Workplace 101: A Profiles Global Business Blog

In case you are catching up on your reading or just joining us, check out the hot topics in Leadership & Management.

In 2011, organizations must capitalize on their most powerful resource: their people. Making an informed decision to increase leadership effectiveness is fundamental for successful growth strategies.

John Bradford is Senior VP of Training and Consulting Services at Profiles International. He specializes in the design, development and implementation of our assessment solutions. He is a renowned public speaker and leadership mentor, travelling all over the world sharing his knowledge with our clients and partners.

John works with leaders on five continents and currently 720 of his clients worldwide are engaged in developing leadership initiatives. In this article, we share some of John's research findings and recommendations for leaders in todays world.

Don’t Gamble That Your Top Performers Will Succeed in Their New Roles

It’s been more than four decades since Dr. Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull articulated the talent management blunder known as “The Peter Principle.” Their book provided a comical view of organizational hierarchies that explains why incompetent people are promoted into positions for which they aren’t suited. The trouble is, when you work for that person (or are that person), it isn’t funny. How can you avoid falling victim to The Peter Principle?

Harvard Business School Prof. Advocates Developing Talent From Within

You might laugh at the thought of being able to hire new employees right now. But there are companies hiring these days, and you will eventually need to replenish or add jobs, too. When the time comes to fill your vacant positions, will you promote from within or hire outside talent? Is your talent management strategy to coach or poach?

10 Initial Costs Due to an Employee Leaving

It’s a busy time in the workplace. Projects are underway. Deadlines are approaching. Sales quotas need to be met. And managers and employees need to be as productive as possible. In the midst of all the activity, organizations always face speed bumps – a major one being: employee turnover.

Developing leadership capabilities are essential to ensure focus on the short-term and long-term health of any organization. Effective leadership development enables companies to react quickly to change and to endure in difficult times.

Managing high performers with difficult personalities is one of the greatest managerial challenges that leaders face. We see it all the time across every industry and function. Whether it is the rainmaker with the golden rolodex, the genius software engineer,  or the prickly neurosurgeon, sometimes we can't live with these people but we can't live without them. So, what can leaders do to bring out the best in these people while minimizing negative impact they have on their co-workers and the organizational climate?

During times of budget challenges and uncertainty, supervisors might be experiencing an increase in the number of difficult conversations with their staff. These could include delivering bad news about an employee’s job, informing staff about work restructuring, or discussing other complicated and stressful work situations.

We’ve all witnessed the havoc and felt the pain created by problem co-workers. Ironically, the biggest mistake managers make when managing problem employees is avoiding the problem.  They stay away from the employee and place added burdens on other employees whom they trust.  This leads to a whole host of other bigger problems.