Regain your focus
Here’s why you’re distracted: The hub where your work happens—the computer—is also where endless distractions reside. To stay focused during the workday, let your deepest values become a more powerful guide to your behaviors.
Category: Career
No need for a game face
A fake smile could be bad for your health. According to a study recently published in the Academy of Management Journal, putting on a game face can actually worsen your mood and cause you to withdraw from work.
Looking for support? Here’s who you need
Whether you’re trying out a new routine or trying to shift to a new career path, you’ll need supporters. These are the people who can advise you or simply listen to you when you need it. According to Laura Goodrich, author of Seeing Red Cars, you need three types of supporters during your journey. And all three are useful in their own way.
Before the next teardrop falls
It’s a horrible feeling—the sting of hot tears welling up. Here are five ways to rein in runaway emotions before you cry at work:
A yawner of a study
A recent survey reveals unsurprising news: U.S. workers still aren’t getting a good night’s rest. But it’s not just how much sleep you get that matters. It’s the way you sleep.
Spawn conference learning that lasts
Returning home after a conference with a stack of books, handouts and notes leads to the inevitable question: Now what? Make sure your newly gained knowledge stays with you:
Is management right for you?
Question: “I decided to apply for a management job. I expected to receive the same salary as my friend, who has a similar position with another team. When I got the promotion, my new boss didn’t say how much my raise would be. It turns out that I not only make less than my friend, but I also work about 50% more hours. I want to transfer to a different department, but I am not sure how to go about it.”
Good news for optimists
Some findings about folks who look on the sunny side, adapted from “Why It’s Smart to Be Optimistic”:
Is the job worth a nip and a tuck?
A 64-year-old receptionist in a Chicago doctor’s office—we’ll call her Jane—recently received an ultimatum: Do something about your thinning hair or be transferred to a job with less patient contact. Jane says, “I was absolutely devastated.” How far would you go to stay competitive by improving your looks?
Old ‘tales’ wag us all
Depending on our personal history, values, beliefs, language and culture, we bring a unique perspective to the workplace. Our perspective is what creates the stories we use to justify our behavior for taking or not taking action. These same stories explain our successes and failures and how we deal with others.