Communication

Boss’s letters fill book for Kaiser Permanente staff

05/14/2013

Kaiser Permanente Chairman and CEO George Halvorson has written enough letters to his staff to fill a book. His compilation of 101 letters has been published as KP Inside: 101 Letters to Us at Kaiser Permanente.

Collaborative owner keeps staff happy at N.J. Volvo dealer

05/10/2013

What works for employees of Cherry Hill Volvo in South Jersey? The attitude of the company’s owner. Workers at the 51-year-old Volvo dealership say the company’s president, Judith Krupnick, fosters a feeling of family in the workplace.

Overlooked retention tool: Show employees a future path

05/03/2013

Many employers are missing out on a simple, no-cost way to retain employees—communicate your promotions and promotion policies.

Emotional outburst? Respond with patience, calm

04/29/2013

Occasionally, we all have to deal with overly emotional employees. Handling them requires a mature and measured response, especially if it looks like you may have to discipline them.

Verizon workers teach each other via video

04/22/2013

Verizon invested nearly $400 million in the development, education and training of its employees last year, and spent $100 million in tuition assistance for more than 23,000 employees. But it’s the company’s employees themselves who may be teaching one another the most.

The art of giving negative feedback: A 7-step approach

04/09/2013

If employees are totally blindsided by poor reviews or terminations, they are much more likely to file lawsuits. But if workers receive coaching and progressive discipline, they’ll see the bad news coming a mile away, and they’ll have little reason or motivation to play the legal card. Follow this seven-step method whenever giving negative feedback:

Build staff buy-in for your internship programs

03/25/2013

It’s no secret that long-term staff often dread the summer onslaught of interns—a generation gap that can sink even the best-designed internship program. Smooth the process by having a talk with the older, wiser managers and co-workers who will interact with interns this summer.

When rude boss spouts off, expect little sympathy from juries

03/21/2013

A supervisor’s foul temper can alienate employees—and wind up costing an employer big bucks.

How to fix a department problem

03/13/2013

If you have to call the entire department on the carpet for an overall problem, don’t let the “defeat” become demotivating. Before you review the negatives of the situation, ask yourself these questions.

Benefits alert: Health insurance exchange notice requirement postponed

03/01/2013

The health care reform law required employers to begin notifying employees on March 1 about the availability of state-based exchanges as an option for buying health insurance. But acknowledging the obvious—that the state exchanges are nowhere near ready to go live—the Department of Labor has temporarily rescinded the notice requirement.