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Category: Communication

‘I’m Katherine, not Kathy!’

Katherine Griffin, who writes for the blog “Corporette,” recalls the time she was newly hired and her office liaison called her “Kathy” right off the bat. “He immediately began promoting me to other partners as ‘Kathy’—which made me cringe.” Knowing when to correct someone, and when to let it go, is the first step. Next, you need to figure out how to do it tactfully. Some suggestions from Griffin:

Drawing the boss-friend line

When you’re promoted to a position where you must manage former peers—or current friends—it’s only natural to want them to like you. But at the same time, as a manager, you need to demonstrate fairness. Earn the respect of the team and build trust with these tips:

Update the boss with daily e-mail memos

Every night, when CEO Danny Meyer goes home, he reads a daily memo that his executive assistant e-mails him. “I don’t know how we managed without them,” says the leader of Union Square Hospitality Group. Consider using a productivity booster like an e-mailed daily memo to keep communication strong between you and your boss.

1-Minute Strategies: May ’10

Elevate the clarity of your writing by using the inverted pyramid style that journalists use … Go ahead, give someone a high five or a supportive pat on the back … Send large files fast by using a free service such as YouSendIt Lite … Gain credibility by stripping “marketese” from your writing geared toward customers … Double-check e-mail messages where the stakes are high.

4 lessons from stand-up comedy

Steve Cody, a public relations consultant who blogs as The Repman, says he’s learned four things about good communication from practicing stand-up comedy: 1. Courage builds courage. 2. Timing is (almost) everything. 3. It’s not just what you say, but how. 4. Humor works like a magnet.

3 secrets to collaboration

How well do you and your boss communicate? Two people working closely must communicate well in order to collaborate and work effectively. According to research from Gallup, people who are “excellent collaborators” give themselves high ratings for each of the following statements: