Communication

Don’t get lost in the blog fog

January 1, 2006
Several years ago, most people had never heard the word “blog”—short for “weblog”—let alone considered the impact of blogs on the work­place. But with literally millions of these do-it-yourself Internet publications now online, blogs and blogging have become relevant top­ics for all sorts of managers. Here’s what you need to know:

Dealing with poor ‘social hygiene’

January 1, 2006
Author and consultant Karl Albrecht has a book out, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Success, wherein he gives advice on how to clean up one’s poor social hygiene.

Learn your people’s stories

December 1, 2005
Even though we work with our employees all day long, we often know less about them than about celebrities we’ve never met. While it’s intriguing to speculate about the lives of the stars, it’s far more rewarding for managers to learn about the lives of our employees.

Mind those workplace manners!

October 1, 2005
In an ever-changing world of work, proper workplace etiquette never goes out of style. Here’s some insight from expert Peter Post, as reported on Forbes.com:

When employees ‘share’ more than you’d like

October 1, 2005
A recent Wall Street Journal article asks a question on the minds of many managers: “In an era when almost anything goes, are any topics still taboo at work?”

Mastering body language

September 1, 2005
Here are some pointers on using body language to improve your effectiveness:

Making room for emotions at work

September 1, 2005
Despite what we’ve learned in recent years about “emotional intelligence,” it’s still hard for many managers and their teams to give feelings and emotions their proper due in the workplace.

Getting meeting feedback

August 1, 2005
We’ve all been in meetings that wasted our time. And we’ve said so—after the meeting, when it was too late. Here’s how to get that feedback on your own meetings when you need it:

So much for being an employer of choice?

August 1, 2005
A recent survey by the staffing firm The Creative Group asked managers, “What’s the most unusual reason you’ve heard from an employee quitting his or her job?” Here are some choice responses:

Knowing how (and when) to say ‘no’

August 1, 2005
“At one time or another, most of us have avoided saying no by saying yes,” writes Rick Brenner. “We do this in spite of our experience that the price we pay for agreeing to do something we don’t believe in is often far too high.” Here are some suggestions from Brenner on how to say no when you need to: