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Year: 2012

New tool: Online database of consent decrees

As part of negotiated settlements or court judgments, employers often sign off on “consent decrees” in which they agree to take (or stop) a certain action or pay damages. The Labor and Employment Law Program at Cornell University has unveiled an online repository of consent decrees, searchable by type of claim.

Are you a ‘reverse leader’?

You’ve probably seen reverse ­leadership in action: when someone not in a formal leadership role demonstrates great leadership ability, Scott Edinger, founder of Edinger Consulting Group, observes. Do you have the makings of a reverse leader? Here’s what admins should ask of themselves:

Problem: Difficult co-worker is boss’s relative

Question: Every night, my husband “Scott” comes home talking about a co-worker who is driving him crazy.  Most of our after-work conversations now center on his latest problem with “Rachel.” Rachel is related to the company president, who apparently can’t see her true nature. Whenever Scott asks Rachel a question, she pointedly ignores him. She frequently instructs him to do things that he later learns he wasn’t supposed to do. She has even told people that Scott said things that he never said.  Rachel also avoids work and wastes time chatting with her friends.  She sometimes disappears completely. My husband loves his job and gets along with his other co-workers, but the Rachel problem seems to be getting worse. Please help.  Scott’s Wife.

Watch out for your blind spot

To avoid being a casualty of your own flaws, examine your blind spot. Brent Sherwin, a manager at Schwan Food Co., learned this lesson after hearing from his boss that he’d be stymied in his career unless he was better able to work with colleagues.

PowerPoint bells and whistles: noise or not?

I recently heard a train-the-trainer presenter refer to all animations and transitions as unnecessary fluff and distractions. While I agree that animation beyond basic slide transitions can be distracting, I do think there is a place for well-placed advanced features in your PowerPoint. Here are my basic guidelines: