People Skills
Studies show how hesitant people are to challenge offensive or sexist comments. But psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson says there are at least three good reasons to confront someone making lewd or sexist comments—despite the fear of retaliation:
When a group of co-workers chip in to buy a gift for a colleague, should they allow noncontributors to sign the card, as well? Or should they leave the gift shirkers out in the cold? An office coordinator in Florida posed this etiquette question to us recently.
What helped clinch this year’s OfficeTeam Administrative Excellence Award for Deborah Carter? … Perk up your daily emails with MeebleMail … Double-check your work. A survey by Accountemps shows that “lack of attention to detail/sloppy work” is the No. 1 pet peeve of CFOs …
When you’re working with a virtual team scattered across locations, foster unity with these steps: 1. Make messages “location-neutral.” 2. Share success. 3. Don’t waste meeting time during rare face-to-face gatherings.
Maria had been emailing back and forth with a colleague all day about a work issue, when she finally decided to cc the boss. It felt like the right thing to do. But that’s not how it turned out. Instead, it came back to bite her. How to avoid cc’ing up and other email faux pas:
Think beyond Evite with these three digital greeting-card sites: Paperless Post, Pingg and Punchbowl.
Nearly half (46%) of employees say they’ve worked for an unreasonable manager. Most (59%) stayed in their jobs, despite working with a bad boss, according to an OfficeTeam survey.
Here are five questions you should have each team member ask when offering criticism to a teammate’s suggestion:
Think carefully about taking on increased responsibilities if a raise isn’t in the offing, advises Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. Consider requesting a compensation review in six months or discussing other perks. Hosking identifies five beyond-pay incentives:
One reader didn’t agree with some of the “8 signs you work with a deadbeat” in a recent article. “I think some of the items did not necessarily have anything to do with being a deadbeat and many signs that do were left out … “
From time to time, people who report to you will bring you problems created by a decision that you made. They may appear exasperated by the pickle you put them in. Your response, in all cases, should be a good-natured invitation for the two of you to go have a look. Use these exact words: “Let’s go see!”
Nearly six in 10 Americans (56%) say they have lost their temper due to poor service. Unfortunately, rudeness runs rampant in today’s society, which means it’s even more appreciated by others when you show courtesy, patience and problem-solving ability.
If you suspect you’re underpaid, the topic is worth broaching with your boss. But build your case first. Five guidelines: 1. Check online salary calculators. 2. Leave co-workers out of it. 3. Realize need isn’t a credible reason for a raise. 4. Quantify your worth. 5. Seek creative solutions.
