Handle moody employees

• July 01, 2000

Everyone has bad days. But a moody person may brood so much that it brings the whole team down.

Use ‘expectations list’ when you delegate

• July 01, 2000

When dishing out assignments, don’t just explain the job and walk away.

You don’t have to wear blinders to an applicant’s known disability

• June 01, 2000

Sheet-metal worker Roosevelt Harris received his jobs through a union hiring hall. During one assignment, he complained to the union that the company failed to...

Strike the nurturer-disciplinarian balance

• May 01, 2000

It’s not easy straddling the line between disciplining employees and nurturing them.

Test for poise

• May 01, 2000

If you have doubts about job candidates, say near the end of the interview, “I question whether you’re qualified for this job."

Monkey see, monkey do

• February 01, 2000

Most management books say you should model the behavior you want from your employees. That’s good advice—sometimes.

Beware new legal threat of accepting ‘walk-in’ applicants

• February 01, 2000

Employment attorneys are increasingly warning companies to avoid relying too heavily on walk-in job applicants. While there's no legal requirement to advertise a job...

The best way to probe

• January 01, 2000

When you’re interviewing a job candidate or weighing whether to promote someone, encourage them to analyze the past.

Coping with a chaotic workplace

• November 01, 1999

Q. I started a new job five months ago. It’s the first place I’ve worked where people routinely yell, scream and slam doors—it’s the corporate...

Lead or lay back?

• November 01, 1999

“Know your place” can sound like an insult. But when you’re on a team, it’s excellent advice.

Keep your staff busy—and comfy— on the road

• November 01, 1999

If you and your team travel often on business, it may pay to check into a corporate apartment rather than a hotel room.

Create a feedback loop

• June 01, 1999

One of the most important but vastly overlooked aspects of good management is telling employees how they’re doing. Many workers operate in the dark, wondering...

Convincing management to create a new position

• May 01, 1999

Q. I’m an administrative assistant at a fast-growing firm. Our office could benefit by hiring a junior marketer to help our one overworked salesman. I’m...

Lackadaisical manager takes credit for rest of staff's work

• May 01, 1999

Q. I work for a manager who comes in at 7:45 and leaves at 4:30 sharp whenever he is here (which is not often), and he takes an hour lunch. He hogs the credit for our...

Menopause falls outside ADA

• March 01, 1999

A federal district court in Minnesota recently decided that menopause is not a disability covered under ADA.

I’m Dead. Now What?

• March 01, 1999

When U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and some senior executives died in a plane crash a few years ago, I remember thinking, “Those CEOs better have good...

You can reject ‘litigious’ job applicants

• January 01, 1999

When hiring, it’s OK to consider the likelihood that an applicant will file lawsuits against you.

Rephrase objections as polite questions

• November 01, 1998

If an employee refuses to do work or argues with you, resist the urge to fight back by declaring “that’s unacceptable” or “you better...

Managing the subversive subordinate

• October 01, 1998

Sometimes the most seemingly harmless, pliant employees can surprise you. You may think you can rely on them to mean what they say. Then you get burned.

Managing a bossy boss

• September 01, 1998

In most polls of employees, working for an overly bossy boss ranks among the worst management traits. A manager who suffocates you by bearing down on your every move...