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Employee Engagement

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Don’t Skimp on Employee Recognition…But Be Careful That It Doesn’t Backfire

Quint Studer
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I often get letters from people who read this column. Recently, a reader shared that the organization they are part of had given out awards to some people who did not seem to achieve the success they were recognized for. This is a valid concern. How can a manager be recognized as a great manager when their employee engagement is low? How can an employee be recognized as an excellent employee if they are not…
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Dealing With Less-Than-Flattering Employee Engagement Results

Quint Studer
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I am grateful that CEOs, owners, and others contact me to discuss their employee engagement results. Due to many impacts that could not be anticipated, most organizations have experienced a decline in these results. They had expected a dip in engagement; however, the dip has been worse than expected. Most of us, when we receive data that we do not like, may respond in a variety of ways. We will discuss some predictable reactions later.…
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What “Trust Building” Looks Like in Action

Quint Studer
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Dan Collard, a colleague of mine, shared that he often puts my writings through a tool that captures which words are used most often. He told me that the word trust comes up frequently. This makes sense, with all the focus on building strong relationships in the workplace. While building trust has always been foundational in forming strong relationships, it is even more important now. Research from a variety of fronts reports that overall trust is…
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Building Self-Awareness Into Your Company Culture

Quint Studer
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In my book The Busy Leader’s Handbook, Chapter 1 is on self-awareness and coachability. Self-awareness is one’s ability to perceive and understand the characteristics that make them who they are as an individual: personality, actions, values, beliefs, emotions, and thoughts. The greater self-awareness a person has, the more coachable they are. In the book, I provide tips on how to gain self-awareness and become more coachable. My experience is that a key characteristic the best performers…
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Focus on Retention: Questions to Ask a New Employee

Quint Studer
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When I hear from leaders, staffing is almost always at or near the top of the biggest issues they are facing. It seems we are constantly asking ourselves, Do we have enough staff? This question usually centers on the number of staff. If we are fortunate enough to have the needed numbers, then the discussion moves to items like, What is the experience level of our staff? Usually it is both. One, there’s not enough staff, and two,…
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To Retain New Employees, Look at How You’re Managing Creative Tension

Quint Studer
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I spend a lot of time inside organizations. A common thread I see is that there are many people who are either new to the organization or, if they’ve been there for a while, are in a new position. Both situations can be daunting. Then add the fact that organizations don’t always adapt certain measures to the newness of the team, and the result is individual and organizational tension. Peter Senge, author of The Fifth…
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Take an N=1 Approach to Helping People Feel They Belong

Quint Studer
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We know when we feel we belong somewhere. For years I have shared that most people appreciate a work environment where they believe the work they are doing fills a purpose, is worthwhile, and makes a difference. Today, I feel it takes much more than that. A person can feel all of those things and still may not feel that they belong. Belonging is that deep-down sense that “this is the right place for me.”…
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For Those Who Are Working on Holidays, Here’s How to Thank Them

Quint Studer
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As we head into the height of the holiday season, many of us are excited about taking a few days off work, spending time with our families, and enjoying fun activities and traditions. This is a good thing. We are so fortunate to get to have these meaningful experiences. But let’s take a moment to thank those who must work: physicians, nurses, healthcare staff, first responders, servers in restaurants, airline employees, military personnel, clergy members,…
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Do Your Employees Feel a Sense of Belonging?

Quint Studer
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In my most recent work, I have been delving into that important sense of belonging. It is a critical human need. We know what it feels like when we have it and when we don’t. There is sadness when a person feels they do not belong, and magic when they do. The sooner a person feels they belong to a company or group, the more comfortable they become. The more comfortable they are, the more…
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Leaders Need Appreciation, Empathy, and Forgiveness (A Boss’s Day Message)

Quint Studer
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We hear a lot about the need to show appreciation and empathy to employees. But with National Boss’s Day coming up on October 16, here is my message: Leaders need appreciation and empathy also. Even some forgiveness helps at times. (We focused on forgiveness as a cultural value last week. It’s important to remember that leaders need forgiveness too!) There was a time when I thought being a manager would be easy. When teaching, I…
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