Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

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We’ve all been through them…the dreaded annual performance review. Now, I am not saying that all reviews are bad…it’s just, overall, are they really that helpful? The answer should be YES! However, that is not always the case. A 2011 survey by Globoforce, showed 24% of respondents dread their review more than anything else.The purpose of an annual performance review is to open up the dialog between the manager and employee, as well as documenting the areas of needed focus in the employees position such as team work or job skill. And currently, not many companies have a formal process in place for the Annual Performance Review.

Curious Insight into Employee Motivation and the Pygmalion Effect

By “great expectations,” I’m not referring to the Dickens book. Presumably when you hire or promote someone, you expect great things from them. You don’t think, “Yes, this warm body will be adequate enough, I suppose.” If so, then you’re probably not reading this article. Studies based on the Pygmalion Effect have shown that people will perform up – or down – to the level of expectations you set for them.

Much has been written about the Pygmalion Effect (most notably a study by Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson), or the notion of self-fulfilling prophecy, from the viewpoint of parenting and teaching, but the same can be said for businesses. Do you scold, criticize, and demean your employees, or do you positively and constructively encourage them?

Here is an activity. Identify a leader who you know well and complete this sentence: “Enter Leader’s Name could achieve even greater success if he/she did Fill in the Blank.” Sometimes, leaders do not realize that their style of leadership can be perceived as wrong or flawed. Perception is reality! Edward L. Flom wrote, “One of the hardest tasks of leadership is understanding that you are not what you are, but what you’re perceived to be by others.”

Do you wish you took more time during the year to coach and mentor your team members? Do you regret not working harder to develop your own leadership style for that management role that you see in your future?

The business world is starting to sound more like science fiction with the rise of a new hybrid species: the social intrapreneur. You can rest assured that the science fiction stops there and these hybrids are nothing to fear. Social intrapreneurs move easily between the corporate and social worlds and add a global emphasis to their work.

You’re stuck. Your workplace performance has stagnated and you’re frustrated. You start to get anxious, so you try even harder. More effort does not always solve your problems. How can you stay sane when you feel like you’re stuck in a rut?

Employee turnover is a challenge that every organization faces at one time or another. As mentioned in the previous article, It's Not Me, It's You..., it is uncommon in today’s world for an employee to remain at the same company for more than five years. Sometimes an employee leaving may be the result of a managerial decision and other times it may be voluntary on the part of the employee. Regardless of the reason, every year organizations spend precious time, energy, and money to fill empty job positions. When those empty job positions are for customer service roles, filling them becomes even more challenging.

Is there a skills gap in your organization? Do you have vacant positions, which require high-level skills that are hard to find? According to a recent study from CareerBuilder, 38 percent of employers cannot find qualified candidates to fill a position. The study found that the top five areas most difficult to recruit for are:

If you are a parent or a pet owner then you know that when your child or pet misbehaves, you have to act immediately or the corrective action is pointless. You cannot wait a day, a month, or a year to address a problem; by then the child or pet has completely forgotten what they did that was wrong.