You may make oral blunders without even realizing it. "There are three verbal blunders that are real problems for many of us, that keep us from exuding confidence,” says Susan Mason, a principal with Vital Visions Consultants.
When execs talk more frequently and honestly with staff, says communications expert Debra Hamilton, employees can relax and do their jobs. When employees feel “in the know, they are more involved, committed and accountable.”
Climbing the career ladder requires the appropriate gear, say executives in a recent survey. Executives were asked, “To what extent does someone’s style of dress at work influence his or her chances of being promoted?”
In a meeting with the entire department, you make the mistake of pitching your idea … as an alternative to your boss’s idea. You e-mail the boss afterward to explain your idea in more detail, hoping to smooth things over and pique her interest. But she isn’t talking. Was your idea really
that
bad?
If your performance evaluation is at least six months away, start tracking now the value you bring to your job, especially if you want a raise. That’s according to David Lorenzo, managing partner at The Gallup Organization and author of Career Intensity.
You’re the only one who really knows what you want. So ask for it. That’s the lesson Mackenzie Dawson learned at her first job as an entry-level newspaper writer. She longed to write feature-length stories.