Who are they? What value, if any, do they have in the workplace?

Every organization has them. Even if your team has only two people in it, one of them is probably the informal leader. If you ignore the informal leaders in your workplace, you do so at your peril. Believe me, they can make or break your career.

I have known executives that woke up one morning and found that their workforce has unionized. And they have no damn idea why it happened!  Read the full article...

I think you will get a kick out of the following Office Guides. These rules were given to all new office employees at the Albert Lea, Minnesota Queen Products Division of the King Seeley Corporation in the early 1960’s. Although it is fading, I still have the original mimeograph.

The following guides to office practices are outlined to familiarize employees with our office routine. Careful attention to them will aid in avoiding possible embarrassment or misunderstandings.

1. Smoking is permitted throughout the office at all times. Please do not leave lighted cigarettes on desk tops or throw cigarette butts onto floors or into waste baskets. See the Office Manager if you need ash trays.  Read the full article...

The Whiner

A good day for this guy is when you give him another dirty job to complain about. Hanging ‘em with a gold rope makes their day! Everybody is always picking on them.

If he is on your team, meet with him in private. Ask why he is complaining all the time. If there is not a solid reason for it then he must be told that you don’t want to hear any more of it. He is damaging the morale of the entire group and you will not tolerate the disruptive behavior. At this initial stage, just make a note in your log.  Read the full article...

You are doing all the right things. Looking at the market the target company controls. Looking at the competition in their market area. Studying their product line. Assessing the quality of their buildings. Setting a value on their equipment.

So what’s missing here?

Warren Buffett said recently that when he invests in a company, he doesn’t pay attention to the management. My guess is that he has two thoughts. One is that he can change force changes in management anytime after he controls the company. The other is that he is assessing the present and potential future value of the company.  Read the full article...

In this section we will look at the different types of employees you will encounter as a leader. It is important that you recognize and deal with the problems some of them will bring to the workplace.

Let’s assume you have just taken over a leadership role in your organization. You walk through the work areas and things start to draw your attention. The work areas are sloppy. The team members seem the same way. There seems to be an, “I really don’t give a damn” attitude in the workplace.

So what should you do about it?  Read the full article...