How to ask for feedback
You crave it. And you probably don’t get enough of it. Here’s how to ask for feedback on your performance: Schedule it. Explain what you want. Don’t fish for compliments. Ask for specifics. Stop being defensive …
Category: Communication
1-Minute Strategies: Feb. ’12
Stop monopolizing a conversation. Every time someone asks you a question, ask one in return … Resist the urge to do several things at once … Avoid sending an email to the wrong person, with this tip from Patricia Robb, author of the “Laughing All the Way to Work” blog …
Do you have a presence?
“Presence.” You know it when you see it: Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan had it. Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter did not. Those who have it gain an advantage in winning over others.
Business writing made simple
Strengthen your sentences by using fewer words and getting rid of awkward or passive construction. Practice by rewriting these wordy sample sentences, inspired by the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL):
Creating harmony among the generations
In some offices, you might kick-start relationships between older and younger workers with these tips: Try reverse-mentoring … Go out of your way to collaborate with different generations … Don’t get hung up on office etiquette you think everyone should be following.
Conversation stoppers
While these phrases aren’t grammatically incorrect, they tend to be used in all the wrong places: “With all due respect, …” “Does that make sense?” … “I hear what you’re saying, but …”
4 steps to conquering public speaking
Practice. That’s the best way to get comfortable with speaking in front of others. Although the idea of public speaking may sound terrifying, your confidence will get a major boost from stepping out of your comfort zone and into the spotlight.
How to assert your credibility
Affirm your credibility in a meeting with these five tactics:
Making the sale
No matter what you do in life, you have to sell something, writes author Michael Ellsberg—selling your boss on why he should promote you, selling your brilliant idea, or selling co-workers on why they should donate to your cause. How to sell, in a nutshell:
A little business advice from grandma
Grandmas are known for their nuggets of advice about bundling up in winter or baking a fruit cobbler. As it turns out, they know a thing or two about navigating the workplace, too. Pearls of wisdom from grandma: