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Year: 2012

How to handle a boss who’s a hoarder

“My boss carried several boxes of files into the office one day because his wife told him to remove them from their garage. They have been sitting in the office for more than two years! He won’t let me throw anything away.” What can this admin do about a boss who’s a hoarder?

Strike up the best conversational mix

The best communicators balance advocacy and inquiry. Advocacy means you state what you think, know, want or feel and express your own views. Inquiry involves learning what others think, know, want or feel. The best conversationalists mix both skills. They don’t dominate by blabbing on about themselves nor do they badger with constant, prying questions. […]

Being “management material” means losing resentments

Question: Two of my female co-workers have management wrapped around their little fingers. These women have been here much longer than I have, but my qualifications and experience are twice as good.  However, I recently discovered that my salary is a lot lower. Although my supervisor’s boss says that I am management material, my supervisor treats me no differently than my complacent co-workers. After receiving an excellent performance review, I was dismayed to learn that he gave them the same rating…

Do you look like you can handle the job?

A growing body of research confirms what you may have suspected: Looks matter, especially when it comes to making a first impression on others. Surprisingly, though, it’s also the way people draw conclusions about our ability to do a job.

Be curious

To stay interested and excited about your work, Todd Kashdan, author of Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life advises you to, “Treat your workplace like a research lab. Even if you can’t lessen the number of seemingly mindless tasks…you can explore, experiment and discover what is novel about the assignments.”