"In 1938... the year's #1 newsmaker was not FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. Nor was it Lou Gehrig or Clark Gable. The subject of the most newspaper column inches in 1938 wasn't even a person. It was an undersized, crooked-legged racehorse named Seabiscuit." ~ Laura Hillenbrand, Seabiscuit: An American Legend For some the term, "leadership" raises anxiety and for others it … Continue reading What Are Leadership Skills? And What Is a “Leader”?
The opposite of talking isn't listening. The opposite of talking is waiting. ~ Fran Lebowitz A long accepted workplace practice when women and men are present in any kind of meeting -- regardless of the industry or setting -- is men speak and women listen, or women speak and men interrupt them. On the whole, women … Continue reading We Interrupt this Woman…
Bullies want to abuse you.
Instead of allowing that, you can use them as your personal motivators.
Power up and let the bully eat your dust. ~ Nick Vujicic
The last two entries, Scoping Out the Political Landscape and Coping With The Workplace Bully - Part 1 of 2, addressed the related topics of workplace politics and bullying and focused on background and statistics on bullying as well as current efforts to eliminate bullying. According to the Workplace Bullying Institute, here are a few more insights:
Double, double toil and trouble
Fire burn and cauldron bubble…
By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes.
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks.
~ Macbeth, Act 4, Scene 1
If you work at a company and in an industry where Halloween is observed with an office costume party, charity masquerade ball or client entertainment event, you don’t want to get yourself or your company into a bubbling cauldron of hot water or cause double trouble by committing a fatal faux pas because of your costume choice.
Staying home when you’re ill can be a bummer.
But, going to work is a whole lot dumber!
With so much in the news about Ebola and other dangerous viruses and bacterial infections, we need to remind ourselves that most people are likelier to be catching the common cold or coming down with the current seasonal flu bug. Together, these viruses cost the U.S. economy billions of dollars each year in lost wages, business profits and healthcare costs. Even worse, they cause inconvenience, suffering and in rare cases the flu can result in life-threatening scenarios.
Andy: She hates me, Nigel.
Nigel: And that's my problem because... Oh, wait. No, it's not my problem
Nigel: But we're not expected until Tuesday. Did she say why?
Andy: Yes. She explained every detail of her decision-making.
And then we brushed each others' hair and gabbed about American Idol.
Nigel: I see your point.
~ The Devil Wears Prada
The key to a positive work experience is forging a great – or at least good -- relationship with your boss. That might be a challenge with some bosses (think Miranda in Devil); but when you're hired, this becomes your No. 1 Priority. For the time that you report to a particular manager, that person holds your career with the company in his or her hands. There are exceptions; but generally speaking, that’s the rule.
First you take a drink, then the drink takes a drink,
then the drink takes you.
~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
Imbibing in alcoholic drinks has been a time-honored tradition in business, industry and the professions. I began my career back in the “Mad Men” epoch of the 1960s in the television broadcasting industry in which opportunities to drink proliferated. Although none of the offices in which I worked had a bar such as the one Don Draper had in his office, there were plenty of assignments that involved the champagne and spirits flowing. Continuing into 1970s, I added the publishing and public relations industries to my resume; and if you think the ‘60s were mad with drink, the following decade saw the escalation of the three-martini lunch and drinking after work with colleagues become de rigueur. I don’t know how any of us who worked back then survived the era of the on-the-job alcohol-soaked brain!
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make
a difference in our lives.” ~ John F. Kennedy
As a follow up to last week’s entry about the important role assistants fill across all industries, here’s an alert for the new employee to the significance of observing -- or not observing -- Administrative Professionals Day.
Which One Is It?
If you chose the executive assistant on the left, you’re right! And, experts writing for the Wall Street Journal and Huffington Post agree. This is an important bit of information everyone should take into account when planning her or his career strategy.
“If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.”
~ Rita Mae Brown
Last week’s entry addressed the importance of knowing your company, and how the company policy manual is the bedrock of an organization. This week I want to address the mirror image of the policy manual, which is compliance with those policies.
Jeanne Nelson 