We’ve got some big news… 🌱 Know Your Team is now Canopy →

Canopy Blog

Thoughts on how to become a better leader, and avoid being a bad boss.

Home

The four questions to ask every single employee for feedback

Based our research, these are the essential employee engagement questions for managers that we’ve found to be most effective. Getting good feedback starts with asking a good question. Ask a good question and you’ll discover that there’s a part of the business you’re neglecting, or an issue you weren’t aware of. A specific, thoughtful question… Read the full article...

Don’t ask for employee feedback — invite it.

How to get employee feedback in the workplace all starts with how you ask for it. When someone invites you to an event or a party, you typically don’t automatically decide to go. You probably weigh a couple factors. Was it the host who invited you, or a friend of a friend? Did they put a… Read the full article...

Don’t be the last to know: How to overcome your leadership blindspots

As a CEO, business executive or manager, you can be caught in a bubble. Here’s how to break through and get the employee feedback you need. “Have you ever been the last to know something in your company?” As the CEO of Know Your Team, an employee communication software tool, I’ve asked this question to dozens… Read the full article...

How we define our company mission, vision, and values

What I wrote back in 2013 to remind myself of what matters as we develop Know Your Team’s own organizational culture. Yesterday was one of those days when I doubted myself a little bit more than usual. It’s happened before, and it’ll happen many more times again, I’m sure. When I started to feel that… Read the full article...

What to remember when you’re the boss

Don’t inadvertently become a bad boss. When you’re the boss, there’s one important thing you need to remember: you’re the boss. This means that, whether you like it or not, there’s an inherent power dynamic in every interaction you have with your employees. You’re the person your employee is least willing to go to about a… Read the full article...

Fresh eyes: The most important thing a new hire brings

When welcoming a new coworker, keep this in mind. On the first day of one of the first jobs I ever had coming out of college, a mentor of mine pulled me aside, and said to me “Claire, take a look around the company. Take in everything you see and hear, what you think could be… Read the full article...

Hire someone new? Don’t forget to do these four things when onboarding a new employee

The importance of onboarding a new employee well cannot be overstated. Here’s how to do it well. Do you remember the last time you started a new job? I do. I was intimidated. Everyone in the company already knew each other and “how things work around here” except me. I was reminded of this when I spoke… Read the full article...

How to not take negative feedback personally at work

Three things to remember when you handle criticism in the workplace. I recently finished reading a book called, The Four Agreements. The title is a bit hokey. But the content is spot-on. The book talks about the importance of creating personal freedom. One of these four agreements to create personal freedom is: “Don’t take things… Read the full article...

Chin up, CEOs: The business problems you’re facing, we’re all facing

The challenges of running a business are felt by all of us as business owners. Trust me. Last month, I met with several CEOs. One of them was on the brink of shutting down his business. His company was having serious cash flow problems. A $30,000/month office lease was pushing his business closer and closer to… Read the full article...

Futility: one of the mistakes that make people quit

Why do people quit their jobs? Not feeling heard might be the reason. Futility has been found to be 1.8 times more common than fear as a reason for employees not speaking up to their managers. According to a 2009 Cornell National Social Survey, more employees reported withholding their ideas due to a sense of futility… Read the full article...