Monthly Archives: January 2012

Performance Appraisals

‘Tis the season to write those year end performance appraisals.  I’ve never met anyone who enjoys this task.  I’ve also never met anyone who doesn’t want to receive a performance appraisal.

You may have to muddle through this year and do the best you can.  I’ve got a process that can make it a breeze for next year.

The process is simple.  On a weekly basis require each one of your employees to submit an email regarding their performance for the week.  The email format would be as follows:

This week I worked… Continue reading

Gold Star

Are you competitive?  Do you always have to be first?  When you’re not first, do you think less of yourself?  Being competitive is great.  It can be a wonderful motivator to strive to do more and to do better.

It’s also fun to let others win and come in first.  Some supervisors and managers feel compelled to be better and smarter than their staff members.  They think the way to earn their subordinates’ respect is to know more or do better.  In reality, respect is earned through actions, not just what you know.… Continue reading

Hold ‘er Newt

I first heard the phrase from my husband.  He was raised in Iowa and was surprised that I hadn’t heard it (I’m from North Dakota).  “It’s Mom’s way of telling us to hang on for just a minute before taking some (ostensibly) unwise action.”

I tend to forge ahead with decisions and actions.  I get impatient at times with people who don’t see my “big picture” and don’t move fast enough for me.  My husband will invoke “hold ‘er newt” when he wants to weigh a decision and course of action.  Which is the right… Continue reading

Volunteer Boards – Yeah! Or eeeek?

I work with a lot of organizations with a volunteer board of directors.  Volunteers can be an asset and a liability to any organization.  When the role of the volunteer is clearly defined and followed, the volunteer has a better chance of enhancing the organization.  If the roles aren’t clearly defined or a volunteer isn’t following their role, the organization can suffer greatly.

These tips are for anyone who is or wants to be a great volunteer board member.

Tip 1:  Read.  Read all the material you can regarding the organization.  This includes by-laws,… Continue reading

One word – Organize!

I’ve heard from a few clients recently “THIS IS THE YEAR I’M GOING TO GET ORGANIZED”.  Organized is an appealing word to many and can be hard to implement.  “Being”organized starts as any “being-ness” – it is based on habit.  Following are some tips to “being” organized.

Disclaimer – only introduce one tip at a time.  When you’ve mastered that tip, pick another tip.  You don’t have to go in order.  Pick the easiest tip to implement or the one that will make the most impact on your life.

Tip 1:  One calendar.… Continue reading