If you own a business, or you’re leading a department, you’re probably well aware of how tough it can be to motivate employees. But believe it or not, one of the best ways to do this is by creating key performance indicators (KPIs) that clearly define what success looks like. Now, depending on what you think about KPIs, this might sound a bit counterproductive, but trust me on this. After…
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When promoting employees, a lot of employers don’t put enough thought into it. From an employer’s point of view, it usually seems like a good idea, and it feels good to give employees more responsibility, recognition, and compensation. At the same time, when employers promote employees, they tend to feel like they’re doing them a favor, and they expect them to be grateful for the opportunity and the perks that…
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In an age when everyone seems to be attached at the hip with multiple different devices, you’d think responsiveness wouldn’t be as much of an issue, especially when it comes to your employer. But for whatever reason, people still seem to have a tough time picking up the phone, responding to a text, or replying to an email. Maybe doing most of our correspondence digitally has eroded our ability to…
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Given the looming turnover crisis experts are now predicting, it’s more important than ever to keep employees happy. But in order to keep them happy, you have to know what makes them happy. And the only way to know what makes them happy is to ask them. A picture is worth a thousand words, and since a ‘stay’ interview is a first-hand picture of what your employee is thinking and…
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It’s an all-too-common problem for team leaders and managers: dealing with an employee who isn’t performing well. Maybe they’re always showing up late or calling in sick. They require constant supervision and don’t seem to care about their job, turning in sloppy work. And remote working during the pandemic may be exacerbating the problem. This difficult employee isn’t only a problem for you. It’s a problem for your best employees,…
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When you’re the owner of a small or medium-sized business, you’re often also the accountant, HR person, marketing director and office manager! I’ve worked with so many business owners who struggle with the same problem: there’s not enough of them to go around and you are having to do things that you really have no business messing with! It’s admirable that you roll up your sleeves and get into the…
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It’s nearly the end of 2020, and what a year it’s been. The entire world has changed the way we interact with friends and family, work, play, shop…and so on. For many business owners, this global shift has made 2020 a year of reactivity rather than productivity. It’s been hard for many employers to look beyond maintaining their cash flow, dealing with fewer staff and customers. Plus, they have to…
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Hi! My name is Katherine Hartvickson of Quantum Ascendance, an HR Consulting & Leadership Development company. We help you develop your People and create sustainable Processes so that you enjoy a Profitable and Winning Culture. This is the third tip in my video series on business communication. (You’ll find the other two videos in the resources section below.) When employees don’t feel heard, it can lead to poor productivity, lack…
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Hi! My name is Katherine Hartvickson of Quantum Ascendance, an HR Consulting & Leadership Development company. We help you develop your People and create sustainable Processes so that you enjoy a Profitable and Winning Culture. This is the second tip in my video series on business communication. If you missed the first tip, watch it here. Effective listening is essential to clear communication and management success. Choosing the right words,…
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When it comes to reasons why a company didn’t hire a human resources consultant, I’ve heard them all: a small business didn’t think they were big enough to warrant it, or the CFO didn’t want to spend the money, or Jane from accounting was taking care of the paperwork. That “worked” until they were suddenly facing a crisis and needed help. Rather than having a dedicated team or person in…
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