ASK DR. BOLI.

A number of correspondents have written to ask Dr. Boli’s advice on business matters, apparently under the impression that he is an expert merely because he has opinions. That is a mistake. Dr. Boli has opinions about most things, but he is an expert on few of them. Nevertheless, as a public service to the world of business, he has gathered the correspondents’ questions and his answers.
 

How do I build trust in my organization?

Be trustworthy.

What can I do to empower employees?

Figure out what your employees can do without your intervention, and then don’t intervene while they’re doing it.

How do I improve morale in the workplace?

Try money.

How do I energize my employees?

Employees are not electrical appliances or rechargeable batteries, so they do not need to be energized. If you give them tasks that use their talents and sufficient time to do them well, you will find that they have all the energy they need.

How can I improve my employees’ communication skills?

Try talking to them in English or whatever language they speak at home. If you are a native speaker of jargon, this may require considerable retraining on your part.

How can I drive prioritization and reimagine the workplace to support true flexibility and bridge the physical and digital divide to put everyone on the same page?

You see, this is what we meant about retraining.

I’ve heard that it’s good, for some reason, if employees thrive. How do I make them thrive, and how do I punish the ones who refuse to thrive?

Your employees are probably never going to thrive, so you needn’t worry about it.

I was thinking of using games to build trust, teamwork, and morale in my team. Do you have any suggestions?

Yes. Do not allow your “team” to discover where you live, and invest in a good home alarm system.