You can view the article here:Page 36 in March 2013 issue of Industrial Distribution

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Your supervisor’s behavior dictates a serious conversation occur between you and him/her in which you ask for and receive his/her clear expectations for you and what you need to do to meet those expectations. Even though this approach can become confrontational, don’t let that happen.  Remember, you cannot change the past so whatever happened in previous performance reviews, no matter how they aggravate you, should not be part of this conversation.  Instead focus on future performance evaluations and how the two of you working together can make them better.   Without this conversation you will clearly continue to experience disappointing performance reviews.

Have a workplace question that you would like answered? Need some organizational advice? Ask Paul! E-mail your questions to letsdothis@roundtablecompanies.com.

There is nothing more aggravating than to be asked for your recommendation and then have it ignored without any explanation.  I know this because as a management consultant who is paid to make recommendations, my recommendations are routinely ignored!  In any event, I’m not suggesting you stop participating in the improvement process at this point because if you care about the company then you need to do your part to make it better.  However, it is absolutely appropriate for you to approach the owner and respectfully point out the suggestions made seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.  But, before that conversation takes place, don’t be disappointed if your suggestions are not implemented. Realize all you are entitled to receive for making a suggestion is to be respectfully listened to and then, later, if the suggestion is not implemented being given a reason why it was not implemented. However, if the owner is not prepared to listen to your recommendations or explain why they will not be implemented then realize he is not participating in the improvement process and, as my father used to tell me, you need to “Stop trying to teach the pig to dance” since it’s only irritating yourself and wasting the owner’s time.

Have a workplace question that you would like answered? Need some organizational advice? Ask Paul! E-mail your questions to letsdothis@roundtablecompanies.com.

Unfortunately your boss seems to be a luddite (a person who aggressively opposes advances in technology) and that presents a real problem when customers prefer alternative methods of communication.  A possible opportunity to open his eyes to the benefits of other than face-to-face communications might be to conduct a survey among your clients that would allow them to specify how they like to be communicated with on a normal basis.  Presented with some objective evidence he might grudgingly accept the fact that emails are sometimes an appropriate method of communicating with customers.  A final thought:  his opposition to other than face-to-face communication may have something to do with his questioning how you are spending your time.  While that is another conversation, you might do well to assure him that just because you are not meeting your clients face-to-face you are still meeting productivity expectations.

Have a workplace question that you would like answered? Need some organizational advice? Ask Paul! E-mail your questions to letsdothis@roundtablecompanies.com.

Absolutely you should recommend your brother apply for the job at your company!  But with this warning: even though you may think you “have nothing to do with the hiring process” once your brother applies for the job you will probably be informally questioned as to how you think he will perform as an employee.  In other words, whether you want to or not you are going to be vouching for him just as you would for any other person you recommend be hired by the company. So, when you let him know about the opportunity also inform him that your butt is on the line so he better be serious about the job (and not ask for Columbus Day off)!

Have a workplace question that you would like answered? Need some organizational advice? Ask Paul! E-mail your questions to letsdothis@roundtablecompanies.com.

Paul Glover is a no-nonsense guy who tells it like it is. As Donald Prebola, VP of Huma put it, “Paul has an uncanny way of giving you the abridged truth about your business that you need to hear.” And now he is ready to offer you his unique insights in our new blog series titled Ask Paul.

Have a workplace question that you would like answered? Need some organizational advice? Ask Paul! E-mail your questions to letsdothis@roundtablecompanies.com. 

Although Tony takes it to the extreme, many of today’s managers view their decisions as being just about business. But like Tony, these managers are wrong when they fail to consider the impact of human relations on their decisions. As managers and leaders move into this new year, they need to be more aware than ever that in order to maintain and grow relationships with employees, customers, and vendors, they must understand that it’s never just business. It’s always personal.

Most leaders have a hard time with this. They are very good with the numbers part of the business, which, admittedly, is essential for success, but that is only about 20% of the equation. The other 80% is people management. You can have a process that works perfectly — until you add people to it. That is where most businesses fall apart. Unfortunately, many leaders and managers aren’t prepared when people enter the equation.

To read the full article, as published in Business Performance, click here.

The desire to be well versed on an issue and confident in the decision, coupled with the fear of making a mistake, leads many managers to a state of indecision.  And not making a decision is sometimes as detrimental as making a bad one.

Experienced managers should realize that over time, most situations they encounter are familiar.  Human resources issues, productivity issues, manufacturing problems—after a while, they follow a similar formula.  Although each problem has its differences, I estimate that 80% of the problems a seasoned manager encounters aren’t much different from previous ones.  Naturally, you may get what I call a Black Swan—that 20% that represent a new or different challenge—but that doesn’t happen often.

To read the full article, as published in Industrial Distribution, click here.

Last January, when everything was fresh, goals you set seemed imminently possible.  Now, after the end of a challenging year, the assessment of your process and results can be essential in setting the course for success in the future.

To read the full article, as published on the Vistage Executive Street Blog, click here.

The 12-month plan itself is obsolete. Not only does it not take into account ways to capitalize on variations in performance, the plans usually do not allow for the unforeseen obstacles that will inevitably get in the way. Instead of developing a yearlong plan, you should consider a strategy that creates the greatest productivity within each season of the year, culminating in four quarters of growth.

To read the full article, as published in Food Manufacturing, click here.