People Skills Archives

How to Keep the Office Movin’ and Shakin’ During Slow Times

One of the best ways to gain one more customer is to keep your employees happy: your people who deal directly with the people. Here are three suggestions to keep everyone in the office enthusiastic in those less-than-exciting times of the year.

How Not To Lead

People Skills | Matt Gossett

As much as a business owner should focus on the right behaviors, it is also important to be aware of the wrong behaviors. With few ways to succeed in business and a thousand ways to mess up, evidence suggests that people are more likely to remember what you did wrong than what you did right.

Never Embarrass Your Employees

People Skills | Jerry Osteryoung

It takes a long time to build trust with your staff but not very long at all to tear it down. By far, the easiest way to lose the trust of your staff is to embarrass them.

Firing the Customer

People Skills | Shep Hyken

In customer service, I firmly believe that there is a specific instance in which it is appropriate to fire the customer. This customer affects the morale and motivation of the employees and makes it impossible for them to deliver a great customer service experience.

When Should You Fire an Employee

People Skills | Matt Tarkenton

As a small business owner, you can’t afford to take risks when it comes to hiring the right employees. Sometimes, however, you make a mistake and you hire someone who you shouldn’t have. When is it time to fire this employee?

How to Retain Employees

People Skills | Angela Cordle

High turnover is not uncommon in small business, but it is expensive. Most small businesses cannot afford to constantly hire and let go of employees. Having a dedicated staff is one aspect of a successful company that should not be overlooked.

4 Ways to Make Your Employees Happy

People Skills | Angela Cordle

One way to grow your business, apart from having a great product or service, is to have employees who love working for you. While you might not be able to offer the same benefits package as most large corporations, there are more slick ways you can go about seeking your employees’ favor without breaking into the budget.

3 Ways to Support People in High Performance Environments

People Skills | Bill Hogg

Consistently challenging your team and setting the bar high is only effective if you have the proper support in place. Failure to have a level of support that matches your expectations will not only make it difficult for individuals to meet their targets, it will also create an unnecessary source of stress internally.

The Most Admired Entrepreneurs Are Servant Leaders

People Skills | Marty Zwilling

Startups provide leadership in the market. Entrepreneurs provide leadership to their startup. There are many styles of leadership, like dictatorial, laissez-faire, and democratic. One that I hear discussed more these days, in this age of relationships, is called “servant” leadership.

How the Most Successful Leaders Manage the Brilliant Naysayer

People Skills | Mike Maddock

Most every company has a Harold (or Harriet). Typically, he has been with the company for 20-plus years. He knows more about industry norms, the company’s intellectual property, your IT capabilities, what legal will and will NOT go for, interoffice politics, and the CEO’s family than anyone in the building. And unfortunately for you, good old Harold can effortlessly—and with absolutely no malice intended—recite four to six reasons why your idea won’t fly.