How assertive are you?
This self-assessment scale will help you spot weaknesses in your ability to express yourself, especially where confrontation is concerned.
Year: 2013
5 ways to improve your writing skills
Like it or not, people judge you by how you write. Strong writing skills will help you get noticed, earn your colleagues’ trust and move you up in your career, says author and writing coach Roger C. Parker. Five suggestions to help you improve your writing:
Beware of talking yourself into accepting a job
Q: “I can’t decide whether to accept a recent job offer. I’ve had a lot of trouble communicating with the manager, who seems unable or unwilling to answer simple questions. Although the work sounds great, I would have to work a different schedule every day. The pay is also less than I deserve. I do have a backup job offer, but I don’t enjoy that type of work at all. What should I do?”
Should you take notes in meetings electronically?
For some people, a computer will never replace a pen and paper for note-taking during meetings. But for others, electronic notes may make more sense, especially if they have to share them electronically anyway. Here are three questions to determine which way is best.
Disagree tactfully with someone in public
Disagree tactfully with someone in public, by using one of these leadoff sentences.
When training, context is key
When training someone on a new task, remember to take a step back and explain exactly why it needs to be performed, everything it accomplishes and everything it affects. This will go a long way in helping memory retention and embedding the importance of the skill in the trainee’s consciousness.
Backgrounds in PowerPoint
Q. Is it better to use a dark or a light background in PowerPoint?
Overpower rivals to sell your idea
The last time you floated an idea to the team, a group of opponents shouted you down with such force that they rattled you, and you let the idea drop. Next time, use these potent phrases to monopolize the conversation long enough for you to convince the “silent majority” on the team to support your idea.
Thwart tattling co-workers by going to the source
Q: “ ‘Carol,’ our administrative assistant, loves to tell our manager about my problems. Yesterday, for example, I was late for a client appointment because I got stuck in traffic. When I called Carol to say that I would arrive in about fifteen minutes, I assumed she would just explain the delay to the client. Instead, she decided to inform my boss, who blew it all out of proportion. Although my manager doesn’t want to be bothered with these trivial issues, he still gets angry when he hears about them. How should I handle this?”
4 tips to help travelers beat bed bugs
There are a lot of worries that come with life on the road and one of the most common today is the fear of bringing home bed bugs, says Forbes contributor and frequent traveler Katie Kelly Bell. Getting rid of a bed bug infestation can cost hundreds of dollars, but bed bug elimination professionals ThermaPro have advice for keeping them out in the first place.