How to retain a valuable employee? Vaccination against tough management. Here are some quotes from the book

Employees are the main value of the company

A lot of company leaders say that the most valuable thing for them is their employees, but not everyone really treats them that way. “Everyone wants to be appreciated” is the most important truth that any boss must learn. Show respect and attention to employees (or better yet, say “colleagues”, but in no case “subordinates”) should be every day, and not once a month or once a year during some incentive events. It is this tactic that is the most faithful and far-sighted. In fact, if you mistreat your employees, you will harm your business: people will feel dissatisfied; they will not have incentives to work, which will negatively affect their productivity; finally, they will not feel loyalty to your firm. Do not keep a distance from colleagues - hug them, if not literally, then figuratively. "Build business around people."
Building relationships with employees, the leader must adhere to five basic principles: treat people kindly; trust; cultivate pride in your work and in the company; involve in decision making; reward generously for success. If, following these rules, you establish personal trusting relationships with colleagues, then their loyalty will be guaranteed to you.

good relations

What is your true attitude towards employees? How do you perceive them - as a value or as an expense item? Unfortunately, in some companies the second approach prevails, but there are many positive examples. Starbucks management goes to great lengths to make employees (baristas) feel highly valued; thus, even those who work part-time receive health insurance from the company. In order for your firm to thrive, you need to develop a “culture of mindfulness,” which manifests itself in three main ways.
1. "Set your mind to please others." Employees are unfailingly polite and helpful to each other; words such as “please”, “thank you” and “can I help you with something” are constantly heard. Everyone is ready to help a colleague and strives to do something nice for him.
2. "Personalization of relationships." Employees communicate with each other not officially, but in a friendly way. They know, for example, that their accountant is not only an accountant, but also a football star, and an assistant director of public relations is also a women's boxing champion at a local fitness club.
3. "Modesty".“Culture of mindfulness” implies the equality of all members of the organization - from the CEO to the storekeeper. Top managers are not almighty and infallible celestials, but mere mortals who fly economy class with their colleagues. To create the same atmosphere in your own place, forget about titles, personalized parking spaces and other privileges.
In companies with a developed “culture of mindfulness”, all colleagues – the director, board members, ordinary employees – communicate on an equal footing. Therefore, of course, the ability to hire the right people is very important. Try to hire charming and sympathetic; pay attention to such qualities as decency, positive attitude, enthusiasm for future work, competence and self-confidence. At the interview, such people smile, behave directly and friendly. Make sure the candidate will fit in well with the team. First impressions are often deceptive, so it's a good idea to interview the same candidate several times. Get to know the character of the future employee as best as possible - find out what kind of person he is and what interests him. It is customary for a new employee to first arrange a trial period. However, this approach is extremely unproductive - people get annoyed, they think that they are not trusted. It is better to do it differently - from the very first steps, show the new person that he is accepted, that you already rely on him as a partner.
If you are a senior executive, learn the names and curriculum vitae of at least 250 people with whom you work directly. Never make mistakes in names: if an employee's name is George, in no case call him Gregory. If the full name of your accountant is Natalia, do not address her in the letter as Natalia. Maintain full personal contact with employees. Do not forget to personally congratulate everyone on their birthdays and other holidays.
Strong friendly hugs are, of course, wonderful, but not always acceptable in a work environment. But hugs in a figurative sense - signs of attention, pleasant words ("What a wonderful dress!", "What a wonderful family photo you have!") - are good in any situation. Try not to let your courtesy be inappropriate - do not give sweets to a diabetic. If the first attempt to please someone unexpectedly failed, immediately try again. Treat outsourcers working for your firm the same way you treat regular employees. Communicate with colleagues daily, not occasionally. Show employees that work can be fun - introduce an element of jokes and games. For example, promise that if your team performs brilliantly, you will do something unusual or even comical, such as going to work blindfolded or dressing up as a clown. Relax and enjoy!

Confidence

If your company does not have an atmosphere of mutual trust, this is a cause for concern. The principle of trust is the most important of the above. Trust implies honesty, openness and consistency. Communicate to employees the idea that it is perfectly permissible for them to make mistakes from time to time. Don't compulsively inspect them - give the impression that you are not "checking" them, but "checking" on their progress. The actions of the company must be transparent to all members of the team. If sales are down, don't hide it. When evaluating someone's work, speak frankly, but highlight positive results.
Instead of imposing rigid rules and regulations, set high standards - tell your team what you expect from them. Treat employees like reasonable adults. If there is a quarrel between colleagues, talk to them and try to smooth over the contradictions. You will strengthen trust between people by abandoning authoritarian methods and creating a democratic atmosphere. The magic word “of course” should play an important role in corporate culture: “Of course, we will visit the employee in the hospital”; “Of course, we have free coffee, tea and soda for employees in our office”; “Of course we will celebrate the birthday with a cake!”.
There is one effective way to help a person get out of a stressful situation - “flight to the moon”. This is a playful exercise in which you and your co-worker imagine that the two of you are on a space flight. Being “on the moon”, you help a colleague look at yourself from the outside, look at their problems from a different angle, see ways to solve them. After the “journey”, a person, as a rule, feels a surge of strength and confidence.

