The Golden Rule of the meet ‘n’ greet
Networking may seem like a mysterious skill that’s beyond your grasp, but actually, it’s as simple as this Golden Rule: Always offer to help, and never expect anything in return. Three ways the rule works:
Category: Internal Communication
Speed up an answer to your voice mail
Research shows that people take longer to reply to voice messages than other types of communication. Even getting a voice message heard is a challenge. So what can you do to ensure that people respond to a message you leave them? Try these tips:
Office politics: 4 tips
It pays to be a good politician, according to a new survey by Robert Half. Workers were asked, “In your opinion, what effect, if any, does involvement in office politics have on one’s career?” Their responses:
Caught in another ‘question trap’ on the job?
Sarah spent the afternoon working on a quarterly report for her boss, only to hear this when she delivered it at day’s end: “This isn’t a final version, is it? It won’t be a problem for you to work overtime today and fix this, will it?” Her boss just delivered a question trap—a leading question.
5 things you shouldn’t say to your boss
Build a stronger relationship with your boss by never letting these phrases cross your lips: 1. “It’s not my job.” 2. “It’s not my fault.” 3. “I can’t work with Person A.” 4. “I can’t do X, because I have to do Y.” 5. “That’s not possible.”
Use improv to improve listening skills
Most improv performers could tell you about this crucial rule of great improv: You’ve got to listen to your scene partner. Otherwise, you may miss an important cue or the opportunity to collaborate on a creative idea. It’s the same in the workplace. Here’s an improv activity that’s worth a try:
Grammar Repair Shop: Beware these misuses and abuses
Elevate your business writing by ridding it of these common misuses and abuses: 1. Ill-placed question marks. 2. Cool-sounding buzzwords. 3. Clichés.
Answer the boss’s tough questions
The boss shares an idea, and then asks, “What do you think?” You don’t have an instant answer. How do you avoid looking stumped?
Who’s in your network at work?
Winning at office politics could begin with this key question, “Who am I dependent on to get my job done?”
Building your online rapport
In the age of Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, the rules of social engagement have shifted ever so slightly. A few tips on building rapport online: