Category: 1-Minute Strategy

Be mindful of what you tell folks at work, says Alexandra Levit on her blog “Water Cooler Wisdom.” If your medical condition or lifestyle choice truly doesn’t impact your job, then people at work shouldn’t need to know about it. If you must share, “keep your circle of informants small and limited to people you […]

When you wrong someone–a colleague, a subordinate, a customer–apologize by doing three things: (1) Without qualifiers, say you’re sorry. (2) Make amends if you can. (3) Explain what you’ll do to make sure the error doesn’t happen again.

When networking at a business event, hold your drink in your left hand. This prevents your handshakes from being cold and damp.

Listening to music while you work can do more than make you feel better–it can also make you more productive, experts say. “It breaks you out of just thinking one way,” says Teresa Lesiuk, an assistant professor, University of Miami.

Avoid confrontation when discussing politics in the workplace. There’s a right way and a wrong way to phrase your comments, writes Lynze Wardle Lenio at the Daily Muse. “Remember that it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to convince your office mates to switch political parties–or even their position on an issue–in a 30-minute conversation at […]

Keep people positive, even in times of crises, by referring to problems as “challenges.”

People will hold back if they doubt you want an honest assessment. Say, “I think I may not be seen as an effective problem solver. How do you think I should change that.”

Join groups outside your usual comfort zone to really make the most out of the social networking site, advises Careerealism.com

Ask these questions: What’s the next action we need to get this moving? What do you need to make that happen? What will you do next? Then what? What’s the priority right now? What’s the next step?

Give employees, customers or clients a positive feeling about engaging with you by saying: “I took your suggestion.” Telling them that you valued their ideas enough to use them makes a powerful impact.