I use the Myer-Briggs Type Indicator in my leadership and management teaching, to help people understand themselves and each other. One of my
Poynter colleagues, Anna Li, sat in on a few of my seminars and was fascinated by the insights it provided people.
Anna invited me to sit down for an interview about managing personalities. Here's a clip from our conversation:
By the way, there's a whole chapter on managing personalities in "Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know."
December 18, 2013
"Jill Geisler", "work happy: what great bosses know", extroverts, introverts, leadership, management, personalities, poynter
Funny mug, right? I found it at the dollar store and bought it to remind myself how easy it is for managers to persuade themselves they're right. But often, they're not. They find out through evaluations, conversations -- and sometimes confrontations -- that they're doing something wrong.
That's when managers who aspire to be great bosses do something important: they act on the feedback. They take the steps necessary to fix a problem they caused or a behavior that's getting in their way.
Those steps are the topic of my latest column on Poynter.org:
When Bosses Fumble: Five Steps for Rebuilding Your Reputation. Just
click on this link to read it.
And, for your listening pleasure, here's my companion podcast for the column:
November 12, 2013
"work happy: what great bosses know", "work happy", business, leadership, management, podcast, poynter
If you want to be a great boss, I suggest you pause and think carefully before using the word "lazy" to describe an employee. I know why you say it. You're frustrated. The employee isn't doing what you want. The person consistently delivers less than expected.
You have to do something about that, but making a character assessment doesn't necessarily help. And that's what calling someone "lazy" really does: assumes their behavior is driven by internal values -- or lack of them.
There may be much more to the story. In fact, you might be part of the problem. Don't get defensive about that; just get smart.
In this column for Poynter.org, I list seven questions managers should ask themselves before declaring an employee "lazy." Just
click on this link for the column and podcast.
September 13, 2013
"Jill Geisler", "What great bosses know", "work happy: what great bosses know", leadership, management, poynter
Here's your invitation to the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida -- for our
Great Bosses Boot Camp, November 15, 2013.
Yes, the building is pretty darn attractive and a great place to learn. But we promise you more than palm trees. Our Great Bosses Boot Camp will pack an amazing amount of practical skill-building into one fun and interactive day.
The workshop is open to managers from any field. The skills we teach are some of the most critical for leaders, no matter their profession.
Here's a description of the program from our website:
Great Bosses Boot Camp: Performance Management is a one-day, highly focused and interactive workshop for managers in all fields. You will build your personal leadership skills as well as gain new tools and insights into raising the performance of your staff. Best of all, you’ll be able to put this practical teaching to work immediately.
Poynter’s Great Bosses Boot Camp workshops are fast-paced, using real-world examples and exercises. Participants will also receive a copy of “Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know,” to continue their leadership learning.
In the Great Bosses Boot Camp, you will learn:
- The top ten things great bosses know — and what they do differently from others.
- How performance changes when bosses wear “feedback glasses.”
- How to succeed at four levels of tough conversations; including how to assess, prepare and conduct each type for a positive outcome.
- How easily managers erase and undercut their positive feedback, and how to protect against it.
- How to gain better control of your time each day, so your work has maximum impact.
- How you can encourage employees honestly and effectively, without resorting to insincere or undeserved praise
Application deadline is October 11th.
Here's a link to register. See you at Poynter!
September 4, 2013
"Jill Geisler", "work happy: what great bosses know", Great Bosses Boot Camp, leadership, management, poynter
People often say "Make a wish" on one's birthday. Well, today's my day and I'll use the opportunity to make a wish for you.
I wish you happiness at work and at play. And I hope the two intersect. I hope you find such joy in your work that it often feels like play -- and certainly pleasure. I'm smiling in this photo, which was taken earlier this year at a seminar for new managers, because it reflects the joy I feel in working with leaders.
The workplace can be joyful. It happens when leaders believe in employee engagement and in building positive work environments. It takes values, skill and commitment. I know it's possible and I wish it for you as a leader and as an employee!
September 2, 2013
"Jill Geisler", "What great bosses know", "Work Happy: What Gret Bosses Know", leadership, management, poynter
One of the most important and underutilized management tools is feedback. That's why I devote several chapters of "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" to feedback of all varieties and how to deliver it.
