Motivating people

Bonuses and other forms of incentive compensation are an effective motivator of executives to achieve ever higher earnings per share. The drive to produce short-term results, however, often influences management to forgo investment in capital equipment and R&D that would benefit the corporation several years hence even more than improved earnings next year would. The […]

Network groups for black and Hispanic employees had been an unqualified success. Now a Christian group was forming—and Bill Thompson didn’t know what to think about it.

Apparently, my post on the “lunch lesson” rubbed some people the wrong way. When I opined that I found that leadership = responsibility = not always getting to eat lunch, this was, for some, the most heinous concept short of universal healthcare for illegal aliens. The comments that disagreed with me fell into a few […]

When companies cause emotional pain through nasty bosses, layoffs, and change, a certain breed of “healing” manager steps in to keep the gears moving. They are toxic handlers—unsung corporate heroes who save the day, but often pay a high price.

It can help you be more productive - and uncover the work you really love doing.

The latest wave of Covid-19 is pushing us to new depths of personal resilience.

Using the results of a survey of 380 companies in 34 industries, this author examines three basic types of compensation plans: salary, commission, and combination (salary plus commission). Most companies in the study favored a combination plan, but such plans have some disadvantages to offset their obvious attractiveness. The author sets out the possible reasons […]

Based on data collected from more than 4,500 employees.

Show people how their work impacts others.

The finding: People whose performance peaks in the morning are better positioned for career success, because they’re more proactive than people who are at their best in the evening. The study: Biologist Christoph Randler surveyed 367 university students, asking what time of day they were most energetic and how willing and able they were to […]

For decades the difficulty of motivating salespeople has been frustrating sales and marketing managers. To the most effective ones, two things are clear: one, the job is difficult; two, there is no one simple solution. Believing that “good salespeople are born, not made,” many managers recognize that recruiting is important. Others holding that “if you […]

At this large GM plant the union and management jointly seek to change the meaning of work itself

Health insurance, flexible hours, and vacation time.

And how organizations can develop more of them.

by Paul Michelman

Good behavior can be contagious.

You’re speeding toward a goal when you hear sounds that make the brakes squeal: “The procedures don’t allow this.” “It will take months to process.” “Submit more forms.” Or worse, you request cooperation but don’t get a response. You curse petty bureaucrats for causing the screeching halt. You wonder if you should offer favors or […]

But watch out if your boss is a hard grader.

Thoughtful gifts are better motivators.

(Editor's note: This post is part of a six-week blog series on how leadership might look in the future. The conversations generated by these posts will...