by Caroline | Sep 16, 2016 | Assessments, Communication, Company Culture, Culture, Data, Feedback Mechanism, Leadership, Management, Recruiting, Research, Survey
Culture. What do we hear most from business owners and non-profit directors about this topic? It’s usually one of these two statements: We are going to create a great culture! OR We are going to work hard at keeping our great culture as we grow. And what is the...
by Caroline | Sep 10, 2016 | Company Culture, Contractor, Culture, Hiring, HR Strategy, Leadership, Management, teamwork
A lot of companies are tempted to fudge the line between employees and contractors. After all, hiring an employee is a commitment. You invest a lot of time finding, hiring, processing and training the person. You can’t just change your mind without losing out on all...
by Caroline | Sep 5, 2016 | Company Culture, conversations, Culture, Leadership, Management, teamwork, Training
Did you know that when your organization treats conflict as a bad thing, it can really cost the organization? It can cost money, productivity, opportunity. Take, for example, the large company we consulted with several years ago where employees were discouraged from...
by Caroline | Aug 29, 2016 | Company Culture, conversations, Culture, Leadership, Management, teamwork
One thing many managers may not appreciate about being a manager is the necessity of having icky conversations. What is an icky conversation? It might be telling the associate, driving with you to the sales call, that his breath could stop a rhinoceros in full charge....
by Caroline | Aug 22, 2016 | Company Culture, Culture, Leadership, Management, People Evaluation
When you’re a small business owner with a really stellar employee, figuring out a way to keep that person on board and happy can be a challenge. There’s only so much money and so many growth opportunities. So you do what you can. You promote the employee to manager....
by Caroline | Aug 15, 2016 | Culture, Firing, Leadership, Management
“We need to talk.” “Something has changed. “ “It’s just not working anymore.” “Maybe we can stay in touch.” We know what these words mean…they’re the first strains of a breakup worthy of tissues, chocolate and regret. Surprise! I have heard them all during...