Pride

Are your employees proud to work for you? Do they feel like part of the company? Try to cultivate a sense of pride in your company. Pride, in turn, means loyalty, and this is a guarantee that your team works honestly, clearly and smoothly. The following factors contribute to the development of pride:
1. "Mission of the company, inspiring employees." Everyone is pleased to realize that he is participating in an important and noble cause. After all, your company also has a high mission, a noble goal - formulate it and convey it to all employees. Tell them how your business has grown and developed - such stories always inspire and stimulate productive work.
2. “Clean and beautiful workplace.” Is your office messy? Dirty carpet? Peeling walls? One can hardly be proud to work in such an environment. Give employees a beautiful, well-groomed interior. In addition, it should be clear to everyone that every member of the organization - down to the CEO - is responsible for making their workplace look attractive and tidy.
3. "Modern and convenient technologies." It is prestigious to work in a leading company. Let employees have the most advanced computers, the latest software, automated systems and state-of-the-art communications.
4. “Opportunities for education”. The higher the qualification of an employee, the more efficiently he will work. Offer colleagues the widest range of opportunities for professional learning and development.
How do your employees perceive the place where they work? It is better not to use the expression “workplace” at all – work should become a second home for all employees. Create conditions for them to receive friends and family in the office.
Another important reason for pride is the participation of the company in public life. For starters, you can, for example, support a local charitable organization. Tell employees about the good deeds of your company. If the company's activities were especially noted in the press, be sure to share this news with everyone. To strengthen employees' sense of pride in their team, you need to organize holidays, parties and picnics. Such events are a great occasion to encourage and distribute generous gifts. Enter the tradition of applauding distinguished employees. You can also keep a wall newspaper or send out news - this will also increase the feeling of corporate pride.

Participation

Are your employees involved in important decision making? Do you value their opinions and suggestions? Do you consult with them about clients and suppliers, or even about the menu at the company buffet? There are five steps to creating a sense of ownership among colleagues.
1. Invite employees to participate. Let's say you need to solve a customer relationship issue. Instead of having a closed meeting with top managers who don't deal with clients, invite the employees who work on the trading floor and you will get valuable first-hand information. Of course, it is impossible to invite all employees to all meetings, so you will have to be selective. To make meetings more open, use the “4 + 1” method: first, an issue (related, say, to the development of a new product) is submitted for discussion by four experts in this field, and then another person who is completely unfamiliar with this topic joins the discussion . This approach allows you to look at the problem in a new way.
2. Ask for the opinions of colleagues. Ask employees what their opinion is on the issues discussed. Give them the opportunity to express their ideas and ask questions. When talking to employees, use two phrases more often: “What do you think?” and “I really need your help.”
3. Include employees in the decision-making process. If you have an important decision to make, take the time to gather the opinions of as many colleagues as possible. Let your employees take part in the decision-making process. This tactic is suitable for almost all situations, especially when you are hiring someone. Before making a final verdict, introduce this person to those with whom he will work, and ask them how well they think he will fit into the team.
4. Involve colleagues in the implementation of decisions. Maintain close contact with those who will implement the decisions made - they must clearly understand the goals and objectives of the company. Share information generously with them, telling them not only what they "need to know" but also what they "want to know." Be direct and honest. If you start to maneuver, people will feel it.
5. Create a sense of personal contribution. When the first four steps have already been completed, the fifth step will not be difficult. If you show employees that you value their opinions and ideas, if you communicate with them honestly and openly, then they will feel that they are making a personal contribution to the affairs and policies of the company.

Confession

Satisfaction from work comes when a person understands that his efforts are rewarded fairly. Do not be stingy - pay employees as much as they deserve. Be generous so that they value their work - this applies to both the basic salary and bonuses. Arrange competitions and reward the winners, for example, with a festive dinner; come up with unusual prizes - for example, an interesting trip. Encouragement, of course, can also be verbal - send a letter of thanks and congratulations to a distinguished employee.
If you have already begun to introduce a system of bonuses and other rewards, then do not stop halfway, otherwise the employees will be disappointed. It is important to ensure that the reward is always well-deserved. Generous bonuses and bonuses are certainly an effective motivator, however, no matter what you do, some people are simply not suitable for your firm. If you have to fire someone (for incompetence or for any other reason), do it with courtesy and delicacy. Whoever is in front of you - a conscientious employee, so-so or completely unfit for anything - show the same courtesy to everyone that you expect towards yourself.

