If you’ve received an invitation to a party at your boss’s home, yes, you do have to RSVP, attend, dress appropriately, mingle and send a thank-you note afterward, says Barbara Pachter, a leading expert in business etiquette and communications. And turn off your cell phone!
Linda recently wrote on our
Admin Pro Forum, “I recently took a job where I supervise three administrative assistants. I work directly on a daily basis with one admin … but I don’t have daily contact with the other two admins, because they are in different parts of the building. How do I supervise the other two and complete their performance evaluations?”
Imagine the task of helping the CEO of a $408 billion business stay organized. Walmart CEO Mike Duke relies on his assistant, Paula, to help him track a business that spans 8,500-plus stores and employs 2.1 million people. What organizing principles keep the office humming?
Question: “Our group has one person, ‘Cindy,’ who is called the team lead. This is not a supervisory position. Although she is just supposed to assist our supervisor and fill in when he’s away, Cindy constantly tells me what to do. Because our open-door policy says we can go straight to the vice president, I plan to discuss the situation with her. What do you think?” — Not a Pushover
From the ranting heard at political protests and on reality TV, it’s clear these are angry times. The problem is that many of us don’t know how to effectively handle an angry ranter when confronted with one. We can learn much from customer service professionals, who have honed their skills in defusing a hothead—and not taking it personally.
November 1, 2010
Categorized in: Teamwork
Not everyone in the workplace needs to be innovative. Think about a movie set. For every director, there are hordes of people who must be technically proficient, patient and disciplined about their jobs. If everyone innovates, the project turns chaotic. What the workplace actually needs more of is creatonomy.
Jonah’s boss always tells employees to “think outside the box.” But when they do, top executives always turn them down. How can you convince the boss to try your ideas? Start by not selling an innovative big idea. Follow these steps:
Question: “I manage a group of four women who bicker constantly and ‘cop an attitude.’ To make it worse, I recently hired a young, inexperienced secretary who is very rude … I feel like I’m supervising a bunch of tattling 2-year-olds. Sometimes, I plan what I’m going to say about these issues, then I chicken out. I know I need a stronger backbone, but I don’t like dealing with conflict. What should I do?”
Moving on up can be thorny if you’re not prepared to make the transition from peer to supervisor. David Peck, aka “The Recovering Leader,” offers six points to consider during and after a promotion:
Tap the knowledge of people in your network with Aardvark … Block yourself from frittering away hours online by trying out these two applications … Boost your energy by tackling an item on your to-do list … Cut out that trip to the post office … Never shy away from negotiating …
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