1-Minute Strategy

Seeing red?

Seeing red? Keep that color to a minimum in your work space. Researcher Andrew Elliot found that people don't work as well when they see red. Too reminiscent of a teacher's red pencil, perhaps?

Beware of "spontaneous trait transfer"

Beware of "spontaneous trait transfer." Whatever you say about other people (She's brilliant, funny, a slacker, rude, hard-working ...") shapes the way people see you. So, if you must complain, try to frame your observation in a problem-solving, posi...

Play mind games

Studies show that participating in a variety of activities helps preserve acumen, creative thinking and a "vigorous" mind. So if you're doing a boring, repetitive task at work, stimulate your brain cells (and the connections between them) by wearing ...

Feel smart when you're learning, not when you're flawless

Since talent grows with persistence and effort... failure should be seen as simply an opportunity to learn and improve. Unfortunately many people avoid failure at all costs, seeking to solve the same problems over and over. People like to feel compet...

Keep a work journal or diary

Bring the same curiosity and energy to your work life as your personal life. Jot down your successes and failures in a journal. Reading your entries later reminds you how far you’ve come and helps you prepare for job interviews. Even a 1-senten...

Avoid hit-and-run pleasantries

Too busy to chat? Don't ask "How are you?" but then continue to talk without allowing any opportunity for an answer.  Instead, you can be polite without inviting a long-winded reply. For example, try: "Hey, I hope you're having a great day. Can ...

Don't 'agree to disagree': Agree to 'give it some thought'

At odds with a co-worker on how to handle a joint project? Tactfully Speaking columnist Colette Carlson suggests you politely point out that it is a joint assignment. Say, "Your perspective is very valuable and I'll give it some thought." That gives ...

Put off work, constructively, with quick wins

It’s not always bad to procrastinate, it can even create a productive time to work through other tasks. Stanford University philosophy professor John Perry advocates doing small, low-priority tasks as you defer a larger, important task. This ca...

Overwhelmed by the size of a task?

Writer Anne Lamott offers this pearl to remember when working through a huge task. “My 10-year-old brother sat at the kitchen table near tears,” surrounded by books on birds, immobilized trying to finish a report he'd had three months to ...

Got a complaint? Before you speak, remember 'trait transfer'

Beware of "spontaneous trait transfer," whatever you say about other people ("She's brilliant, funny, a slacker, rude, hard-working...") shapes the way people see you. So, if you must complain, try to frame your observation in a problem-solving, posi...

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