Category: People Skills

Let’s be honest: People love to talk about other people. They love to make everyone else think they’re in the know, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t change human nature. But there are times when you have to take a hard—and perhaps permanent—line with gossips.

When you ask employees questions, the way you ask influences not only the answers they give, but also your relationship with the employees afterward. It’s easy for a simple question to appear like an aggressive one to employees. Here are some examples.

Does your team really behave like a team? Over time, some teams develop cliques and grow distant—if not downright hostile—to outsiders and new members. If you want to keep your team productive and healthy, you have to keep the “in-crowd” from taking over. Here’s how to intervene.

If you point “human speed bumps” in the right direction, you can turn their pessimistic outlook into a strength.

Heading a committee or leading a project team is quite a job to begin with. When the group’s work gets heavy or complicated enough that you have to appoint subcommittees to handle specific areas or tasks, your job can become even tougher. These four tactics should help.

Running a department or business is a serious endeavor. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a sense of humor.

Yes, you can order your employees to do what you want, but you’ll get better results by persuading them that you know what you’re talking about. Persuasion is a skill that can be developed with practice. Here are four tips.