Why Leaders Fail to Create Responsible Employees

By Michael Holland -   There’s the strong, powerful, charismatic, self-absorbed CEO attempting to guide a senior leader forward, or their team forward. After a moment or two of seemingly good leadership technique he finds his natural groove and drops the “S Bomb.”  The “do it my way because I said so” command. His [...]

By |2025-04-01T11:09:27-04:00April 9th, 2025|Managing Performance|Comments Off on Why Leaders Fail to Create Responsible Employees

One Habit That Will Make You a Better Leader

By Michael Holland - Many leaders are challenged with having coaching conversations with their employees. Coaching is a process of letting people know that what they do matters to you. Coaching provides direction and timely feedback. Coaching inspires, encourages, and challenges employees. Coaching should be continual.  It's small things that the leader sees [...]

By |2024-10-16T16:35:21-04:00November 6th, 2024|Managing Performance|Comments Off on One Habit That Will Make You a Better Leader

Perception of Employee Performance: Which Lens Are You Using Today?

by Michael Holland -  "Here he comes.  Heading straight for my office for yet another 'conversation' about why he can't get his work done in time for our meeting next week.  Again and again he just doesn't come through.  And last week he left early one day.  I'm getting so tired of this [...]

By |2024-10-16T11:16:50-04:00October 16th, 2024|Managing Performance|Comments Off on Perception of Employee Performance: Which Lens Are You Using Today?

The 3 Misuses of a Spotlight by Leaders

by Michael Holland  -   Are you using a spotlight or a floodlight when you review an employee’s performance?  A spotlight is directed, tight, and narrow in its focus, able to illuminate specific targets, like an actor on a stage. A floodlight is broad, less discriminating, and wide in dispersing light to see more [...]

By |2024-07-06T12:31:05-04:00July 3rd, 2024|Managing Performance|Comments Off on The 3 Misuses of a Spotlight by Leaders

The Myth of Multi-Tasking and How Shallow Work Kills Your Productivity

By Michael Holland - Whether alone or in meetings, many believe that they are getting lots of work completed because we are great at multi-tasking. There’s an urban myth that says we are so much more productive because we are multi-tasking. But science proves it wrong: we actually do things in sequence.  Now, those [...]

By |2024-04-11T15:09:54-04:00April 17th, 2024|Managing Performance|Comments Off on The Myth of Multi-Tasking and How Shallow Work Kills Your Productivity

The Curse of Knowledge in Your Delegation to Employees

By Michael Holland -   When a leader delegates they can picture very clearly what it is they want done.  So they believe that they are communicating clearly to their employee.  But there’s a villain of natural psychology that limits our capability to communicate clearly and that villain is the curse of knowledge*. The [...]

By |2024-03-27T11:47:36-04:00March 27th, 2024|Managing Performance|Comments Off on The Curse of Knowledge in Your Delegation to Employees

What Golfing and Employees Receiving Performance Feedback Have in Common

By Michael Holland - I like to play golf. I find it relaxing and a great opportunity to compete against myself and the elements. In golf – or any sport or creative endeavor – feedback and coaching can help one learn how to improve and get at least more satisfaction if not more happiness from [...]

By |2023-10-11T12:08:56-04:00October 11th, 2023|Managing Performance|Comments Off on What Golfing and Employees Receiving Performance Feedback Have in Common

How Would You Lead if Employees Were Given Lifetime Employment

By Michael Holland -  In a book I read a few years ago, a company was mentioned where the owner and leadership team decided they wanted to live out their cultural values in a radical way: They would provide employees with a guarantee of lifetime employment. That decision had profound impacts on so many aspects [...]

By |2023-08-09T16:11:24-04:00August 30th, 2023|Managing Performance|Comments Off on How Would You Lead if Employees Were Given Lifetime Employment

Why Performance Reviews are So Damn Painful for Leaders

By Michael Holland -  During a coaching session with a leader, he spoke about how tired he was having recently spent his whole weekend to get his employees' performance reviews completed and then delivered the reviews in back-to-back sessions on the Monday and Tuesday right after the weekend. In my mind I thought "what a [...]

By |2023-08-09T16:04:39-04:00August 23rd, 2023|Managing Performance|Comments Off on Why Performance Reviews are So Damn Painful for Leaders

Mid-Year Check-in: 3 Questions to Ask Your Employees

by Michael Holland -  As we approach mid-way through the calendar year, it’s time for a mid-year check-in with each of your employees.   While you’ve been regularly talking with your employees about their job tasks and performance, now it’s time for a different conversation. Schedule an extra meeting with each of your team members.  [...]

By |2023-06-16T10:56:33-04:00June 21st, 2023|Managing Performance|1 Comment
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