Category: 1-Minute Strategy

Group emails asking for help are rarely a good idea. This is because of a simple social principle: the more people believe others are available to assist, the less likely they themselves will jump in. Whenever you can, address these requests one by one.

Here’s a sequel to the classic tip about always attaching a document before you actually compose an email to avoid the “oops” moment of forgetting to include it. Remember also to enter the recipient’s address in the “To” field only after you write and re-read your message. Take the vow: No more prematurely sent emails […]

Clue in the boss about what you’re doing. “It’s stunning to me how many people think that if they keep their heads down and work hard, their boss ‘will just know’ what they’re contributing,” says communication consultant Peggy Klaus. “Don’t make [the boss] guess.”

Few people get excited when they see yet another meeting invitation float into their inbox. To intrigue and entice them a little, give the meeting a title. A title suggests that a real narrative may emerge and reminds people in a subtle way to stay focused on the topic. Make it funny, make it dramatic […]

Try taking just one day to review a big batch of your most recent emails and ask yourself, Is there a chance someone could take these words the wrong way? Try to assume the recipients are feeling especially defensive about the issue, and that you don’t know them as well as you think. Entertaining these […]

When you’re interviewing for jobs, you might find yourself talking only to an HR rep or other hiring manager who won’t be directly supervising you. But don’t accept a position without speaking directly to the person you’ll be working under. It’s too great a gamble to not meet everyone who will have such an influence […]

What’s the most common lie we accidentally tell each other every day? That we’ll be home in 10 minutes, or a phone call will just make us five minutes late, or it’ll only be a half hour before a project is done. When we speak to others, we chronically underestimate the amount of time things […]

For job security, make sure to spend some time on tasks that cut across departmental lines—and even if you can’t adopt many tasks, make yourself known by getting on a conversational basis with everyone in the office, not just your group. Merely talking about the weekend can someday lead to talking about your involvement in […]

Just for one day, try this very subtle communication tweak to see how it changes the way you respond to people: Wait exactly two seconds before saying anything after someone finishes speaking. Those two seconds may be enough to keep you from making a snap criticism, agreeing to something you don’t feel great about or […]

So you get along great with everyone and everyone has nothing but good things to say about you. That’s terrific, but it can also have a double meaning. Ask yourself: Is my nature so generous and so kind that it actually keeps me from getting what I want out of my career and my life? […]