4 ways to quash inappropriate remarks
Forget the tirade. Rather than huff and holler when overhearing a discriminatory comment, quash it with poise. Experts share their best strategies for dealing with inappropriate remarks:
Category: Communication
Getting along with ‘frenemies’
Frenemies aren’t just found on reality TV shows; they’re everywhere. Even Apple has one: Google. If you have “frenemies”—colleagues with whom you have cordial, unproductive relationships—don’t give up. Before they become full-fledged enemies, take these steps:
Is your writing foggy?
When writing for a broad audience, pay attention to what’s called the “fog index,” which measures the density of your writing. Never mind how it’s calculated—a complex formula tracks things such as word lengths, sentence lengths and syllables. Test your writing by plugging a sentence or two into the text box at www.panix.com/~dhf/fog.html.
1-Minute Strategies: April ’10
Hold more-focused meetings… Keep emoticons out of business communication … Find salary information for administrative positions in your area … Save money on printing … Avoid this grammar trap … Receive the credit you deserve …
Didn’t impress? Try again
You already know nothing is more valuable than a good first impression. What should you do if you arrived late, stuck your foot in your mouth or just weren’t feeling like your usual self during that first encounter? Should you throw in the towel and accept your fate? Absolutely not! Even though research supports the difficulty in overcoming a negative first impression, you can take action to up the odds of getting back in someone’s good graces.
Being good at your job isn’t good enough — 4 smart ways to become indispensible
It’s a myth that good work makes a good career—rather, good office politics makes a good career, says career columnist Penelope Trunk. Here’s are four common-sense rules to follow. They’ll make people want to work with you, and boost your credibility and influence in the process.
It’s not your age, it’s your attitude
What can you do about the younger boss who ignores your experience? That was the question an admin reader posted recently on our Admin Pro Forum. She writes, “Most of our managers are younger and think they know everything. They tend to listen to the younger, fresh-out-of-college administrators.” Readers weighed in with their advice:
Trim the fat from business writing
In business writing, you don’t receive extra credit for slathering your sentences with fancy phrases, the way you did in college. Do that in a memo, and you can expect eyes to glaze over. What you cut from your writing is often more important than what you add to it, says Jane Dominguez of The Write Business Advantage. Trim the clutter from business writing with her tips:
3 good e-mail forwarding tips
When you first see “FW:” in your e-mail inbox, you never know whether the sender is sharing something useful or frivolous. Use the “forward” button wisely, and you can connect others with valuable information or make a new, prized introduction. Keep these three tips in mind:
How social support at work pays off
A new academic study finds that people who get along with their co-workers deal better with life’s stresses. The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, also looked at the connection between work stress and depression.