Watch Out For Employee Stagnation

Some years back, I was working part time at an insurance brokerage — as a “word processor”.  No, I wasn’t a computer myself (although it seemed like it sometimes).  But back in the day, people were so unfamiliar with MS Word and other word processing programs that they hired people like me to lay out […]

Is it possible to be “authentic” at work? (part 2)

Is authenticity at work even possible?  I think it is–but I’m not talking about “blasting” people, cussing them out, calling them names and then saying, “Oh, I’m just speaking my truth…take it or leave it.” Here’s one model for how to be “respectfully authentic at work”: 1)      Check in with what your feeling inside in […]

Competitive Motivation: Against Benchmarks or Against Others

Thursday, September 10, 2009 by Dave Blum There’s an interesting article in a recent Sports Illustrated about Dick Fosbury, the gawky teenager who pretty much invented the modern style of high jumping.   Before Fosbury, people essentially jumped forward and straddled the high-jump bar as they went over.  Fosbury did it backwards–jumping with his back to […]

Twelve Tips to Create a Happier (and More Productive) Workplace.

Thursday, September 3, 2009 by Dave Blum This url was “tweeted” to me today and I thought it was worth sharing.  It’s from a great blogger: Gretchen Rubin. She’s written a list of questions employees should ask themselves when considering their own job satisfaction.  If you’re a manager who wants to create a happier and […]

Thinking about Layoffs Leads to Low Morale

Tuesday, September 1, 2009 by Dave Blum In a recent article (titled “Visibly Shaken”: June 2009) in ASTD’s Training & Development Magazine, the author Michael Laff talked about the effect this downturn is having on employee morale.  He writes: “A closed door, an ignored email, or an unfriendly gesture are all subtle hints that one’s […]

Videos games as team building

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by Dave Blum I recently came across this article: “Shooting the boss (and getting paid for it)”, by Daniel Terdiman http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-10308711-235.html?tag=mncol;title It talks about a company that uses collaborative video games as a team bonding exercise.  I have to say, it’s an interesting concept and not something to dismiss.  I mean, here […]