10 Truths I Wish I’d Known Sooner
Amy Bloom
Her friends and family tried to guide her. But it was only through years of rich experience that she grasped the realities of life.
Occasionally, being better informed leads to better decisions. Mostly, though, I think we make choices based on who we are, not what we know. The lessons here are things that people who knew and loved me tried to tell me. So thank you to my relatives who scolded me in four languages, and to my high school English teacher who watched over me like Cupid with a Ph.D., and to my best friend, who taught me patience. These people did their best to make me smarter in the ways that count. If I had been willing and able to understand them, their words might have tilted me more (and sooner) in the right direction. If I could have, they might have. Or, as my father often said, if your grandmother had balls, she would be your grandfather.
1. Events reveal people’s characters; they don’t determine them. Not everyone with divorced parents has terrible relationships. If two people are hit by a bus and crippled for life, one will become a bitter shut-in; the other, the kind of warm, outgoing person (cheerful despite everything) whom everyone loves to be with. It’s not about the bus, and a dreadful childhood is no excuse. You have the chance to be the person you wish to be, until you die. Read the rest of this entry »
List accomplishments not duties
Toni Bowers
A very common resume mistake that many people make is to list their professional experience by company and then list their perspective responsibilities under each one. If you think about it, all that’s telling a potential employer is what you were expected to do at your previous jobs–it doesn’t necessarily mean that you actually did any of them or that you were good at any of them.
For example, keeping your company’s Web site up might be one of your duties, but unless you can express that as an accomplishment in terms of downtime percentages, then it really doesn’t have much punch. Try to stay away from the words, Duties or Responsible for… Read the rest of this entry »
The Truth About Lying
Jenna Mccarthy
From big whoppers to little white lies, almost everyone fibs on occasion. Here, experts reveal why.
Nearly any adult will tell you that lying is wrong. But when it comes to avoiding trouble, saving face in front of the boss, or sparing someone’s feelings, many people find themselves doing it anyway. In fact, more than 80 percent of women admit to occasionally telling what they consider harmless half-truths, says Susan Shapiro Barash, author of Little White Lies, Deep Dark Secrets: The Truth About Why Women Lie (St. Martin’s Press, $15, amazon.com). And 75 percent admit to lying to loved ones about money in particular. The tendency to tell tales is “a very natural human trait,” explains David L. Smith, Ph.D., associate professor of philosophy at the University of New England, in Biddeford, Maine. “It lets you manipulate the way you want to be seen by others.” To pinpoint how people stretch the truth from time to time and the potential fallout from it, learn the six most common ways that people mislead. Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t make assumptions about coworkers based on their behavior
Toni Bowers
There are a lot of things you can control at your workplace, but a fellow employee is not one of them. You can somewhat control certain behaviors, especially if they are legally unacceptable, but you really can’t control other people, only your reaction to them. This is a lesson that, if learned, could make the workplace a whole lot less stressful for many people. Read the rest of this entry »
Make your presentations outstanding by breaking these 10 habits
Jeff Cerny
If your presentations aren’t memorable and engaging, certain habits could be standing in your way. See how to turn those habits around and achieve positive results.
Your chances of being tapped to deliver a formal presentation are much higher than they were just a few years ago. In fact, by some estimates, as many as one-fourth of the jobs in the United States will require employees to give a formal presentation in 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t forget to develop writing skills
Toni Bowers
I recently received an email from a career advisor who works with students in various technology programs. She said many of the students think their writing courses are a waste of time. She asked if I could weigh in on this topic. I would be glad to share my thoughts. Read the rest of this entry »
This leadership style can be a killer
John McKee
Ever wondered about your “fit” in an organization? Perhaps you’ve been troubled by the ethics – or the lack of ethics – at your place of employment? If so, give some thought to the following definition taken from Dictionary.com:
Path.o.log.ical – adjective; caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition: for example a pathological liar, 2. dealing with diseases: a pathological casebook.
There are pathological people in many places, doing many things every day. In some instances, they don’t really cause a lot of harm or damage except to themselves. But if they have a role with power, they can exact a demanding toll on individual people as well as entire organizations. Read the rest of this entry »
Is your job as good as it gets?
John M McKee
Wondering if your career has already peaked? Leadership coach John M McKee provides 4 tips to ensure you’re getting the most out of your career.
“I’m really glad that year’s over! 2009 was definitely one of the worst years I’ve had in my entire career. It looks like this year won’t be as tough. Hopefully a decent raise could be in the cards, and some forward advancement in my career would sure be great.” Read the rest of this entry »
Improve performance reviews with these tips
Scott Robinson
Takeaway: Performance reviews are rarely comfortable for the employee or the manager, but you can make them more productive and positive simply by changing the way you say what you need to say. These tips will help you make the most out of review time.
Performance reviews are one of the ugly realities in a manager’s life. Employees dread them, but they seldom stop to consider that, as uncomfortable as the review process is from the receiving end, it can be even harder on the reviewing manager. Managers must go through not one but many reviews each year, and often they need to deliver criticisms that may or may not be well received. Read the rest of this entry »