A manager's success turns on "what other people are able to accomplish." And to a great extent, accomplishments depend "on how happy they are with their jobs. The happier they are, the more they produce." To encourage success and job satisfaction throughout the office, Matthew J. Bower, administrator at Luhrsen Law Group in Sarasota, set up a 90-day goal plan that covers both … [Read more...] about 90-day goals for success and job satisfaction
General
Four tricks to improve the hiring process
Beyond the résumé, reference check, and the interview, use these four techniques to improve your hiring process. 1 Identify past mistakes One essential element to consider is the office's history. Before interviewing anybody, look at what has gone wrong in the job when other people have held it and identify what filters need to be set up for the next hiring decision. Look … [Read more...] about Four tricks to improve the hiring process
A telling way to interview job candidates
Everyone walks into a job interview with their best foot forward and a slew of prepared answers. It's your job to sift through what's often a rehearsed performance and find out what the firm will actually get if the person is hired. Here management consultant Manola Robison, CMC, of Robison Management Consulting in Atlanta suggests a novel—and very telling—way to do just … [Read more...] about A telling way to interview job candidates
8 proven strategies for managing people better
1 Hire the right people 2 Understand personalities 3 Motivate staff 4 Build morale 5 Improve performance 6 Use perks that go a long way 7 Give productive reviews 8 Know how to manage Managing the people with their problems and personalities is the most formidable part of management. So here is a long list of ways to make the job easier. These suggestions come from the many … [Read more...] about 8 proven strategies for managing people better
The 5 key skills that a managing partner needs to achieve success
It's easy to name a managing partner. It's difficult to name a right managing partner. A firm can succeed or fall apart depending on who's at its head, says Stephen Mabey, a chartered accountant and managing director of Applied Strategies, a law firm management consulting company in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The job can't automatically go to the highest producer or the most popular … [Read more...] about The 5 key skills that a managing partner needs to achieve success
How to start a new job as the firm’s manager, not just as its top staffer
Advice to the new administrator: "The first few weeks of the job are very, very important and you have to use them well because you can't get them back." Using them well means establishing a professional management relationship with the partners, finding out what the partners expect of their administrator, and showing staff what's expected of them, says attorney T. Hensley … [Read more...] about How to start a new job as the firm’s manager, not just as its top staffer
NJ firm finds an easy way to reduce last-minute sick calls
Experience is often a manager's best education. Such is the case for the long-time manager of a practice in New Jersey, who has found that the best way to prevent the last minute sick calls is to allow staff to carry their sick days over to the next year. But instead of transferring as sick days, the time becomes personal days to use however they want. As in any office the … [Read more...] about NJ firm finds an easy way to reduce last-minute sick calls
Why you need to draw the line on unethical behavior
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen Some of the most difficult office decisions come down to ethics, and some of the most difficult ethical decisions often seem mundane at first glance. Regardless, I recommend caution because the potential pitfalls are so serious. I have a client who hired someone away from a competitor. The first week on the job, this new hire produced "intelligence" … [Read more...] about Why you need to draw the line on unethical behavior
6 ways to keep or lose a good hire
Offices expend great effort finding the right hires. But what they too often fail to see is that the success of all new employees "is dependent on how the manager handles and treats them," says speaker and trainer Charlyne Meinhard of Next Level Consulting, a staff management consulting company in Richmond, VA. It's the little things a manager does "every single day" that … [Read more...] about 6 ways to keep or lose a good hire
Reward good employees by removing bad ones
By Steve M. Cohen bio I'm sure you've seen advice regarding employee bonuses and incentive systems, including some that are quite complex. The idea is that to achieve a high-performance workplace, you need to motivate employees and achieve maximum efficiency. None of this is wrong, but I often suggest another strategy that surprises a lot of people: get rid of the … [Read more...] about Reward good employees by removing bad ones