Banish those boring meetings
Setting a few rules about your meetings can make them effective and energizing, writes Jenny Evans in Fast Company. Here’s how to do it.
Year: 2015
Do you know a liar when you see one?
Americans tell an average of two lies each day, but different people lie at different rates. Twenty percent of the people tell 80% of the lies. Either way, there’s a good chance someone will lie to you as you go about your day, so it’s wise to know how to spot and handle liars.
Do you have enough of an argument for better pay?
Q: “I feel fairly certain that I’m not being paid what I am worth. When I was hired by this start-up company, the salary offer seemed quite low for someone with a Master’s degree. I only accepted because asking for money makes me very uncomfortable. Now I feel even more underpaid because I have been given so many responsibilities. I can’t help resenting my minimal paycheck. How can I correct this?” Below Market
4 tips for effective virtual delegation
It’s hard enough to pass off a task without being physically disconnected from someone. But in the modern age, you don’t always get to delegate face to face.
Start each day off in a productive way
Making a few small changes to your morning routine can give you a serious boost of productivity, writes John Brandon, an Inc. contributing editor. He suggests doing these eight things at the start of each day.
Practice the ‘5 zeros’
Here are “five zeros” that will simplify your work.
5 exceptions to the grammar rules
Once you’ve learned all the basic rules of English grammar, you’ll find there are almost as many exceptions. Grammarly Director of Communications Allison VanNest explains some words that act in ways you might not expect.
Why the boss’s irrational last-minute requests always win
Q: “I am extremely organized and always plan my work carefully. I know exactly which tasks I must complete every day in order to meet my deadlines. The problem is that my boss constantly comes up with ad hoc requests and expects me to immediately drop whatever I’m doing to focus on his latest whim. Instead of rewarding this impulsive behavior, I usually put his requests aside until I can work them into my schedule. He doesn’t like this, so he has given me a bad performance review. I really can’t figure out how to work with him.” Hopeless
What’s the underlying message?
Written words, especially in emails or texts, often can be misleading as they are void of vocal inflection, body language and other cues. How often have you written something with a hint of sarcasm only to discover the reader took it at face value?
Focus on small wins
Sometimes, reaching distant goals can feel like an unending quest, especially if our objectives are months or years away. So how do we stay focused for the long haul?