When you must deliver criticism about someone’s work, it’s best to be direct rather than diplomatic. Avoid the all-too-common practice of mixing positive messages with negative ones. It’s confusing to the recipient. Steer clear of the classic feedback “sandwich”: good news, followed by bad news, ending with good news. Eating a …
A good writer welcomes good edits. A bad writer resents them, seeing them only as personal attacks. Share your material while it’s still rough — the feedback will help you improve it much faster than if you were toiling in isolation. Routinely ask your colleagues, including those you supervise, to read your drafts and suggest …
It’s impossible to know if you’ll really like a career direction until you try it. To avoid costly mistakes — and wasting your energy — take a test-drive. If you can spare nights or weekends, or afford to go without a paycheck for a short period, try volunteering. Offer to help out at an organization or assist an entrepreneur …
You’re not the only one who walks into a networking mixer full of dread. Before you make a run for the door, try a different approach. Tell yourself that it isn’t about you. Instead of trying to meet potential clients, or making another connection that will advance your career, focus exclusively on what you can do for the other …
In today’s organizations, persuasion trumps formal power. To get things done, you need to be able to sway the undecided and convert opponents. Here are three ways to do that:
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Buzzwords, insider concepts, and industry lingo have no place in your presentation. Each field has its own lexicon that’s familiar to experts but foreign to everyone else. Unless you’re speaking to a group of people who are steeped in the material, you’re better off avoiding highly technical or industry-specific language.
Stories are inherently sequential. One thing happens, then another, then another. That structure works well not only in books and films, but also in business writing because it helps readers follow along.
It’s hard to carve out time to relax in a 24/7 world. But just as it’s healthy to focus at work — ignoring Facebook and personal email — you must occasionally leave work behind.
When people don’t achieve company goals, senior managers often declare that it’s time to change the culture. But sweeping, large-scale culture change efforts rarely cure what ails a company. Managers get better results when they start with a few smaller successes.
Most managers today understand how to use online tools to build and expand their networks. It’s easy to reach out to industry contacts and colleagues through LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. But building a useful online network requires focus on three things: reputation, specialization, and network position.
No matter what industry you work in, what role you fill, or how successful you are, chances are you’ve made a bad career decision. Here are two of the most common ones and how to avoid them
Whenever you write an email, proposal, or report, it is up to you — not the reader — to make sure your point is understood. Here are three ways to ensure your ideas aren’t misinterpreted
