged. You aren’t the only person responsible for the work. Prepare people to succeed by

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Some co-workers seem to take pleasure in seething, shouting or sharing snide comments. You might think their main goal is to make teamwork unpleasant and difficult, but the truth is that they may not mean much of anything by their bad behavior. Use these tips to identify and tame four troublesome types: Mr. Angry. He

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Few team members intend to impede the team’s progress. Yet their unintentional behaviors can really slow meetings down. Here are ways to keep troublesome types in check: The clown ridicules others, making jokes at their expense. Strategy: Redirect the team member’s attention with serious questions. But don’t try to quash the person entirely—humor is a

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