Q: “When I pass certain senior managers in the hall, they walk right by me and avoid eye contact. Sometimes they exhibit aggressive body language, such as failing to adjust their walk path when approaching me. We’ve been introduced, so their lack of common courtesy seems strange. I’m not sure how to interpret their actions or how to react without seeming either too aloof or too forward. What do you think?” New & Ignored
People fall under four “behavioral styles” based on what motivates them. Understanding your behavioral style and learning to identify and adapt to others’ can help you communicate better, writes Ivan Misner of BNI, a business-networking organization.
If your team isn’t sitting in the same office or even the same state, you may need some new management practices to keep things running smoothly. Try these tips from Travefy co-founder David Donner Chait.
If you’re using Windows 8 and want a great way to keep track of your to-do list, you should try an application called Qool, writes Dave Johnson, editor of eHow Tech.
The worst way to start a meeting? Ask everyone to volunteer their job titles when they introduce themselves. Titles remind others immediately of office status and can be intimidating when what you want is a real group atmosphere of equality and camaraderie.
Aging is a fact of life, but these days you can find plenty of ways to conceal its harsher effects on our appearance. Should you take advantage of these techniques?
Maybe you want to take a few months off to care for an ailing relative, to take a longer career break to raise a family or to realize your dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail now, rather than when you retire. When work becomes incompatible with the rest of your life, and you take a leave of absence from the job, don’t drop your career in the dust.
Q: “After asking my boss for additional help, I was thrilled when he hired a young man in his early twenties. My excitement was short-lived, because ‘Jeff’ is both inexperienced and lazy. Even though I’m the office manager, Jeff reports directly to my boss. I have all the responsibility for his work, but no authority over him. I got tired of nagging and correcting his errors, so now I’m doing most of his work myself. After other employees began complaining, I finally mentioned Jeff’s behavior to my boss. However, he didn’t believe a word I said. What do I do now?” Sick of Jeff