Liven up a boring meeting
You are in charge of a committee at work that no one seems to care about. Meeting attendance is lackluster, and those who do come rarely speak up. Here are 11 ways to make people feel more engaged.
Category: Communication
Does success hinge on the ‘X Factor’?
Do you aspire to work in the C-suite? You can safely assume that top executives will require a prized package of office skills. But most high-level execs say they also want assistants who have the “X Factor.” Love it or hate it, high-ranking executives want employees who can read minds, anticipate needs and supply that indescribable “something” that propels an executive toward success.
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Helping a co-worker with cancer
What’s the best way to help a co-worker who has cancer? Here’s advice from Kris Hart, a 43-year-old vice president of global brand management at Harrah’s Entertainment and a breast cancer survivor.
Time to ‘lunch’ your career
In the past month, have you asked someone to lunch who has made an impact on your life and career? If you’re drawing a blank, make a date and go out to lunch! Lunch is one of the few places left during business hours where people actually talk to each other without being interrupted. It reminds us to connect, ask questions, listen and learn.
‘Crowdsource’ to solve tech problems
Turn to the wisdom of crowds, rather than calling the help line, next time you encounter tech glitches on your Smartphone: BlackBerry.com’s forums break down problems by model.
Make yourself heard
Not surprisingly, there are better ways to persuade others to listen to your message. Communications expert Jennifer Benz, of Benz Communications, advises sticking to the “four corners” of effective employee communication.
1-Minute Strategies: Jan. ’09
Save time by storing “canned responses” on Gmail for commonly asked questions … Halt interruptions by giving your physical space a makeover … Turn voice-mail messages from your mobile, home or work phone into e-mail messages … Earn the mantle of “too valuable to lose”…
Rewarding a snitch can be a good thing
Here’s a new office morale booster: Organize a company snitch program. It runs on the same grapevine that conducts office gossip, only all the news is good. Snitchers tell one another about accomplishments, small victories or acts of heroism that go beyond the call of duty.
If it’s important, say it again
When you need co-workers to remember something, you need to deliver it multiple times, says William H. Rastetter, who taught at MIT and Harvard before becoming CEO of Idec Pharmaceuticals Corp.