You know a "praise" sandwich. It's when you need to reprimand someone for doing something wrong or for not doing something they should have, you wrap something good around it. For example, you might say, "Bob, I know you work really hard, but you've been late three times this month with your report. I need you to make sure I get it on time every day. So keep that positive attitude you always show and let's keep going forward".

Is this an effective management tool? If so, why? If not, why not? Reply to this post with your thoughts and be sure to take our poll, too.

The GRID Theory of management would have you believe that Joe Lueken is a 0,9 manager, a country club manager, because he puts his interest in people over profits. But this approach has made Joe Lueken a very wealthy man. And now that he is retiring, he is choosing to continue to follow that style. As Lueken put it, "The whole move revolves around people, not things or money". In this case, "the whole thing" is the sale of his three grocery stores to his employees.

According to the Star Tribune, "Lueken said he had multiple offers to sell to large independent chains and might have gotten more money that way. But he and his family believe that selling to workers will be better for them, the business and this north-central Minnesota city (Bemidji MN where Lueken lives) of 13,000 people".

The same article quotes his front-end manager as noting, "Being owners will make us care more about our work. It gives you something to call your own and gives you a more comfortable retirement to look forward to." This sense of employee ownership is very important to the success of your business. You won't get the best ideas, the best quality work, and the highest productivity from employees who aren't motivated and engaged.

More articles about Employee Motivation

We have learned by now how important customer satisfaction is. Many businesses focus on ways to make sure their customers are satisfied with their purchase. The problem is that many businesses stop there. They never follow up after the product or service is delivered to make sure the customer remains satisfied. The article Check Your Own Work: Make Sure Your Customers Are Still Satisfied explains why this is so important, how to find out, and what to do if your customers aren't still happy.

No, not that kind of engaged. Get them engaged in their job, committed and motivated to excel. Read the Scrap Paper Test to find out how engaged your employees are and what you can do if they aren't.