If you’re one of those lucky people who works in an office populated with gossip and politics, Bnet was kind enough to create this 5 step plan to dealing with this somewhat unavoidable part of the workplace. 1. Figure Out Why (and If) You Want to Play 2. Create Strong Relationships 3. Observe and Listen – Gain the…

Stuart Levine at MSNBC has some tips on getting more out of your working day. Time burglars beware, some of us are trying to get out at 5. 4. I got it. As soon as you understand exactly what someone is explaining, tell them in one way or another, “I got it.” Doing so frees them to…

The Brazen Careerist, Penelope Trunk, wrote of 9 myths associated with the common workplace. Her most interesting concept, that she’s written about before, is the myth that if you enjoy your job your life is improved so much. I happen to think there is a lot of truth in that myth, however, Penolope’s argument that there…

Ian McKenzie has a few tips to keep those office visits as short as you like, so you can get back to work. There’s nothing worse than someone over-staying there welcome, at work or otherwise. Be the visitor. If you have to speak with someone, go to their office. That way, you can control the length…

Trust is an essential component in almost all dealings between human beings, other than outright hostile ones like wars and terrorism. It is certainly vital for the proper running of any organization, as well as for almost all the components of trade and commerce. Lack of trust between trading partners undermines the proper functioning of…

When you write an article on a topic, it’s traditional to start with the problem, explain the causes next, then move into offering a solution. On the Slow Leadership site this week, I took things more or less in the opposite order, starting on Monday with part of the solution, giving my views on…

There’s a common saying that human beings were given two ears (and two eyes), but only one mouth to show that they should listen (and look) at least twice as much as they speak. I think that for managers and leaders that ratio is far too low. Looking and listening should happen maybe ten or…

The case of Floyd Landis, plus the earlier doping scandals bedeviling the Tour de France, ought to make us all think again about the true impact of competition. Sport (together with warfare) is one of the commonest sources of ideas about business, so when the world of sport seems to be in trouble, it’s worth…

Trust in other people is one of the foundations for creating a civilized working environment. Many managers are overworked primarily because of a lack of trust. They take on too much themselves, because they don’t trust their subordinates to do the work properly. They cannot allocate enough time to their own work, because they don’t…

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about why people do things, and what they have in mind when they ask others to act in a particular way. It’s common to find that what people say is the reasoning behind their actions or requests isn’t the real motivation for either. I may do or say…

A civilized workplace is one where people have the time and freedom to do their jobs to the best of their ability. No one is bullied or hassled by some boss high on ego and testosterone. Leaders trust their subordinates to do what they’re paid to do; and subordinates trust their leaders to act with their interests in mind as well as the firm’s profits (and the executives’ stock options).

Bren from Slacker Manager has an interesting post of his experience on avoiding office politics. He feels that office politics take too much space and time and not contribute to his productivity for his organization. It is not his cup of tea so he shares his ways on how to avoid it: Wear no mask. Be transparent. Flex…

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.