I define feedback as:
Information with Intent to Influence
Just think about all the things feedback can influence: productivity, quality, motivation, morale, team-building, relationships, and risk-taking. When you consider that, it's a shame employees say time and again that they're hungry for feedback but fail to get it.
In a column and podcast today for Poynter.org, I share advice on how to close the feedback gap. Just click on this link -- and feel free to send me YOUR feedback! -- Jill
June 24, 2013
"Jill Geisler", "work happy: what great bosses know", feedback, leadership, management, managers, poynter
"WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" is a book that had its roots in a podcast. That podcast, "
What Great Bosses Know," is available on iTunes U, which is the learning center on iTunes. All sorts of colleges, universities and academics post courses and collections there.
Apparently lots of people have found "What Great Bosses Know," according to the weekly download reports for 2012 that come to us from ITunes.
Because it's usually among the top ten podcast collections, I knew it had a following. But the final tally for 2102 was remarkable. Are you ready for the total? Drum roll, please:
3,187,324!
Yes, that's three million, one hundred eighty-seven thousand, three hundred and twenty-four. It amazes me, too. But it's a tribute to the interest worldwide in becoming a better leader and manager. Many people who've purchased "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" discovered it through the podcasts.
The production isn't sophisticated. My studio is wherever my laptop and I happen to be. This photo is from my home office, but I've recorded in many locations, including on the road when I'm away teaching or consulting.
The podcasts are brief, practical and conversational. People tell me they listen to them while driving to work and even while exercising. Perhaps the real secret to their popularity, though, is that they are FREE!
If you'd like to be among the 2013 downloaders, just click on this link and it will take you to iTunes U and the "What Great Bosses Know" podcasts. And of course, if you like what you learn by listening, just think what "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" -- with its greater depth -- could do for you!
January 3, 2013
"Jill Geisler", "What great bosses know", "work happy", iTunes, iTunes U, leadership, management, poynter
Want to boost your team's performance? Spend a great day at Poynter for our Great Bosses Boot Camp: Performance Management. My colleague Butch Ward and I will help you learn the secrets to providing the kind of feedback -- both positive and negative -- that employees say is lacking in most workplaces today.
Your day at Poynter will be one of the most interactive, fun and practical learning experiences of your management career. You'll learn skills you will be able to put to work immediately.
You can register for this program online. Here's
a link to information and registration.
See you in November!
October 16, 2012
"Jill Geisler", "What great bosses know", "work happy", Boot Camp, Nov. 9, poynter, workshop
My latest column on Poynter.org blows the cover on something many people don't know: Their bosses keep secrets from them. In fact, great bosses keep very specific secrets from employees. They do it not to be mysterious or misleading. They do it to help people. So, what are those secrets?
I made a list of ten of them for my latest "What Great Bosses Know" column on Poynter.org. I wrote it in recognition of a holiday I didn't even know existed: National Boss Day -- which the calendar (and greeting card companies) say is October 16.
Here's a link to the column. Perhaps, after reading it, you'll take a moment to thank a great boss, on October 16 -- or any day of the year.
October 15, 2012
"Jill Geisler", "What great bosses know", "work happy", leadership, management, poynter, secret
Gwen Moran, a columnist for Entrepreneur.com, recently contacted me to talk about "WORK HAPPY: WHAT GREAT BOSSES KNOW" and the lessons it holds for improving workplaces. From that interview, she developed a useful list of tips for managers who want to improve quality and productivity, by making the workplace better for employees. I like the way she synthesized some of the many pages of advice from the book into three key ingredients to a happy workplace:
- A supervisor who cares
- Sincere and specific praise and feedback
- A supportive and fair workplace culture
Here's
a link to Moran's full column, "Three Secrets to Happy Employees" and my advice for developing those key ingredients. Of course, to really know how to make it happen, I think you just have to read the book. Keep leading, friends.
October 5, 2012
"What great bosses know", "work happy", book, entrepreneur.com, geisler, Gwen moran, leadership, poynter, work
