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Edited by Margery Weinstein Quicken Loans has found coaching to be an important training tool. The company’s team of regional mortgage banker coaches runs a program broken down into several initiatives, or “plays,” that promote a culture in which bankers and leaders at all levels continue to learn and sharpen their skills. Key components include:

By Hemanth Puttaswamy, Vice President, Product Strategy, Saba

By Tamra Chandler, CEO, PeopleFirm Maybe it’s a drawer at the office or a box in the garage, but chances are you have some place where well-intentioned work gifts are stashed away and forgotten. Peek inside and you’ll likely find a clock, a paperweight, or a branded polo shirt. Company gifts are well meaning but often impersonal or generic, providing no real value for the employee. The right gift, however, will generate goodwill for the holiday season and boost long-lasting employee satisfaction.

By Laura Stack, MBA, CSP

By David Bakke

ByJeannine Kunz, Director, Tooling U-SME SGS Tool Company’s commitment to continuous improvement and developing its associates is paying off with metrics related to retention and engagement well above industry average, all helping stem the skilled labor shortage it faced.

By Richard Lampner, Trainer and Account Manager, Signature Worldwide My dad was a trainer and not always thrilled about it. I never knew this when I was a kid, of course. Like many ’70s era dads, sharing his feelings and experiences was not a priority. He did “something in Personnel,” my mom said.

By Chip Espinoza, Mick Ukleja, and Craig Rusch As a manager, if you are still unconvinced about the benefits of engaging your Millennial employees, then maybe this information is not for you. But we hope you’ll keep reading anyway, because our research contains a truly remarkable discussion, one of tremendous optimism, energy, and willingness to engage on the part of Millennial workers. Despite a societal organization that favors seniority, we encountered a keen understanding among Millennials of the value of—and eagerness to—gain experience.

By Terence Brake In today’s global business environment, the very nature of change has changed. This has been driven by two powerful and interdependent forces:

By Jack W. Reidenbach Micro-management is no laughing matter. It breeds management insecurity and emphasizes to employees a lack of trust in their work or belief in their judgment. It suppresses creativity and eliminates constructive criticism. There’s only one thing worse than a micro-manager: a micro-manager who doesn’t know he or she is a micro-manager. Here are 10 things your micro-manager won’t tell you: