Content about Jeff Kortes

December 8, 2011
The Boss as a Mentor

Mentoring is one of the major responsibilities of any boss—regardless of whether it is listed in the job description or not. It is also critical to developing a “high-performance” work culture. At the heart of mentoring is encouragement. Creating a climate where people feel they can grow will eliminate much of the fear that often exists with growth.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

November 8, 2011
Continual Training…Continual Growth

Often, employees feel it is the responsibility of the organization to “train them.” If you are an employee reading this, guess again! If the organization is not willing to assist you monetarily or with time to train, do it yourself. Do it foryourself. Without it, you are at a competitive disadvantage.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

Who should be responsible for the training and growth of an employee? Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the employee. But it also lies with several others, as well. The immediate supervisor and the organization itself also have an obligation to provide opportunities and encourage an employee to grow. Can an employee grow in a non-supportive environment? Absolutely. But it is much harder.

October 6, 2011
The Focus Factor

We often fail to have discussions about development goals with our kids…or our employees. The discussions tend to be more spur of the moment…not that it’s a bad thing to have discussions when the moment arises, but certainly it’s no substitute for structured discussionsthat force the parties to think about where they want to go in their career.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

Several years ago, my youngest son won his first two matches to advance to the semi-finals of the Wisconsin State wrestling tournament the next day. Prior to his heading to the tournament, we talked about what he wanted to accomplish at the tournament. This was a continuation of a discussion that began at the start of the season when he thought about…and…actually put his goals for the season in writing.Certainly not anything I ever did as a kid!

September 6, 2011
The Great Eraser

I talk to supervisors and managers about the fact that using the “BUT” word is the “great eraser.” By using it, you wipe out all the positive things you have just said. Instead of using the moment to praise someone and positively reinforce the behavior we want, we destroy it with one simple word.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

I am a big proponent of continuous improvement and the need to always improve. Unfortunately, it has brought with it a real negative. It eight years of watching my two sons wrestle before I realized I had fell victim to that negative consequence.

August 9, 2011
No Whine Zone

You need to have a comprehensive long-term strategy to create a “No Whine Zone” in your organization. It takes a concerted, well-thought-out strategy to create a culture where whining is not acceptable. Although discussions like this are not pure “training,” you need to look for opportunities to create discussion to teach people lessons they will learn from and grow.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

As I was reading “The Ten Commandments of Baseball, Principles for Success in Baseball (and Life),” there was a compelling story about one person’s experiences during the Great Depression. It reminded me of the pictures of the Great Depression I have seen of the long lines of unemployed and how truly grim it was.

July 13, 2011
The Bullying Boss…A Retention Nightmare

As a department manager, you may have to deal with a boss who uses bullying or fear as a way to manage. Your job, whether you like it or not, is to insulate your people from your boss, says Jeff Kortes, author of “No Nonsense Retention…Painless Strategies to Retain Your Best People.” If you don’t, you will bear the brunt of dealing with the aftermath of the turnover your boss generates.

By Jeff Kortes, President, Human Asset Management LLC

In recent years, experts have begun using the term “bullying” to describe what I would term “fear.” It is an abusive pattern of behavior that creates uncertainty and a nagging sense of fear in an employee’s mind. Call it fear or bullying, the effect is the same. It kills optimal performance and drives turnover. It’s that simple.