Everyone has “hot buttons.” They’re your tender spots, the places where you’re most sensitive, the points where you get irritated, or hurt, or angry, and have to respond. The trick to preventing them from messing up your day is awareness: The more aware you are of what rattles the bars of your cage, the…

The practice of courtesy is an effective antidote to the stresses of organizational life Hamburger Management—the curse of all ultra-macho organizations—has no time for politeness or courtesy. In the faster, cheaper world of “winner takes all,” it’s fine to tell lies (called “spin”), deceive others (called PR), and bluff or cheat your way to success (called…

Three steps cover most of what is needed to discover and then make full use of your potential: Exploration of options, strengths, and weaknesses, in depth and without haste. Patient removal of blockages. Long-term, continuous development and learning. The first step increases your self-awareness and gets beyond superficial judgments about strengths and weaknesses. You mustn’t simply jog along and…

Office politics cannot be avoided, however many people regard them with distaste and try to avoid getting involved. But there is a way to make them civilized.