Category: 1-Minute Strategy
When you must hold back confidential information, avoid phrases that stoke curiosity, like “I’m not at liberty to say.” Instead, speak positively. Example: “Let me fill you in on everything there is to know at this point.”
What would you think of someone who left the office at exactly 5:00 p.m. every single day, not a minute sooner or later? Maybe that they had made a habit of keeping a very close eye on the clock, unwilling to spend a moment more at work than they absolutely had to. A “work to […]
A co-worker relates an anecdote and you’re seized with the urge to relate your own, since it seems relevant to the topic. But are you telling the story because the conversation really needs it, or is it just because you want to top what’s already been said or just bring your own life into the […]
We all have a group at work that we feel more comfortable around and share thoughts with more freely—but has yours become a mistrustful or exclusionary clique? Ask yourself today whether others may see you as inseparable from your close comrades at work, too likely to share the same opinions, biases and insular habits. And […]
Write down the names of three people outside your department whom you’ve never had the chance to assist. Over the next three months, lend each a hand with some minor task. You’ll have made three new allies in the office and expanded your reach and influence.
Before heading out on your vacation, set your voice and email return messages to say that you are returning a day later than you actually are. By doing so, you can retrieve messages without clients, vendors and other outsiders expecting that you’ll get back to them as soon as you walk into your office.
It happens to most of us at some point—we’re let go from a job unexpectedly. So many times, the last impression people leave with both bosses and co-workers is one of weakness and sadness, numb shock or even anger. Remember, the company gets to choose to end your employment, but you get to choose how […]
Replying to email with a message such as “Sounds good,” assumes the sender remembers what it references. And copying the original message is tedious. Instead, put your reply in context. Example: “Sounds good. I’ll put our lunch together Tuesday on my calendar.”
Having trouble keeping organized and remembering what to do when, or if you’ve even done it all? Don’t rely on digital reminders or processes to cue your memory. Physical objects like printouts, Post-its, a planner book, or a personal bulletin board are better and more assuring memory aids because they’re tangible things you can touch […]
Sooner or later, you’ll need to circulate a request asking employees to chip in for a gift for a retiring employee, or to kitty up some money for a sympathy offering for a teammate reeling from a loss. But you know how employees dislike being told how much they should kick in. Besides, many people […]