The principles and ideas discussed in this book are not artificially created on a whiteboard or computer screen. They have been developed in practice. Jack Mitchell- co-owner and CEO of American retail clothing stores.

There are no words for "boss" or "subordinate" in his vocabulary. These concepts simply do not coexist in the free and happy atmosphere of his organization, where every employee feels that he is truly appreciated. Pleasant little things, small favors, or a weekend get together can go a long way to a company's success. Mitchell in his book “Hug your employees” shares his fifty years of real leadership experience and discovers the secrets of successful staff motivation.

An exclusive excerpt from the book was provided to the HR Academy by the MIF publishing house.

Hug Tutorial #1.

Create a culture of mindfulness: For employees to feel happy and motivated, a strategy is needed to create a culture in which people are nice to each other, build positive personal relationships, and the whole company preaches the idea of humility.

Hire nice people: Hire confident, competent and positive employees who wholeheartedly want to listen, learn and shine, who are characterized by directness and honesty. And especially nice people. How to recognize them? Ask yourself: Would you like to sit next to them on a transatlantic flight?

Marry for life: Forget the probationary period and create a positive culture where new hires feel comfortable and at home.

Know them by name and be aware of their hobbies: managers should know 100-150, and even better 250 employees by name - those to whom you report, those who report to you, as well as those whose work is of great importance to achieve your plans.

get closer: Hug employees in all possible ways, taking into account their tastes. Do it constantly and sincerely. Smile, thank, pay for their car wash from time to time.

have fun A: business and pleasure are related and should be mixed, so let the employees laugh and have more fun. Play poker or word games with them. Come to work and play there.

Correct the situation if the hug did not work: Not all hugs reach their goal. Do not give a bottle to an employee who is trying to stop drinking, or candy to a diabetic. Watch for signals that show that your gift is in the wrong place. Correct the situation with a smile, give the employee another hug, and add another gift to make up for the initial mistake.

Continually maintain personal connections: Ask employees to talk about everything that happens in their lives. Let these conversations be built around personal and exciting topics for the employee.

"Every time I gather my courage and sit in the dentist's chair, my cuddling doctor, Jeffrey, says to his assistant, 'Thank you for coming early for our Jack.' a real hug.I look into the eyes of the assistant and see that he is smiling.

It's a small thing, but a very nice little thing. And pleasant little things tend to accumulate, and the pleasure from them increases. And like most hugs, they cost nothing. We believe that such sweet moments create and strengthen a kind of connection between people. If you are understanding and respectful of what is important to others, you create a connection with them. And this is critical to creating a culture of mindfulness.

The fundamental point: any of your actions must be sincere. Predictable and "mechanical", as well as carefully thought out in advance, expressions of gratitude do not give the desired result. Your non-verbal communication, body language, level of enthusiasm tell people that these are just words with nothing behind them, and the connection with the person quickly disappears.

And more positive words!

If you want to create a personal connection, word choice is of the utmost importance. Using the word "colleague" (rather than "assistant", "clerk", or even "employee") elevates your colleagues both in their own eyes and in the eyes of others. It always seemed to me that "employee" and "employee" sounded too cold. We are all workers, including myself. But I want to think that I am a colleague and a business owner.

I internally get annoyed when I hear, "Jack, can I be honest with you?" Or: “To be frank, I want to tell you ...” And I hear this often. It seems that before this most of the time, and maybe always, they did not frankly with me. Instead, I use the word “frankly.” “Let's be honest” instead of “I want to tell you frankly.” There is a slight difference.

Another turn that I really dislike goes like this. When I ask "How are you?" They answer me: “The best!”

It is clear that a person simply means that he feels great. Otherwise, it somehow looks too much like stupid boasting. In an atmosphere of humility and a culture of mindfulness, these things don't work. On the other hand, I myself have long used the word great (beautiful, great, excellent) to represent people whom I want to praise, or as a compliment. For example, "great Bruce Lagerfeldt", "beautiful Ellen Ndini" or "beautiful Taffy Parisi", "great Beverly Martin". All this I say to the fact that the words must be sincere, and in my case everything is so. For example, I heard from Taffy that she likes it when I introduce her in this way. Below is a list of the main positive and negative words and phrases. It's amazing how people change when you speak "positive language".

Top 5 Positive Words / Negative Words

Opportunity, Challenge / Problem

Colleague, hugger / Worker, assistant, employee

Standards, expectations / Rules, regulations

Education / Training

Projects, programs / Cases, work, task

Top 5 Positive Phrases / Negative Phrases

I need your help / This is not my job, I'm busy

Let me be honest / Can I be frank?

Everything is great / Best of all

I like it / I like it, but...

