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Why Performance Reviews Deserve a Better Rap
Tweet Share on Facebook November 23, 2009 Comment (3)Performance evaluations often get a bad rap by people who see them as a bureaucratic waste of time.
And, yes, if you treat performance evaluations as a waste of time—each one an exercise you just have to get through so you can say it was done—that's exactly what they will be. But when done right, by good managers, performance evaluations can be meaningful and useful, both to the employee and the manager evaluating her.
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7 Moves for Effective Meetings
Tweet Share on Facebook November 20, 2009 CommentManagement writer Lin Bothwell once said that it takes a darned good meeting to beat no meeting at all. Those of us who’ve sat through mind-numbing meetings would agree. When people stagger to the door and announce that “it’s time to get back to work,” they are revealing how they regard the time just spent.
Here are a few approaches that can make meetings more productive:
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5 Self-Made Barriers Between You and Your Dream Career
Tweet Share on Facebook November 19, 2009 Comment (2)Are any of the obstacles standing between you and your dreams self-inflicted? If so, you’re in good company. We all manage to get in our own way at times. Fortunately, sometimes all it takes to stop getting in our own way is to realize we’re doing it. With that in mind, here are five mistakes I see frequently blocking people’s path to passion:
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Hey, Employees: When You Resign, Be Kind
Tweet Share on Facebook November 19, 2009 CommentLast week, I told you why bosses should be nice when employees resign. Now, I'm going to tell you why—even if your boss is the devil incarnate, Prada-clad or not—you should resign professionally.
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How to Deal With Adversity at Work
Tweet Share on Facebook November 18, 2009 Comment (4)In a comment on my “How to Survive a Bad Boss” post, one reader asked, “But what if you are so nervous around your boss, and your fear of failure is amplified by her actions….what recommendations might be offered as far as coping skills?”
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Why 'Going Rogue' Is a Good Thing
Tweet Share on Facebook November 17, 2009 Comment (5)The title of Sarah Palin's book reminds me of something I have known during my entrepreneurial career:
Every start-up needs a rogue.
Or a wild duck. Think of all those V-shaped gaggles of geese flying south right now. Now, picture one goose that is flying out of formation, making its own way against the headwind, no wind drafting, maybe not even knowing the built-in compass heading. Goodness knows that flying in formation is nature's way of protecting the flock.
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How Much Can You Change Your Manager?
Tweet Share on Facebook November 16, 2009 Comment (3)One of the most common themes of questions I receive at Ask a Manager is: "How can I change my manager?" Or, how can I make her stop this annoying habit, or not be a jerk, or learn to manage her time better?
The answer is: Maybe you can't.
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Fairy Tales and Fables for the Workplace
Tweet Share on Facebook November 13, 2009 CommentThe Little Boy Who Cried Wolf (Before Monday): “We need this report done by Monday at the absolute latest. I don’t care what you need to do to meet that deadline, but get it done.” Fast forward two weeks after Monday: “Oh, your report? We haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
[See 10 career mistakes I've made.]
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5 Habits for Creating a Career You Can Love
Tweet Share on Facebook November 12, 2009 Comment (1)The career you have today is the cumulative result of the choices you have made up until now. The career you have next year, or 10 years from now, will stem from the choices you make starting today.
Some of those choices will be conscious, while others will be the result of ingrained habits. And when you develop the right habits, they can be a powerful force in propelling you in a positive direction. With that in mind, here are five habits that will move you toward a career you can love:
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Hey, Bosses: When an Employee Resigns, Be Nice
Tweet Share on Facebook November 12, 2009 Comment (7)I know that the number one reason people leave a job is because they have a problem with their manager. Managers know this too, and as a result some of them take a resignation personally. They shouldn't.
But, wait! Didn't I just say that people quit because of their managers? So, shouldn't managers take it personally?
