Terry asked for help telling her directors that they could no longer get the same level of support from a single admin that they’d been leaning too heavily on and would need to be more self-sufficient. One reader, Lynn says, “It helps if you brainstorm other resources with the directors instead of flat-out refusing.” Forum reader Chandra advises Terry to first get her own manager’s buy-in and then “reset their expectations” while assuring them that “the Support Services team” is there to help. She suggests Terry follow these 6 steps: 1) Document the new policy; 2) Communicate new policy in a manager’s meeting; 3) Send email stating new policy; 4) Ask staff to reinforce it by directing managers’ requests back to her; 5) Set a time-frame for all requests; and 6) Push back when tasks can be accomplished by their own departments.
Tidy up your text by counting the number of words you use per sentence, and compute the average. If it’s between 15 and 20 words per sentence, you pass … Never offer praise and ask for a favor in the same conversation. It makes the praise seem like a setup … Looking for ways to fill your time at work? Always frame your request positively.
At a business lunch, never, ever take huge bites of your food. Instead, take small bites so you can quickly swallow if someone asks you a question.
For Susan Ershler, reaching her goal didn’t just feel like climbing a mountain. She actually did climb one—or, rather, she climbed the tallest mountain on each continent. Ershler now tours and speaks about how she accomplished seemingly impossible goals, all while holding high-ranking sales positions in Fortune 500 companies.
Never be caught without an answer by memorizing this phrase: “Give me some time to check my notes on that. I want to be sure I get this right.”
Do you multitask while checking your BlackBerry? According to Ryan Hamilton, an assistant professor of marketing at Emory University, you may have a more difficult time controlling your temper or staying on a diet. A new study finds that frequently switching your mindset weakens your self-control.
Give attendees one less reason to gripe about meetings: Create an agenda that shows what the purpose, time frame and outcome of the meeting will be. First, send a draft agenda to attendees. If appropriate, ask for their input to refine, add or delete agenda items. Then resend it the day before the meeting. That […]
Sound more credible by controlling your breathing, particularly when you get nervous or excited. Practice breathing from the diaphragm, not the chest. It helps to lower your pitch and to project your voice more easily.
Don’t start a speech by citing “eight ways to beat inflation” or “10 rules of teamwork.” After the first one, your audience will quickly calculate how long you’re likely to talk, and zone out. Adapted from The Speechwriter’s Handbook of Humor, Robert Orben, Marion Street Press.
Question: “My last performance review did not go as well I would have liked. I am trying to accept this and learn from the experience. My only issue is that we were not given our annual goals until the middle of the year. It seems rather unfair to judge me on goals that were unclear for six months. The same kind of delay appears to be happening again this year. Shouldn’t companies be expected to give employees their goals on time?” —Lacking Objectives
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