What do you think? / I'll do everything myself

It helps a lot to communicate when you talk to people in their language in the literal sense of the word. Try to say at least "Good morning" in Spanish, Greek, or Italian to employees who speak those languages as their first language. Body language can tell as much as words, so watch yourself carefully. For example, the folded arms posture signifies a defensive stance, so I avoid it even when I am cold. I was told that I didn't always look people in the eye, and I worked hard to look straight ahead. I also nodded in the wrong direction, a terrible habit I don't know where I picked up. In agreement, I nodded from left to right, not up and down. I consciously struggled with this habit and now I have almost overcome it.

We subscribe to every principle Jack Mitchell. They are applicable to any industry and company of any size - small, medium, large or even very large. They can be perfectly used in any country of the world and any cultural environment. They will work in a plastic basin shop or in the office of a watch wholesaler. They will work for an insurance company, a realtor or a trader. They will work for a small family company and for a multinational giant.

These principles are the main secrets of bringing people together in a team. And the team is the only thing you need. Because you can't do everything alone. We hug you!

Learn more about the book: http://www.mann-ivanov-ferber.ru/books/mif/hug-your-people/

Hug your employees. Inoculation against tough management

Translation from English by Alexey Andreev

Publishing house "Mann, Ivanov and Ferber", Moscow, 2013

Original: Hug Your People. The Proven Way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your Employees and Achieve Remarkable Results. Mitchell Jack

This time I will start with a particular, but an important one. The Russian edition of Hug Your Employees has a very good subtitle. In the original it was like this: ‘ The Proven way to Hire, Inspire, and Recognize Your employees and Achieve Remarkable results’ — "A proven way to hire, inspire and reward your employees and achieve outstanding results". With such a subtitle - about everything and nothing in particular - the book would automatically be among other publications "about management", intended immediately for everyone and no one (of course, I exaggerate a little, because no one canceled the title itself). In Russian, the subtitle sounds like this: « Vaccination against tough management ". He not only more accurately outlines the theme of the book and identifies the problems, but also clearly takes into account the peculiarities of Russian business realities. Domestic companies often demonstrate "outstanding" examples of tough management, confident that if you just put the whip aside, everything in the organization will crumble.

It follows from the book that this is not the case. There are many steps between hard pressure and anarchy. Management at Jack Mitchell's company can be called soft, and its results are excellent. Still, the main thing is that management should be smart in the first place. This is the defining feature. Rigidity alone does not provide efficiency.

Perhaps not everyone will like the author's style. Compared to many books about management, this one is written very expressively (however, behind emotional statements and unusual examples one can see a deep understanding of human psychology and a harmonious approach). And the title itself is slightly provocative: what if I don't like hugging?! I don’t want to hug anyone, and I won’t give myself up?! However, the author explains that by “hugs” he means a very wide range of actions, words, signs of attention, which should show employees (colleagues) that they are not an empty place for you. And in what form it will be - depends on you and your employees.

The experience described is very interesting - both human and corporate. This is an opportunity to go beyond the standard, hierarchical structure of the company. But there is a very important point: for Jack Mitchell, such behavior and attitude towards others are organic, natural. This style of communication is found among people who are open, sincere, capable of reflection and self-development. That is why Jack managed to create a natural and friendly atmosphere in his company. The outstanding qualities of the first person, coupled with the consistency and awareness of the approach (starting with special requirements for applicants, when the human qualities of the candidate, the absence of a probationary period, etc., are put at the forefront) have done their job. Jack Mitchell managed to gather around him people who are friendly, ready to communicate spontaneously, passionate about their work. And most importantly, not afraid to be themselves - like the first person.

And, oddly enough, it is the success of this experience that makes you think about its limitations. This is exactly the kind of experience that cannot be mechanically transferred to another soil - it will turn out to be approximately the same difference as between Tolstoy and the Tolstoyans. There are books - step-by-step methodical manuals, following the recommendations of which with a high degree of probability will lead to the desired result. This book is not the case. Formal reproduction of some techniques will not even give a remotely similar result. Because actions should not only look positive, but be natural to the one who performs them. They don't have to be "activities". Otherwise, instead of positive and caring, there will be a feeling of falsehood and unnaturalness. If the actions are inorganic for the boss himself and his closest employees, then nothing will work. This approach cannot be implemented halfway: they say, this is how we communicate. among ordinary employees. Sometimes. Not among everyone. In addition to leadership. If this is the situation, then you did not succeed. It did not work out decisively, one hundred percent.

For the same reason, the book will be of little help to the HR specialist and internal communications specialist: such a practice cannot be “introduced” - neither from below, nor from the side, nor from the middle. Either this approach works naturally and at all levels - from the first person to the cleaning lady who comes once a week, or it does not work at all.

However, these reflections of mine do not detract from the value of the experience of Jack Mitchell and his company. The book is a great reason to think about whether your organization needs to be a dull place with rigid hierarchies and obligations; to learn that the phrase “great results are achieved by serious companies with a tough leadership style” describes nothing more than a myth. The outstanding success of Mitchell's company with a developed informal culture proves the latter once again.

