Office Management Resources: Managing People
Managing a group of people, whether it is large or small, can be complex and difficult at times. From hiring a good employee in the first place to keeping that employee motivated and happy on the job, managers can run into a host of issues and road blocks. There is also the seemingly ever present “bad employee” that requires constant disciplining and in some cases termination, that can cause managers stress and oftentimes legal concerns. The following resources provide advice and information on all of these areas, as well as tips to make the manager’s job a little more manageable.
Hiring & Training
Michigan State University Provides tips and ideas on how to hire good employees.
Smart Money Magazine An article that provides tips on how to spot a bad potential employee.
HCareers Provides information and ideas for creating a comprehensive employee orientation course.
Entrepreneur An article focusing on how to instill good customer service skills in new employees.
University of Michigan Provides tips for how to show new employees the ropes of the business.
Delegating Tasks
Wright State University Provides information on why delegation is important and how to do it effectively.
Pepperdine University Provides tips on how to delegate successfully and when to do so.
Berkeley University Provides managers with ideas on how and what tasks to delegate.
North Carolina State University A training module and article focusing on why managers don’t delegate tasks and the effect it has on their team.
University of Florida Information on how delegating tasks increases time management and overall effectiveness.
Team Building
University of Iowa Provides a list of characteristics present in highly effective teams.
Sonoma State University Defines the idea of team building, explains why it is important and provides tips on how to achieve it.
All Business Provides ten tips for team building.
UC Davis A collection of team building activities and their purpose.
Penn State A comprehensive collection of team building activities for both small and large groups.
Leadership
MSNBC Tips from the former CEO of General Electric on what it takes to be a good leader.
CNN A brief 10 question quiz to determine whether one is a good leader and how they can improve.
Business Week Provides information on how to apply ethics to leadership.
Harvard Business School This article details the qualities of a good leader.
Psychology Today Provides tips on how to spot a bad leader.
Managing Meetings
Management Sciences for Health Provides five strategies for effectively managing a meeting.
Mind Tools Provides tips on how to manage a meeting.
University of Wisconsin A comprehensive guide to managing meetings from beginning to end, as well as solutions to common problems during meetings.
Arkansas State University A document providing solutions to common issues faced in meetings.
Small Business Notes Provides tips for organizing meetings.
Conflict Resolution
The Manager Provides nine tips to resolve a conflict at work.
University of Colorado Looks at the sources of workplace conflicts as well as steps to resolve them.
US Department of Health Looks at how to avoid workplace conflicts as well as resolve them when they happen.
Department of Veteran Affairs Provides information on different programs companies can and do use to resolve conflicts at work.
State of Ohio Provides details on the program used by the state of Ohio to resolve conflicts among their employees.
Motivation & Encouragement
University of Massachusetts Provides ideas to motivate employees in thirty days.
University of Texas Offers ideas on how to motivate employees, also dispels common myths regarding employee motivation.
State of Oregon Provides tips on how to motivate employees in general, as well as motivate them to practice safety on the job.
INC Offers seven tips to successfully motivate employees.
Business Link Provides an overview of why motivation is important for employees as well as how to achieve it.
Evaluating Performance
USDA Offers an overview from the US government on how they set up performance plans for their employees.
PRLog Lays out a plan to evaluate employee performance on a regular basis.
Armstrong Atlantic State University Provides an example form that employers can use during employee evaluations.
American Academy of Family Physicians Offers five steps to setting up a performance evaluation system.
Hunter College Provides another example of a form that employers can use to evaluate employees.
Disciplining & Firing
Gov Delivery Provides a multitude of example forms that employers can use to discipline employees as well as document bad behavior.
Conflicts 911 Includes the five most common discipline mistakes that managers make as well as offers suggestions on how to handle these situations.
New York Times An article focusing on the legality of firing an employee.
Aftermarket Offers the best ways to terminate an employee.
Monster Provides tips on the best way to terminate an employee.
