Manager’s Toolbox

Every organization wants to stand out from their competitors, but very few are truly successful at it. Outside of the frequently lauded names such as Apple, Amazon, and USAA, companies continue to do a lot of ‘talking about’ and ‘studying’ yet struggle to capture the same magic. The problem is these same organizations are using … Read more

Lean is all about simplification, streamlining, and eliminating waste. What could be bad about that? 

Andrea Belk Olson outlines the three elements to change that impact resistance and how to overcome them. As organizations try to implement change, whether it be a new project management platform or a company restructure, they are often met with significant resistance.There’s a portion of the organization that wants to maintain the status quo and … Read more

If the Coronavirus pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that behavior is everything. The impact of the stay-at-home policies shows in the decline in new cases. But like a virus, behavior within organizations can be healthy or detrimental. Not only for individuals but for the success of the organization itself. Many companies emphasize their focus … Read more

When we come together, great things happen. We are stronger when we work as a team because people can exchange ideas, ensure a smooth flow of information, ensure a precise set of goals, and much more. Some large companies may experience trouble establishing cohesiveness at the workplace. But smaller teams and startups have a unique … Read more

Here are ten statements that leaders say regularly that shows they care about their people more than their title..

Like most professionals, you probably have a clear picture of what your career progression should look like. This runs from your first job, to when you get that management position and possibly a corner office. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to join C-suite. How do you prove that you are ripe for a managerial position? Here … Read more

We frequently assume that if we hire someone with a great resume and a strong background of industry and competitor experience, we’ve found a gem. We hope that this person will bring to the organization a breadth of knowledge that will help provide new insights on industry best practices and secret sauces. If we can … Read more

Every leader wants to fix the problems in their organization. The issue is, that most leaders have a hard time diagnosing those problems correctly. It isn’t the case of a lack of seeing the problem, experience, or capability to correct it. The real issue is two-fold: being too close to the problem, and looking at … Read more

We look to leaders for many things. We have expectations of behaviors that reflect vision, confidence, and decisiveness, to name a few. However, the most important trait leaders need to have which is frequently less emphasized is courage. To quote poet Maya Angelou, “Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage … Read more

Meaningful meetings are possible, desirable, and should be the aim of every executive. But many people say meaningful meetings is an oxymoron, and they have a point. Research shows consistently that most meetings waste time and cost significant sums. Some studies show over 75% of meetings waste time. Get a Klu, a corporate coaching and … Read more

The controversy regarding the proper email salutationit is growing in intensity and covering an ever-widening area..

To significantly improve team performance, coaching offers a new role for today’s managers. Good coaching requires day to day engagement with employees to give assistance as needed. Few managers do this well. Behaviorists Evert and Selman have over 15 years of study about organizational effectiveness. They argue that, “a management paradigm based on coaching can … Read more

If you want to start shifting from recruiting to scouting, here are a few ways to start..

Companies spend enormous amounts of money on employee training and education but they are not getting a good return on their investment..

Companies who truly want to build an engaged workforce must look at employee connection and involvement..

As a busy manager, you likely don’t have a lot of time to sit and do nothing but think. But you should..

Picture your four-year-old self. Your preschool teacher asks you what you want to be when you grow up. You rattle off the occupation plan that you already have set in stone – Mondays you’ll be an astronaut, Tuesdays you’ll be a doctor, Wednesdays you’ll be the next big pop star – and the list goes … Read more