Until recently, a business could expect to see, and know about, most of what was happening in the office. Communications with suppliers and customers were traditionally by letter allowing ready monitoring by partners or managers with time to review and consider everything that was leaving the building. However, the replacement of hard copy with telephone and email and rapidly increasing time pressures mean that employees are trusted with far more; the opportunity therefore arises for a disgruntled employee to cause damage and for this not to become apparent to the employer until a late stage.

Further, employees invariably have access to the firm's computer systems and have the power to cause real and widespread damage to a business in ways and to an extent that simply were not possible 10 years ago.

It is essential therefore that employers consider this potential. However benevolent the employer and however responsible the employee there will always be either fallings-out or dismissals even if for operational reasons. Employee sabotage cannot therefore be ignored. The question is how best to deal with this potential.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

If you've been a manager for long, you know that things can go wrong even in the best of organizations. Problem behavior on the part of employees can erupt for a variety of reasons. Here are a few  tips for dealing with it.

1. Recognize that problem behavior usually has a history.
It usually develops over time and seldom from a single incident. As a manager, it is your responsibility to be alert to the early warning signs and deal with the underlying causes before the situation reaches a crisis.

2. Ask yourself: "Am I partly or wholly responsible?"
You would be surprised how frequently it is the manager who has created, or at least contributed to problems of employee behavior. Having an abrasive style, being unwilling to listen, and being inattentive to the nuances of employee behavior are all factors that contribute to the manager's need to thoroughly examine what is going on.

3. Don't focus only on the overt behavior.
When confronted by an angry employee, it's easy to attack the person and target the behavior rather than examine the factors that underlie the behavior. Often, this takes patience, careful probing, and a willingness to forgo judgment until you really understand the situation.

Jeff@marketmagic.com

Learn what people value.
“To lead the people, walk behind them.” - Lao-tzu (6th century B.C.) Chinese philosopher and founder of Taoism
Everybody has an opinion as to what adds value to his or her life.  Take some time with the people who are important to you and ask them what’s important to THEM.
 “A person usually has two reasons for doing something: a good reason and the real reason.” - John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) American financier
Point out their strong points.
“It's always worthwhile to make others aware of their worth.” - Malcolm Forbes (1919-90) American publisher
Learn/identify what’s special or unique about a person and take a moment to point it out.  You'll affect them positively with very, very little effort on your part.
Really listen to people.
Most people just listen for what they need from the other person.  They wait out a string of words until they hear a period landing at the end of a sentence.  Then they deliver the phrases they've been holding at the ready, which they hope will trigger a result and allow the "communication" to stop. 
Learn to listen to what is being said – not what you think is being said.
What if you did this during every conversation or situation you had for the rest of your life?
Facts and information are valuable but are rarely profound.

Retaining good employees has always been a challenge, and even more so today in light of low unemployment and high employee expectations. Here are ten things you can and should do.
1. Share the results of good work, tangibly.
Monetary and non-monetary rewards need to be tied to results so that, in receiving them, the employee knows that he or she is being rewarded for their specific contribution. Gifts given at the whim of the employer can be regarded as actually demeaning in that they bear little relationship to actual contribution.
2. Let your employees know they are part of a team.
Employees have heard the old saw, people are our biggest asset, so much so that they nearly vomit when it is repeated. Letting them know means having direct, regular, and personal contact.
3. Follow the CFH rule; be candid, frank, and honest.
Somehow, the higher one gets on the executive ladder, the more the misconception seems to exist that you can get away with not telling the truth to your employees. That simply isn't so. As Abraham Lincoln said: You can fool some of the people some of the time, etc. Being less than honest means that you'll get less than the best from your people.
 
4. Don't spare the bad news.
Some employers have a penchant for spreading the good news and hoarding the bad on the grounds that their employees won't be able to take it. The surprising thing is that, given a chance, most people are more resilient than we think.
5. Little things mean a lot.
Have you ever received a card or note out of the blue, when you were down or having a hard time, from someone who knew and simply took the time to let you know that he or she cared? Taking time to find out what's going on with your employees (yes, after 5:00 PM) and letting them know you care--with a card, a call, or simply a word, can make a huge difference.
6. Recognize that suspicion is normal.
As an employer, you may not want to hear it, but one of the unfortunate effects of downsized America is employers are, in general, not regarded as believable! So, it takes patience, fortitude, and a good deal of practice to get to the point where you are believed by your people. Don't become dismayed, just keep at it, as long as what you do and say is real.
7. Distribute choice perqs.
As long as you are in business for a profit, no business can afford to operate as though all people and positions are equal, because they're not! Some people are more talented than others; some have more energy, drive, and concern; and some demand more because they can get it. For those in this latter category, the true high achievers, you will have to treat them differently or lose them. They don't need your guidance so much as your recognition that they are outstanding.
8. Set your boundaries and make them clear.
Every single person who reports to you should be absolutely clear about two things: (1) what you expect of them, and (2) what they can expect of you. It pays to have a formal written policies statement and manual to discuss personally with everyone who reports to you.
9. Make it clear that, in your organization, continued growth is a condition of continued employment.
Too many organizations, especially in government, tolerate averageness, the hewers of wood and carriers of water. In the long run everyone, including the employee, suffers. From here on out into the twenty-first century, there will be less and less room for those who do just enough to get by.
10. Be genuine and be a model
You would think that this is obvious. Unfortunately, it's not. I've seen so many executives and CEOs who follow the dictum: Do as a say, not as I do. One of the surprising results of chronic reengineering has been that those employees who are truly self-directing have become less willing to tolerate unacceptable conditions. The average performers will hang around, but the outstanding ones will bide their time and leave.