Management

Conflict in the workplace is a painful reality and a key reason for poor productivity and frustration. Are there people in your workplace who cause problems for everyone else? One point is clear—conflict does not magically disappear and only gets worse when ignored.

Think of Rick Heinl, president of Tipp City, Ohio-based Repacorp, as a kinder, gentler daddy dearest type.

Emotional support is a crucial part of a motivated and focused team. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, but having the desire and ability to be supportive of your team members is far more important than doing it exactly right.

Mike Steinberg's life has been about paper for years.

The United States' financial situation has gotten so dire, President Obama recently called for the freezing of all federal salaries in an attempt to get a hold on the country's debt, which is expected to rise to $2.3 trillion by 2012.

You need your employees to have an emotional ownership in the success of your enterprise, don't you? In these current, difficult economic times, throwing around money without a strategy is generally not your best bet. However, investing in your employees will always serve you well. With a little effort, employees can become your partners.

Dean Truitt, chief executive officer of Dayton, Ohio-based WorkflowOne, is not letting any industry obstacles stand in the way of his company's success. The proof is in the big list as WorkflowOne continues to hold the top position.

A recruiter lured Mark Lemberger, president of Butler, Wisconsin-headquartered Western States Envelope & Label, and he never looked back.

Rewarding and recognizing employees is tricky business. It can motivate people to perform their jobs more effectively or it can utterly discourage their efforts.

When we look back at the successful team or organization changes we've been involved in, most—and certainly all major ones—were driven by "monomaniacs with a mission." Sometimes the champion, a passionate person pushing hard for a change or improvement, had a powerful organizational sponsor and someone running interference for him or her. Other times, he or she was on his or her own at first and built a strong change coalition or team of change champions.