What’s your communication IQ?
Do you know how to win people over by saying the right thing? Find out in this survey crafted by Laurie Puhn, Harvard lawyer, couples mediator and best-selling author, designed to gauge your communication IQ.
Category: Communication
Grammar school rules
Which unforgettable writing lesson did you learn in school? Are there any you still use today? See if any of these ring a bell:
5 things co-workers don’t want to hear
Socializing at work is good for you, according to a jillion studies. What’s not so good: getting stuck in a conversation that seems to never end, about a colleague’s trip to the pet groomer or the adorable 10 things the co-worker’s child said yesterday. Avoid these topics:
Execs and admins: Bond that saves lives
The bond between a boss and assistant is far from ordinary. And feelings of devotion often run both ways. Consider these true life-saving stories of assistants and their executives:
Social networks make you healthier
A new study by researchers at Tel Aviv University found that employees with strong social networks on the job actually lived longer than those “working in a very unfriendly and nonsupportive environment.”
Why ‘and’ is better than ‘but’
Use “and” instead of “but,” advises Joan Burge of Office Dynamics. Why? Using “but” sets up a negative that can make people defensive and less likely to listen.
1-Minute Strategies: Nov. 11
Make your email more readable by crafting enticing subject lines … Why wait for an annual review to get feedback? Ask for one-minute feedback at every opportunity … Knock out more of your critical to-dos by whittling down your to-do list each day … Go ahead: Ask for a $100,000 salary …
What’s wrong with this sentence?
Correct any punctuation errors in the following sentences. Caution: Some sentences may already be correct, so don’t be fooled.
Writing email that gets read
Boost the odds that people will read your emails. Five guidelines: 1. Limit your message to five sentences. 2. Figure out your main point. 3. Edit. 4. Ask one thing at a time, or maybe two. 5. Include a link to information available online.
Why you should not ignore sexist jabs
Studies show how hesitant people are to challenge offensive or sexist comments. But psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson says there are at least three good reasons to confront someone making lewd or sexist comments—despite the fear of retaliation: