When you’ve been given a task that stretches your skills, or requires knowledge you don’t have, how do you get up to speed quickly? (And impress your boss with how well you rose to the challenge?) I love taking on a new challenge – it gives me a chance to learn something new and breakRead… Read more »
According to this post on Zen Habits, all the motivation hacks in the world can be broken down into two categories: 1) make things enjoyable, and 2) use public pressure. The theory is that if only you can find the joy in your work and hold yourself accountable to others, you can find the motivationRead… Read more »
We all know how powerful networking can be when we’re on the hunt for a job – but what we don’t often talk about is how important it is to network within your organization while you’re happily employed. If you’re looking for a promotion, a pay raise, or to avoid being downsized, you can’t justRead… Read more »
Feeling stuck at work? Passed over? You know the feeling: it seems like you’ve been doing the same old thing for ages, yet no one seems to notice. You’d excel at a higher position, but coworkers who have been around for less time are being picked before you. What’s going wrong? If you’ve been wonderingRead… Read more »
Have you been putting off a tough conversation? Stewing about it? Losing sleep over it for days? (I’ve got one coming up that I’ve been dreading!) We tend to put off difficult conversations, whether we’re needing to confront a coworker, ask a boss for a raise, bring up behavioral issues with a subordinate, or discussRead… Read more »
A while back I wrote a post on annoying coworkers and how to deal with them. It clearly struck a nerve – after all, spending 40+ hours a week with someone who drives you nuts can really color your overall work experience. If those annoying coworkers stand out most in our minds, at least we canRead… Read more »
It’s not rocket science. When we feel like our work is appreciated, we work harder and give our best – but when we feel like no one notices our efforts, we start not to care too much about our jobs. As a manager, you have a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of this basic humanRead… Read more »
Even though the outlook’s been a bit sunnier lately, it’s still a tough job market out there. Recruiters and hiring managers are still getting dozens – if not hundreds – of qualified applications for each position. If yours has been getting lost in the shuffle, or you’re not getting any calls back after interviews, you may beRead… Read more »
With great power comes great opportunity for criticism. Every leader, from the first-time manager to the head of the organization, will face criticism along his or her path – it’s inevitable. What separates great leaders from mediocre ones is their ability to face their critics with grace, and deal with them in a productive way.Read… Read more »
Work dreams are the worst. You already spent all day at the office, stayed late, spent the evening responding to emails, and now you can’t even drift off to the Land of Nod without taking paperwork and unfinished to-do lists with you. You barely have a weekend anymore, ever since budget cuts forced you toRead… Read more »