Would You Know If You’re a Toxic Colleague? No one likes a toxic   coworker.  Even the most difficult people would probably be the first to agree.  Which raises a question: If you were “toxic,” would you know it? Here are three reasons you might  seem toxic, and strategies for changing your behavior if necessary: You seem cold.… Continue reading Would You Know If You’re a Toxic Colleague?

The Best Bosses Follow These 5 Rules Amazing bosses try to make work meaningful and enjoyable for employees. They’re most successful when they adhere to a few best practices: Manage individuals, not just teams. When you’re under pressure, you can forget that employees have varying interests, abilities, goals, and styles of learning. But it’s important to understand… Continue reading The Best Bosses Follow These 5 Rules

In an Argument, Validate Your Opponent’s Point of View When you’re in the middle of an argument, validating the person you’re arguing with is probably the last thing on your mind. But it should  actually be your top priority. If you validate your counterpart’s perspective, expertise, and feelings, you will keep the conflict focused on the issue. Use… Continue reading In an Argument, Validate Your Opponent’s Point of View

Prepare for Tough Business Situations as You’d Practice a Sport One key tenet of coaching professional sports is preparing people in the most realistic contexts possible. For example, a coach might  wet practice balls to prepare a team for wet gameday weather. You can apply similar thinking to business situations. For example, you might work on rehearsing your… Continue reading Prepare for Tough Business Situations as You’d Practice a Sport

Improve Your Team’s Productivity As a manager, you may already have learned how to plan, prioritize, and streamline your work. But how can you help your team members do the same? Start by setting a good example. Be smart about how you allocate the hours of your own workday — the meetings you attend, the emails… Continue reading Improve Your Team’s Productivity

Keep a Journal to Become a Better Leader The best leaders take time to reflect. One of the easiest ways to do this is to keep a journal. Set aside some time each day,  preferably the same time each day, and find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Keep that time carefully   guarded… Continue reading Keep a Journal to Become a Better Leader

Become a Better Learner Staying within your comfort zone is a good way to prepare for today but a terrible way to prepare for tomorrow. To sustain success, you must  develop the capacity for rapid, continuous learning. Enlisting a coach can be an invaluable way to do it. But if you don’t have a coach,… Continue reading Become a Better Leaner

Resolve a Conflict with a Remote Colleague What’s the best way to solve a disagreement with someone who’s working in a different location? First, try to give your colleague the benefit of the doubt. Because you don’t have a shared context — you’re not sitting in the same building, experiencing the same weather, seeing the… Continue reading Resolve a Conflict with a Remote Colleague

Thoughtful Ways to Thank People in Your Network Showing  gratitude to people in your personal network can be pretty easy — and fun. An old-fashioned, handwritten thank you note on nice paper still goes a long way. Just   be sure to include  sincere  appreciation for something personal and specific. Sending a small gift that really… Continue reading Thoughtful Ways to Thank People in Your Network

Build the Confidence to Ask for a Raise Asking for a raise is especially challenging if the voice  inside your head wonders  whether  you really deserve it. If you’re facing this situation, it’s important first to understand and acknowledge your self-worth — and then learn how to sell it within your company. Start by researching … Continue reading Build the Confidence to Ask for a Raise