Have you ever wondered about any of these situations?

Check the boxes next to any question/statement that reflects some of the frustrations or problems you have encountered.  We'd like to respond to you with some solutions.

I can't seem to motivate my people.  What can I do?

Every time I try to discipline one of my subordinates, management reverses it.

My workgroup gets along fine, but there are so many mistakes in their work.  How can I get better quality without wrecking the team?

I have a person working for me that never seems to catch on.  He's obviously bright, outgoing, and friendly, but no matter how many times we talk about performance, I walk away wondering if I got through.

I have a peer that constantly bends the rules. When I maintain the rules, people think I'm being arbitrary.

My boss seems to think I can't do anything right. I'm doing the same quality job I always did.  What's changed?

My people all have hidden, personal agendas.  I don't even get why they're so aggravated with each other. How can I fix this so we can get back to work?

I'm beginning to believe that my kick-butt management style isn't working for me like it used to.  At the same time, I'll never be a "hugger" or "baby-kisser." What am I supposed to do?

Every time I delegate to my people, they have to hand it back to me. They've been around long enough to see how it's done.  Do I have to do all the thinking around here?

The union mentality of my people keeps me from delegating.  My boss is telling me to delegate more. What can I do?

Communication is terrible, and there's no trust amongst the members of my workgroup.  It's making it really hard for me to get my job done.

The good news is that I performed well enough to get promoted.  The bad news is that I'm having a real hard time getting my arms around all of it.  My old method of "inspect what you expect" is too time-consuming now.  How can I stay on top of all the people who work for me and all that they're doing?

There are so many rumors floating around here, I don't know what to believe.  What should I do?

The performance of the workgroup has slipped, and every time I try to enforce quality standards, there is a brief improvement, and then performance slips even lower.  Should I discipline more harshly?

Someone on the management team is always taking things I say out of context and announcing them at staff meetings.  If I speak up too much, people will call me "defensive."  What can I do to prevent this game?

My boss says I have to work with this other person, and that we must communicate frequently.  This person won't communicate with me almost at all.  My boss is beginning to think I'm a complainer who isn't on top of it because I don't have the answers she thinks I should have.  How can I fix this without "snitching" on my coworker?

Morale is really low in our work unit.  Everyone is complaining, when they talk at all.  Business has been less than brisk lately, and I hope morale will improve when business picks up.  How long can we continue this way? What should we do, if anything?

Our corporate offices haven't issued our plant a clear vision.  How are we supposed to plan and prioritize if they don't provide us with the vision?

My boss seems so selfish.  He takes credit for what we do, and blasts us for not knowing the same things he doesn't know.  What can I do besides quit?

I've been promoted to manager of a technical group. I don't have any better technical knowledge than my people.  How can I get my subordinates to respect me more?

How can I incentivize my people? There are no policies for giving additional money, and nobody's been fired here for years.

I'd like to try some of the new approaches to leadership I've been reading about, but my boss is "old school."  How can I try new ways, when he insists on seeing them as a waste of time?