Blog
How to fight overcommitment and be a master collaborator
The world of work has been becoming more complex and uncertain since we began studying it in 1993. But now, of course, that complexity and uncertainty has been magnified by new and unexpected challenges. A lot of the problems to be solved are new. But a lot more of them have been faced and managed…
There Are Seven Myths Holding Managers Back
Managers today are under more pressure than ever. The pressures of managing a hybrid workforce, navigating increasingly enmeshed cross-functional collaborative relationships, and retaining as many people as possible are really adding up. Plus, managers still have to find time to get their own work done. Yet, the biggest thing getting in the way of most…
What Is High-Structure, High-Substance Dialogue?
Our research shows that when things are going wrong in a management relationship, almost always, the common denominator is unstructured, low substance, hit-or-miss communication. With the added complications of managing some combination of remote, hybrid, and in-person employees, managers are more prone to low-structure communication than ever. The key is to replace the unstructured, low…
Guidelines for Managing People Remotely
Remote work is not going away. The hybrid workforce is here to stay. Some people are choosing to work from home indefinitely. Many are working some combination of from-home and in-office. “Remote management” is now a resume must for any leader or supervisor. But if you continue to struggle to manage remotely, you’re not alone….
Employee Burnout? That Could Be a Sign of Undermanagement
Burnout was first formally recognized by the WHO in 2019, before the rapid transformations of 2020 caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Since then, burnout has only increased in organizations, and it is again coming to employers’ attentions in the midst of the Great Resignation. The WHO defines three symptoms of burnout: Feelings of energy depletion…
Is the Work Getting Done? Five Ways to Monitor Employee Performance
There are a number of myths that prevent managers from being strong, but one of the most common questions we hear at RainmakerThinking is, “How can I possibly keep track of my employees’ work on a regular basis?” So many managers feel there is simply not enough time for them to effectively monitor each employee’s…
The proven basics that will make you a better manager
If you’re trying to be a better manager, it’s likely you’re one of the nearly 90% of leaders who are undermanaging. That’s not a judgment, that’s just math. Undermanagement is not a sign of laziness, apathy, or ineptitude. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. Most undermanagement is the result of bad advice, the constant churn of…
Defining careers in today’s workplace
Flexible schedules. Remote positions. Temp and contract work. Careers today, especially in the case of Millennials, are a patchwork of short-term and transactional employment situations. Resumes are less likely to feature one or two long tenures at established organizations and far more likely to feature an array of positions, often concurrent with one another, of…
Employers: Beware the consequences of the overcommitment cycle
If you want to stop turnover and prevent people from quitting, as an employer, you must fight overcommitment syndrome within your ranks. This is the toxic cycle: When an organization is understaffed, the extra work inevitably must fall to someone. Everything is urgent and important. People overextend themselves, committing to too many projects with too…
This is what makes a high-retention manager
Smart employers who want to take control of the resignation wave are dialing into their employer value proposition. What do you have to offer employees in exchange for the great work they do? Are great bosses a benefit of working for you? By now, it’s a cliché to say that people leave bad bosses, but…