How essential is the latest technology to today’s Gen Y workers, or those ages 18 to 29? In a recent Workplace Options survey, 92% of Gen Y respondents said that offering access to the latest technology makes employers more attractive than their competition.
“The issues most people struggle with have little to do with our ability to do the work,” says Quint Studer, author of The Great Employee Handbook: Making Work and Life Better. “It’s all the things that happen around the work. … It’s whether we make life easier for our co-workers or more difficult.” He offers these four workplace secrets:
Studies show that participating in a variety of activities helps preserve acumen, creative thinking and a “vigorous” mind. So if you’re doing a boring, repetitive task at work, stimulate your brain cells (and the connections between them) by wearing headphones. Download interesting podcasts to keep learning new things. Outside of work, join a book club, […]
Office politics doesn’t have to be manipulative or sleazy. In fact, it’s one of the most direct, smart and savvy ways to make your mark with those that count. Here are three rules to win the game of office politics.
Bosses aren’t the only ones who can provide feedback to employees. Giving negative feedback requires you to counsel and criticize in a way that alerts a co-worker to where the problem lies and what must be done to solve it. Follow this seven-step method:
Question: “A friend has had several interviews for counseling positions. Although she feels that they have gone well, she is never asked back for a second round. She is well-qualified, has a Master’s degree, and presents herself very professionally. I’m afraid the problem may be her age (57) or the fact that she and her husband filed for bankruptcy last year. What do you think?” —Wanting to Help
Keep a mentoring relationship going with these three tips … See a tweet with a link you want to remember? Click the star-shaped Favorite button next to the Retweet button … Be smart but not a know-it-all. The best employees are learners, not knowers or naysayers.
Opening your email inbox to find a message criticizing your work is bad enough. But it’s even worse when you notice that your boss was cc’d on the message. An administrative professional recently encountered this situation and wrote about it on our online forum.
Since talent grows with persistence and effort… failure should be seen as simply an opportunity to learn and improve. Unfortunately many people avoid failure at all costs, seeking to solve the same problems over and over. People like to feel competent, but if they shy away from new tasks because of a fear of failure, […]