Here are some quotes from the book:

“People don’t care that signs appear on the walls with their names engraved in gold next to the title of “best seller of the month”. What matters is how people are treated every working day.”

“One of our employees said that the mantra of her past employer was the phrase “Hire to fire”. When she became a manager herself, she was ordered to regularly lay off most newcomers after they had completed their probationary period (three to six months) so that the company would not have to bear the additional financial burden and pay various deductions due to full-time employees. A familiar situation, isn't it? Everyone at least heard about such a story several times, and even worked in a similar company. This is the rare case when domestic employers really follow the path of global "progress";)

“We don't have anyone on probation or any other 'orientation period in the company'. If we hire a person, then we hire him.

“The fundamental point: any of your actions must be sincere. Predictable and "mechanical", as well as carefully thought out in advance, expressions of gratitude do not give the desired result. Your non-verbal communication, body language, level of enthusiasm tell people that these are just words with nothing behind them, and the connection with the person quickly disappears.

“The abundance of rules and regulations only unnerves. Employees feel like they're back in school, or worse, in jail.<…>So talk to your staff about expectations, and leave the rules to the guards.”

“Checking employees with the help of various technological means is the lot of a totalitarian culture. Viewing the mail of employees and listening to messages on their answering machines is definitely not for us.”

“Nevertheless, managers often ignore quarrels between employees, not wanting to get involved in a conflict. It's the worst thing you can do in a situation like this."

Brief summary: Even if you can’t achieve results in practice (why - see above), it’s still very good. The book allows you to take a different look at labels that are traditional not only for everyday life, but also for business: “it is accepted / not accepted”, “right / wrong”, “serious / not serious”. The book is a wonderful reminder that life and work do not have to be opposed to each other, just as it is not necessary to spoil the first by the inhumane organization of the second.

Who will benefit from the book: those managers and business owners who do not separate the evolution of the company from their own development, are capable of reflection and non-standard moves. HR-specialists - to expand their understanding of management. In addition, the book will give you another version of why employees leave despite the high salary.

When is a book wrong? In two cases:

1. If you are an adherent of hard line management, that is, you think that employees are obliged to work well simply because you pay them money.

2. If you hate the display of emotions at work, do not encourage such behavior in employees (and it’s also great for them to walk in formation, right?)

