Oops #5: Rewarding Things a Dead Man Can Do
What do having no accidents, making no errors and handing out a bonus across the board have in common? They all reward things a dead man can do! Listen now.
Praising the Boss on Boss’s Day? Not So Fast.
Patricia Bays Haroski who worked for her father in a State Farm Insurance Agency in Deerfield, Ill., registered October 16 as Boss's Day with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. She chose October…
What Would You do For $100,000,000?
Andrew Hall’s name is still in the news. He’s the one who says that Citibank owes him $100 million as a bonus for the hundreds of millions of dollars in profits he created for Citi through its oil-…
Perfectly Motivated People: What’s Your Definition?
Employee engagement is one of the topics that makes headlines in today's strained economy. In an article on CNNMoney.com Less Pay. More Hours. Unhappy Workers. it was reported that…
Raises Are Forever
The modern organization wastes more time and money in the way people are compensated than it wastes in any other area of the business. Salary and hourly pay is pay for showing up, not for performing…
Texting & Driving Debate Puts Spotlight on Behavior-Based Safety
This graphic video on the dangers of texting and driving has been viewed more than 4 million times according to an article in Monday's New York Times.
But Anne T. McCarr, a senior vice…
Ask Aubrey: Performance Feedback
Question
"Could you clarify why you do not consider Performance Feedback a type of reinforcement? I don't understand how Performance Feedback is an antecedent when it seems the behavior is what…
More Bad TV Bosses: Gordon Ramsay: Brilliant Chef, Lousy Manager
To Aubrey's list of the bad examples by TV bosses, and to those of you who submitted your own recommendations, the winner is, Gordon Ramsay.
As a dedicated foodie, watching Ramsay is both…
Ask Aubrey: Dead Man Question
Question:
In your recent article for Business Week, you state "A million hours without an accident, a reduction in errors, or perfect attendance can all be accomplished by a corpse. This doesn't…
Oops!: The Biggest Mistakes Made By TV’s Top Bosses
From Mary Tyler Moore to Mad Men, the workplace has served as the setting for many of television's most acclaimed and beloved series. It's no wonder. The office provides the ultimate backdrop for…
Guest Blogger: Russell Justice Offers His Gems From Oops!
I just finished reading and studying a new book by mentor and friend Dr. Aubrey Daniels - OOPS! 13 Management Practices that Waste Time & Money (and what to do instead). Below are my gems.…
Expert Performance: Apologies to Dr. Ericsson, But it is Not 10,000 Hours of Deliberate Practice
Dr. Anders Ericsson's research on expertise has finally received some good attention in Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers and Geoff Colvin's book, Talent Is Overrated. These books place a new…
Employee-of-the-Month & Ranking
Third in a series: Employee-of-the-Month is one of the most common management tools used to motivate employees. Learn why it is one of the worst things you can do.
Nature’s Dirty Trick
I knew that OOPs! was going to be controversial when an executive who was asked to review the manuscript said, "I found myself getting angry as I read it." Of the 13 management practices that…
Repetition Compulsion at Citigroup
When I saw an article reported in the New York Times about Citigroup’s plan to increase employees' base salaries by a much as 50% to offset the reduction in bonuses I was reminded of Sigmund Freud’s…
Oops #4: Ranking
The 4th Management Practice That Wastes Time & Money: Ranking. I also discuss ranking in my latest appearance on ABC's Money Matters.
Google is Looking for Answers in the Wrong Place
In a May 19th article in the WSJ, Scott Morrison wrote, Google Searches for Staffing Answers. The article is about the fact that Google has recently lost a number of top executives and other midlevel…
Oops #3: Performance Appraisals
The 3rd Management Practice That Wastes Time & Money: Performance Appraisals.