Recent Articles from Merit Gest
Job descriptions versus job agreements
For years, I’ve been encouraging clients to create job agreements rather than job descriptions, but it wasn’t until last week that I fully appreciated the science behind why this simple shift in linguistics makes such a big difference in behavior. Job descriptions are a one-way communication of wh...
Gear up for New Year’s hires
All the folks who made New Year’s resolutions involving making a change in their work life are back in the office. They may be in your office. Or maybe they didn’t wait around for the end of the year bonus check and they already left, giving you an opportunity to hire someone better. If the […]
Feedback vs. feedforward
Feedforward is about encouragement because it focuses on solutions and what can go right in the future. When done right, feedforward is highly motivational and gets people into positive action.
Let’s look at two ways a manager can talk with a direct report:
A six-minute fix for your onboarding process
At the end of the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy learned that she had the power to return home all along. All she had to do was click her heels three times and say, “There’s no place like home” and just like that she was back on the farm in Kansas. If only […]
The power of team
When a group gathers to solve a problem it can be chaotic or focused. The difference lies in the preparation prior to the gathering. I am convinced that the reason my group of business women has endured over a decade is because we know there is tremendous value for each of us when we work togeth...
Got culture?
Does the day-to-day culture of your business match the statement about your company’s culture printed and framed in the lobby? If it does, then move on to the next item on today’s task list. If it does not, then you already know you have some work to do. But, if you are not sure if […]
The devil is in the details
Preparation before performance matters. Would an actor be ready for the curtain to rise without detailed preparation? Would an athlete be ready for game day without detailed preparation? Would a presidential candidate engage in a debate without detailed preparation? No to all of the above. Whether you are an actor, athlete or politician, detailed preparation […]
What am I supposed to do?
Jim was anxious to get started in his new management role with a Midwestern consulting company. It was the perfect position for him based on his previous experience. He was ready and raring to go. When he got to the office on his first day, he was greeted by the HR Director who shuffled him […]
Get your top performers going…
John is the CEO of a consulting firm in the Midwest. About nine months ago, the firm added Trevor to their roster of consultants. So far, Trevor’s progress has been slow and John is wondering what the problem is . . . is it the firm’s process for getting people up to speed or is […]
Three ways to avoid the first-day-on-the-job blues
Looking back on that day, is it any wonder that I am a Professional Onboarding Specialist today? I want to do what I can to help companies create a better experience for their new recruits. Here are three things you can do to make sure your new hire’s experience doesn’t look like the one I endured.
Right brain, left brain
The world is made up of people who are left brain or right brain thinkers. The left brainers are logical, analytical and think in terms of process. Right brainers are creative and not necessarily linear thinkers. What does this have to do with effective onboarding? A lot. LB (Left Brain) Corporation has a detailed orientation […]
Four great effort-enhancing strategies
Do I have your attention? Would you like to know how to get more effort and engagement from the very beginning when a new employee starts working for you? Would you like to “re-board” the people you already have on your team?