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The issues of determining the optimal number of personnel of the company have always been relevant and, to a certain extent, controversial. Moreover, if we consider the issues of determining the required number of workers, then these issues have been worked out quite well. Ever since Soviet times (especially for industrial enterprises), various standards for the number of personnel, equipment maintenance standards, time standards for various work, etc. new technologies.
The issues of determining the number of personnel of specialists in management departments, such as accounting, planning and economic department, financial department, etc., remain poorly developed. If we turn to the regulatory framework of the Soviet era, then these methods and norms are hopelessly outdated in view of the sharply increasing requirements imposed in a market economy.
Principles of adaptability in the structure of the organization
In a dynamic and increasingly volatile world, traditional management methods based on rigid plans and programmable decisions no longer work. Change forces a shift in focus from anticipating change to methods of building organizations that can embrace change and turn instability to their advantage. As in nature, in order to survive in a rapidly changing environment, you need to adapt to it. To create an adaptive organization, it is necessary to understand the laws and features of its functioning.
How to deal with consumer defaults?
This problem is less common in retail and more common in the service sector.
At the initial stage, you should try to contact such counterparties and first verbally, and then in writing, declare your claims. Practice shows that in 10-15% of cases it works. And in our book we present several variants of such letters.
It is necessary to assess the economic damage from high staff turnover
The article is published within the framework of cooperation between HRMaximum and Candidate of Economic Sciences, Director of the Zelenodolsk branch of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law, Associate Professor of the Department of Marketing and Economics of the Institute of Economics, Management and Law (Kazan) - Ruslan Evgenievich Mansurov. Latest…
Working with freelancers: who is right, who is wrong
Freelancers are employees who are hired for one-time jobs when there is no need for an employee in the state or their employees are busy on other projects. Opinions about working with freelancers are usually divided 50/50: some have had terrible experiences, some have been very positive. As a rule, clients continue to contact those freelancers with whom there were no problems in the timing and quality of the work performed. In the article we will consider the pros and cons of a freelancer, as well as the features of the process of working with him.
The bear and the secretaries (a tale about secretaries and leaders)
Once upon a time there was a Bear named Mikhal Potapych. He was the owner of a medium-sized buying and selling business, and at the same time he was a director, because he rightly believed that without the supervision of the Owner, the office servants would pull the whole business into burrows and hollows. …
Three dragons for a novice manager
Attention, colleagues! Read this article carefully. Perhaps it will save you from a terrible danger and help you not only survive the first managerial problems, but also take place as a successful leader in the future.
Features of personnel management of a small enterprise
A feature of a small business is the close interaction of management with staff. Small enterprises often do not have documents on the regulation of personnel work, and there is a system of informal installations. This encourages an individual approach to each situation and the employee, however, it leads to conflicts, the expression of personal likes and dislikes of the manager towards employees. Let's consider what methods of effective personnel management of a small enterprise will increase labor productivity and ensure the success of the business.
How to ask for a pay raise
Often, the heads of structural divisions turn to the personnel service with a request to assist in raising the wages of their subordinates. HR professionals, as a rule, willingly agree to help and intercede with the CEO, acting as a kind of "parliamentary". But how often do employees of the HR department increase their rewards? And what if the salary of HR in the company has long been in need of an increase, and the management does not think about it at all? This article does not claim to be a mandatory guide to action, but the techniques described in it have been tested in practice and may be useful.
Machiavelli Syndrome. On resistance to change in an organization
Change has always met with resistance. For the first time, this topic was outlined by the founder of European political science, Nicolo Machiavelli, in his treatise The Sovereign (1513): “There is nothing more difficult than undertaking something new, nothing more risky ... or more uncertain than leading ...
Express assessment of the state of the HR brand
Exactly the opposite: "bad advice" on management
Of course, the following "recommendations" on management are more like Grigory Oster's well-known "bad advice" than a guide to action. Ironically, with the help of these “reversed” tips, we sought to clearly illustrate the “forbidden tricks” of leadership that should not be used in the workforce if you want to achieve effective management and performance of your employees. Knowing these tricks can also be helpful in diagnosing malevolent leadership.
How to create an internal bureaucracy
“Without a piece of paper, you are a bug,” says a Russian proverb. By the way, insects, i.e. insects are the most prosperous class. Small firms feel quite comfortable without unnecessary paperwork. But if your "bug" is growing rapidly, you will have to think about them too!
If the subordinate "stars"
Often in the team you manage, there are employees who are smarter, stronger, more educated than you. This is a natural process, psychologists say, ordinary intelligence, the one that allows us to add up huge numbers in our minds or develop the design of the most high-tech liner, fades with age. The peak of intelligence is 25 years, then it steadily decreases due to physiological reasons. But ethical intelligence, which gives us the opportunity to successfully interact with people, grows with age. Therefore, it is quite natural that young ambitious talents are managed by mature and experienced people. It is believed that in modern business it is ethical intelligence that is more in demand and brings more dividends than ordinary intelligence, oddly enough. But is it strange?
Leader manipulation
There are no unmanipulable leaders. If the leader believes that this does not happen to him, then this means only one thing: he is being manipulated especially skillfully. The one-sided dependence of one person on another encourages the dependent to develop different ways of influencing his boss, both defensive and offensive properties. Review the proposed collection of manipulation methods and evaluate the likelihood of their occurrence in your environment.
Management system by goals (results)
The system of management by objectives has received wide recognition among practitioners, as it provides good results in achieving planned indicators. As a result of the coordination of goals at all levels and in all links, motivation for work and interest in achieving goals and objectives increase. A clear time frame for solving the problems of the organization allows you to move towards the final result in small steps.
Unification of organizational structures of the holding's enterprises. The need for changes in the transition to a unified wage system
The process of forming a holding or an operating company is associated with solving a number of tasks of a legal, managerial and political nature, and, as practice shows, the task of creating a unified organizational structure is not given due attention at this stage. Reminisce about…
