192 Shares It’s the holiday season – the time of year we imagine as full of so many possibilities for joy and gift giving. All too often, though, the holidays aren’t a wonderful experience. When families come together, or there’s no family and friends to be with, the holidays can become a time of anxiety and dread. It’s easy, if you’re envisioning a less than desirable experience ahead of you, to sink into sadness at the prospect of dealing with a difficult situation that’s out of your control. One alternative any of us can... More »
260 Shares A frequent question from people in all career phases is what a person can do to better sell a new idea, whether to a customer or inside an organization. As much as it would be nice to have a standard formula that always works, success really depends on the particulars of your situation. There are, however, a number of common strategies you can consider. Your best course of action is to be adept at using a variety of approaches to make your ideas more powerful and compelling. These nine strategies are a... More »
9.8K Shares You grasp many life lessons only after making a mistake and realizing, “Oh crap. I wish I’d done something very different.” For some lessons, that’s not that big of a deal. In other areas, you’d be a lot better off if you could get started working to counteract the problem before it happens. Here are eight of these life lessons you should consider addressing now, while you don’t need to: 1. Cut your living expenses – dramatically. If you’re in the US, there are so many material goods so readily available it’s... More »
286 Shares I was talking with a friend recently who took a voluntary lay-off to go to a new position at a start-up company. When the hiring executive at the new company went to his boss to make the hire, however, he was told he couldn’t bring my friend on full-time. By then his old position had already been reassigned, and if he were hired back, it would mean several other people would lose their jobs. In a matter of a day, he went from a planned, orderly transition into a new job to... More »
426 Shares Humor and laughter provide so many rewards. Studies have shown 20 seconds of laughter yield the same benefits as 3 minutes of hard rowing. A Robert Half International study reported 84% of executives believe a worker with a good sense of humor does a better job. Incorporating humor more effectively in the workplace allows you to defuse difficult situations, reduce stress, create attention for new ideas, build rapport, and be a more approachable and memorable leader. With those benefits, it behooves you to hone your workplace comedic skills. So in the tradition... More »
368 Shares We’ve all heard how frightened nearly everyone is of public speaking. Maybe that’s understandable, but it creates the potential for lots of misinformed conventional wisdom spread by people who have to make presentations but haven’t had the opportunity to learn what really works. To help correct some misperceptions about what creates better presenters and presentations, here are eleven public speaking paradoxes for reluctant presenters to accept, embrace, and follow: 1. Minimize your public speaking nerves by looking for as big an audience as possible. My theory on nerves and speaking? We all... More »
1.5K Shares There’s been speculation that as the economy recovers, many people who’ve been stuck in their jobs and unable to find new ones, will suddenly pick up and move to greener pastures. In contrast there are also predictions of a “jobless recovery,” which may mean being stuck in a lackluster job longer than these people (or maybe you) expected or would prefer. If that scenario plays out, it’s vital to recharge while still in your current job. Both near-term success and preparing for future successful moves make this essential. Having been in one... More »
355 Shares A “creative” person I worked with at a “trucking company” developed a reputation as frustrated and bitter over her 30-year career. At her retirement, I inquired about her plans, particularly since she was relatively young. Asking if she hoped to create more art since she was now freed from cranking out corporate brochures, she told me, “No.” Instead, she was going to work at a garden center, since she loved plants and being outdoors. While her answer was startling, the next time I saw her confirmed the impact this life change made.
