Cliques in the workplace extend well beyond who sits with whom in the lunchroom. These informal but tightly knit circles often hold the information and influence that make offices hum. Knowing how to maneuver among them can spin your career to new heights.
If you lament others treating you like “just a secretary,” examine how you break the stereotype of one who types, files and fetches coffee.
If co-workers’ bad attitudes create tension, protect yourself from those office toxins.
When you’re frustrated by micromanagement or other demands at work, step back and study what the other person truly needs from you. One day Lydia Abram had an “ah ha moment” that taught her how to satisfy a micromanaging colleague’s needs without slowing down her work flow:
When a conflict with someone makes it hard to complete your job, you have five options to reach a resolution. The problem? We regularly rely on one or two options rather than using the best option for that particular situation. Defaulting to our favorite tactic instead of being flexible makes us less effective. Here are the five ways to respond to conflict and how to figure out which tactic to employ…