Employees, managers, and HR professionals have long questioned the accuracy and effectiveness of annual performance reviews. But is there a viable alternative to the often inflexible and infrequent formal process?
Management & Leadership
To Persuade a Listener, Establish Common Ground
It’s one thing to give a smooth presentation. It’s another to move the people in your audience to do something. To accomplish the latter, figure out what you have in common with the people in the room, and speak to the audience at that level. Think about the values, interests, shared experiences, or challenges that you share so you …
Best and Worst Months To Be Born If You Want To Be the Boss
There’s been much research and writing over the years about the positive and negative affects of birth month on various aspects of life, few as well known as Malcolm Gladwell‘s 2008 bestseller Outliers: The Story of Success. Now …
What to Expect If You Take a Bad Job
In this economy, many believe you’d be insane to turn down a job. Certainly, if you’re unemployed, you might need to take any position offered to you. But if you’re considering a job offer that you know isn’t right for you, think about the risks:
- Getting stuck. Once you’re in a certain job, organization, or field, it might
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Change Your Company’s Story
How many times have you heard someone say, “That’s the way we’ve always done it”? Narratives like these suggest inevitability, and can inhibit change rather than inspire it. They can be deeply ingrained and difficult to challenge. But people remember stories more easily than numbers, and if told in the right way and with the …
How to Practice for Your Presentation
Whether it’s your first time in front of an audience or you’re a seasoned public speaker, practice is essential. Make sure you build in extra time for it. Go through all your material each time you rehearse, including how you are going to stand and move, and how you will incorporate any visuals. To prevent technical gaffes, use the …
Three Ways to Stop Procrastination
Procrastination may feel like the human condition, but it doesn’t have to. To get out of your own way and increase your productivity, try these three tactics:
Position Your Startup for the Long-Term
When starting a new business, there’s a strong temptation to make decisions for the short term. But you need to anticipate the long-term challenges. There are three things it’s critical to get right:
Start Your New Job the Right Way
A new job is stressful. You’re not sure what’s expected of you or how to prove yourself. Here are three things you can do to increase your chances of success:
Make Progress on That Long-Term Project
Big projects with far-off (or non-existent) deadlines can often be the most nerve-racking: You might put them off until the last minute, or let them sit on your to-do list mentally torturing you for months. Here’s how to keep moving forward:
Stop Sabotaging Yourself
When faced with a big challenge, it’s tempting to anticipate the obstacles that might get in the way, and use them as an excuse not to move forward. But this type of self-handicapping will prevent you from reaching your potential. Here’s how to stop it:
Money Isn’t the Only Motivator for Top Talent
Many managers worry about how to retain top talent without breaking the bank. The good news is that even with the most sought after A-players, research shows non-monetary rewards can be more appealing than high salaries.
