It’s easy for a mentoring relationship to outlive its worth. You get into a groove, you enjoy the stimulating conversations, and you’re learning. But sometimes you have to move on to move up. Set goals and assess whether you have achieved them. Once you have, it might be time to find a new mentor to help you with your next set of …
workplace
Business Etiquette: 5 Rules That Matter Now
The word “etiquette” gets a bad rap. For one thing, it sounds stodgy and pretentious. And rules that are socially or morally prescribed seem intrusive to our sense of individuality and freedom.
But the concept of etiquette is …
Why U.S. Businesses Are Nervous About Losing Boomer Retirees
Along with overburdened retirement plans and overcrowded early-bird buffet bars comes yet one more worry as the flood of Baby Boomer retirements begins: The overwhelming majority of America businesses are not prepared to deal …
4 Secrets of the Most Productive People
The path to productivity is not a new assistant or project management software. It’s these four shared characteristics.
Regain Your Focus
Multitasking may speed you through your to-do list, but it also makes you more likely to make mistakes and miss important cues, and less likely to retain information. Here are three ways to focus:
Need a Mentor? Forget the Expert
When people early in their careers seek mentors, they often target those with a depth of experience. But experts can’t teach you everything. And, often they are so far removed from your day-to-day work that they can’t help you solve problems. Select at least one mentor with only a few more years of experience than you. Someone who …
Beware of Falling Trees: The Best and Worst Jobs in America
Lumberjacks are celebrated in folklore (hello, Paul Bunyan) and in song (hello Monty Python), but as a career choice lumberjacking leaves something to be desired. At least according to the Jobs Rated 2012 report released earlier …
4 Perks Employees Love
In the dot com/bomb heyday, kooky perks became the icon of much that was wrong with start-ups, as they blew through investment money and got little to nothing in return. And that is unfortunate. When competition for talent is …
Take Harsh Criticism in Stride
Whether it’s an office rival or a well-intended colleague, someone will likely say something punitive or hurtful to you at some point in your career. When it happens, remember:
Teacher’s Aide Fired for Refusing to Let Employer Shoulder Surf Her Facebook Page
The Facebook-related firings have begun: A teacher’s aide in Michigan was let go from her job after a school administrator demanded that she turn over her Facebook password and she refused. The aide, Kimberly Hester, is preparing …
Forget Motivation, You Need Follow Through
When approaching a difficult task — getting to the gym, writing an important presentation — you may chide yourself for lacking motivation to get it done. However, it’s often not a question of motivation, but follow through. You may want to do the task — you know it’s important — but your brain talks you out of it. You tell …
Millennials vs. Baby Boomers: Who Would You Rather Hire?
A new poll reveals just how different Gen Y workers are from their Baby Boomer forefathers. Among other things, millennials (those in their 20s and early 30s) want flexible work schedules, more “me time” on the job, and nearly …