Category: Tactfully Speaking

What message are you sending to others when you minimize your job to the point where you believe you don’t need a business card?

If you feel like you don’t have every skill set you need yet, don’t let that stop you. Too often, women feel they must have 110% proficiency before saying yes to the next opportunity, while research shows men only feel the need to be at 80%. You’re smart and can learn as you go.

Have you been taught to “sandwich” constructive criticism be­­tween two positive statements? I think this is a distasteful way of delivering feedback, and here’s why.

Recent research suggests that supervisors target those who are least likely to defend themselves. This dysfunctional pattern can be shifted if you’re willing to take action.

Networking is a skill that supports you in the good times and is key to your survival in bad times. That’s why I strongly believe LinkedIn, which bills itself as the “world’s largest professional network,” is an invaluable tool for ad­­ministrative assistants.

In a professional setting, know-it-alls can undermine office morale, along with your credibility. That’s why you need to deal with them effectively.

Do you find yourself watching time pass and still not beginning—let alone completing—what you say you want? Well, there’s no magic formula that allows others to succeed while you don’t. It all boils down to daily discipline.

Too often women hesitate to ask for what they want, need and deserve until given permission. Women are just as effective at negotiating—it’s simply a matter of choosing to do so.