If you have acted poorly in the past, your reputation may still be suffering even if you have since changed your ways, writes career coach Dorothy Tannahill-Moran. There’s no surefire way to fix the damage, but a few techniques may help.
Before you address an audience of one or 100, know your goal and prepare an outline to stay on track. Start with simple ideas and add complex points (evidence, details, case studies) gradually. Consider the pros and cons of four formats:
Is that a memo you’re typing or the Gettysburg Address? When documents look like one big block of text, it’s time to deploy formatting techniques to make your words more scannable and easier to digest.
Question: “I approached my boss about a pay increase after my one-year employment anniversary. He told me the company had a freeze on wages, but that something ‘might be possible in a couple of months.’ When I checked back three months later, he said the freeze was still on and used the poor economy as an excuse. I have a lot of traits that any business would want, and it’s not my fault the economy is in bad shape. Why should this company get my services at a price below my market value?” Underpaid
Microsoft Word’s grammar check alerts you when you repeat a word, but is repeating a word always wrong? Bonnie Trenga, author of The Curious Case of the Misplaced Modifier, says no. Here are several examples to illustrate when it’s perfectly fine to repeat a word.
Keynote speakers at the Administrative Professionals Conference this year included motivational speaker J.R. Martinez and personal financial expert Manisha Thakor. Among the key themes:
When you wrong someone–a colleague, a subordinate, a customer–apologize by doing three things: (1) Without qualifiers, say you’re sorry. (2) Make amends if you can. (3) Explain what you’ll do to make sure the error doesn’t happen again.
Most people would agree that it’s important to manage your emotions in the office. But is it appropriate to create official policies that would ban heated exchanges? That’s what one reader asked recently on the Admin Pro Forum.
Bosses today value input from the receptionists and administrative assistants who come into contact with candidates during the interview process. What’s worth passing along to your boss?