HR manager work planning
The effectiveness of the work of the personnel department depends not only on the level of expenses for personnel management, but also on how the HR manager manages his most valuable resource - time. Often, important and urgent tasks are delayed due to low self-discipline, inability to prioritize tasks, a "littered" workspace, phone calls and visitors who have to be distracted. HR-specialists often ask themselves the question: how to organize work during an eight-hour working day?
What prevents leaders from effectively managing subordinates
Using only three resources - experience, intuition and common sense - the leader imperceptibly acquires problems. As a result, he has to constantly struggle with reality, instead of enjoying professional work. We have tried to formulate those problems of the leader, which seem to be the most typical. Not all of them are inherent in all current leaders. However, any of those who are not inclined to burden themselves with regular self-development will find some of the listed obstacles.
Golden rules of project management
Projects are, by definition, unique. Each project is organized to achieve its specific goal. A project can also be a separate enterprise with specific goals, often including requirements for time, cost and quality of the results achieved. However, there are some general principles that guide successful project management. They are called the "golden rules" of project management.
Teamwork: key success factors
Teamwork belongs to the category of special cases of delegation of authority and responsibility. Under the traditional structure, the task and related powers are assigned to the owner of the workplace. The combined competence of the group members should ensure the solution of problems and ...
Evaluation of effectiveness in the practice of Russian PR specialists
There is an opinion that the evaluation of the effectiveness of PR is necessary primarily for the customer. However, performance evaluation not only allows the client to evaluate how much the PR campaign has affected sales volumes and the brand's position in the market, but also makes it possible to convince clients of the need for PR activities, indicate the pros and cons of the activities carried out and make recommendations for the future. We present a study conducted among Russian PR agencies.
Negotiation tricks and tricks
The content side of the negotiations is based on a simple formula: the transfer of information, argumentation and the adoption of a joint decision. However, in the implementation of these stages, the main action unfolds and the art of negotiators is manifested. The negotiator needs to be able to recognize when this or that technique is applied to him. Consider a number of negotiation techniques that are used throughout all three stages of the above formula.
How to organize and successfully run a meeting
One of the most difficult options for business interaction are meetings - especially if they are held in a situation of conflict in the organization. In addition, for a number of organizations meetings are the highest governing body. These recommendations will help you make meetings more manageable, increase the likelihood of successful meetings, reduce the risk of conflict or unforeseen situations, and, ultimately, positively influence the strategic plans of the organization and the psychological climate in the team.
The sales department can work like clockwork
The sales department of any company can be compared to a clock mechanism, consisting of a bushing, shaft, spring, pendulum, levers and other elements that move according to the laws of mechanics. The sales department is also a mechanism, but instead of "springs" and "pendulums" - sales tools, instead of a watchmaker - the head of the sales department.
Key responsibilities of the head of the organization of effective management
Good work begins with careful organization. If you want the work to be done with the proper quality and in the required time frame, you must pay close attention to the organization of this process. If the desired responsibilities are presented in the form of a list, then it will include the following functions: setting the task and organizing the implementation, distributing responsibilities and ensuring interaction, building relationships, analyzing results, auditing the effectiveness of processes, etc. How to implement them in practice?
Staff turnover calculation coefficients
Typically, employee turnover is tracked by registering quitters and assuming that a new employee will be hired to replace the quitter. The half-life ratio always shows that the tendency of employees to leave the company is highest during the first weeks of work; they should be taken into account to show whether the company is really losing a particularly large number of employees at the beginning of their work compared to the previous period. The layoff rate is the most easily calculated and widely used. However, it can be disorienting for two reasons.
Latest Resource: Loyalty Chaos
“Get acquainted. This is Vladimir Leonidovich, a very decent and honest person,” the employee’s client introduces. The consultant pretends to be a "teapot" and asks: "And you, Vladimir Leonidovich, who is in the organization?" And again receives a response from the client: “I told you! It…
Putting Plans into Action: Eight Strategic Pillars
Most plans to implement change fail. More than 70% of projects that are developed to introduce change in companies either never reach practical implementation or in practice bring much less value than planned. For your strategic plan to work, you need to make sure that every component of that plan is being implemented that is necessary to sustain change and achieve success. There are eight of these components in total.
Human weakness must be exploited
What is negotiation - process, confrontation, battle, just work? Negotiators are too interdependent. As Ilf and Petrov said, consent is the complete non-resistance of the parties. Moreover, in each case you are dealing with different people, different companies.
Definition of SWOT analysis
"SWOT - analysis" is a classic method of risk analysis and development of project strategy options. SWOT is an abbreviation of the English words Strength (strength), Weakness (weakness), Opportunity (opportunity), Threat (threat). As the name suggests, the meaning of the analysis consists of opposing (“weighing”) the opposing qualities of the project:
A look from the outside: Hen by grain / Russian businessmen will have the hardest time
The year of crisis is over. Now it does not matter whether the crisis is over or not. Over the past year, a new reality has emerged. Everyone slowly adapted to the new state of the market: they reduced staff, learned to do without loans, mortgages, corporate holidays and ...
No sooner said than done, or a methodology for setting goals
Each leader in his daily practice does several necessary things: plans, controls, praises or scolds, and, of course, distributes tasks to employees. But not always and not everything turns out as we would like.
Personnel migration
A promotion or a change in the range of functional responsibilities is not only a serious "strength test" of an employee, but also a good way to prevent a number of difficult problems in personnel management. How are intra-organizational transfers going in companies and what problems does personnel rotation solve?
Cost optimization or reduction: how to find the right way?
In the current financial and economic situation in the country and in the world, many companies have to look for ways to survive. Someone is frantically rushing to diversify their business, someone is cutting staff en masse, and someone is trying to save themselves by sequestering the budget. How to decide what to do? The answer to this question lies in the plane of the decision-making system. But it’s better to make even the wrong decisions than to do nothing and not make any.
Eliminate destructive leadership

Published with permission from Hyperion.

Published in Russian for the first time.

All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet and corporate networks, for private and public use, without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Legal support of the publishing house is provided by the law firm "Vegas-Lex"

This book is well complemented by:

Dream company

Kevin Cruz and Rudy Karsan

Delivering happiness

Tony Shay

Leave your mark

Blake Mykosky

Zappos Rules

Joseph Michelli

Hug your clients

Jack Mitchell

To all 234 wonderful people, their spouses and families.

To all those who have worked with us since mom and dad opened the store doors half a century ago.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Everyone wants to be appreciated

This shocked me. I'll say more, it hit me on the spot. Although something similar in my memory happened more than once.

Not so long ago, an amazing woman came to one of our stores to get a job. Prior to that, she sold shirts and ties for several years in a large store in New York and was a real star there. She worked hard and hard, never complained, and always stayed overtime. The customers adored her. She earned very well and often received various bonuses, also very generous.

We asked her a reasonable question: why does she want to leave New York and join our team in Connecticut?

The answer was very simple.

None of the employees and management of that company has ever personal, human level did not let her know that she was appreciated. Even after she sold a million dollars worth of goods in a year - and this, I note, is a lot of shirts and ties - no one, not a single person came up to her and said: “Wow! Wow! You are just amazing!"

Not! Never.

Maybe her boss sent her a bouquet of flowers as a thank you?

Yes, not a single stunted daisy!

That was what made her uncomfortable. Because of this attitude, she began to feel like her job was… well, just a job.

This woman's story reaffirmed a simple truth I've always known: everyone wants to be appreciated!

For three generations, our family has run a luxury menswear and womenswear business, and now I run it. We have three stores located in and around New York. I am grateful to fate that I and the team of wonderful people who work with me have the opportunity every day to personally communicate on the trading floor with hundreds of customers who visit our store. I wrote a book about how my family and our employees put their heart and soul into building a business that is based on creating personal human relationships that exceed all customer expectations. I believe that many companies only talk about how they care about their customers, but don't really know how to show it. And I decided to tell readers how we take care of our employees with the help of the culture of hugs created in the company.

You can hug in different ways. You can actually put a person in a strong, bear hug. But we most often use this word as a metaphor. We consider a hug to be any positive or positive action, gesture, or expression of affection (through action or words) that makes the relationship more personal and makes the person think, “Wow, they really care about me!”

Hugging culture is an incredibly powerful way of thinking. I remember when my kids were teenagers they took me to see Star Wars. To this day, I can’t tell Luke Skywalker from Darth Vader, but I remember how one of the characters in the picture said the phrase “May the Force be with you.” I was struck by the idea of Power, and I began to perceive hugs and hug culture as a kind of Power.

I had absolutely no idea how readers would react to my book Hug Your Customers. Imagine my astonishment when a huge number of companies, from auto repair shops Midas to online store Payless ShoeSource, from sporting goods manufacturer Nike to financial giant Morgan Stanley, as well as a wide variety of companies from Denver, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London, Stockholm, Rima and even, imagine, from Tallinn, Estonia, invited me to speak to their employees, because the basic principles set out in the book that guide us in our Mitchells / Richards clothing stores seemed to them significant and interesting. In 2005, our company acquired a third Marshs store on Long Island, where we also successfully implemented our hug culture.

I was struck by another fact: readers wanted to know more.

At companies ranging from Starbucks to small grocery stores, people have repeatedly asked me the same question: “How do you hire employees and how do you motivate them to keep them productive and efficient?”

I replied that we “hug our employees” and therefore we have people who work efficiently and productively, and also remain loyal to our company for 35 and even 45 years. And these employees don't even want to retire!

Every day I receive a lot of e-mails. Every day, on airplanes, in large stores, in banks, and in real estate offices, ordinary, caring, hardworking people come up to me and say, “It seems to me that such concepts as loyalty and dedication to work have disappeared. The work is no longer what it used to be.”

Servicing our customers at the highest level and an individual approach to each is one of the main tasks of our family. We have been embracing our customers and employees since 1958, that is, since my parents Norma and Ed Mitchell founded their first store. We have never forgotten that the highest level of service can only be provided when you treat your own employees well and fairly. Top notch customer service doesn't just happen out of a vacuum - only great people can provide great personalized service!

We deliberately call our employees "colleagues", "comrades" and "partners". Why? Because we value them so much that we don't want to use words that have a somewhat demeaning connotation, such as "employee", "staff", and in no case such as "employee" or "servant". We really like to call our employees “hugs” because they are the ones who literally and figuratively hug our customers.

If the employees are very happy, then the customers are also very satisfied. Research results convincingly prove this in theory, and the success of our stores confirms it in practice. However, you will agree that quite often, when buying clothes (or, say, an accordion), you encounter dissatisfied sellers. Often you see people irritated and sullen. They themselves are not well treated, so they themselves do not treat you, their customers, in the best way. And sometimes, even worse, they simply do not notice you and do not provide any help!