We all have that task or two on our to do lists that we just can’t make happen. The one that’s actually pretty important, but gets prioritized somewhere below cleaning out the litter box and doing all the dishes in the office kitchen. There are tons of reasons that we humans avoid work: It’s hard,Read… Read more »
When I first started working in an office, someone wise passed down this sage advice, “Make friends with the custodians and IT staff and your life here will be a piece of cake.” This turned out to be some of the best advice I’ve ever received. The custodial staff knows where everything is and theRead… Read more »
What if leaders wrote their resumes like their obituaries? Would future employers know them better? Could they identify their dreams, energies and passions as well as skills, knowledge and abilities? Would employers know if these candidates? • Served others rather than being served. • Developed people rather than controlled people. • Tried to impact peopleRead… Read more »
Have you said some version of these words recently? “I can’t trust him.” “My trust has been broken.” “We can’t put trust in them anymore.” These refrains are common and heartbreaking. In both its presence and absence, trust is a critical and yet also often elusive quality of effective working relationships. Being able to trustRead… Read more »
September is in full swing and (American) football season is upon us! For diehard fans, summers are miserable. Journalists, talking heads, and the like are hard-pressed for on-the-field material. As such, trivial storylines ranging from practice scuffles to Tim Tebow abound. That will change this Thursday with the season opener between the New England PatriotsRead… Read more »
President Abraham Lincoln cobbled together a coalition of moderate Republicans, radical Republicans, former Democrats, former Whigs and representatives of border-states to face America’s greatest challenge since the America slipped from Great Britain’s grasp. More precisely, he led our nation through a bloody civil war that killed more Americans than the total casualties from all theRead… Read more »
I recently read a job announcement for a well-known local nonprofit organization that included the standard position description, responsibilities, skills, and personal attributes required. But it also included something atypical for a job description: the announcement listed that the candidate must possess the qualities of “passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed.” Wow – whatRead… Read more »
For most of us, traveling on the government’s dime can be pretty exciting. These days, most of us don’t get to travel much anymore. So when we do, we like to make the most of it. Like most things, there is a right way and a wrong way to travel on business. Here are someRead… Read more »
It’s the ultimate stress-inducing question that almost every college grad faces: Is graduate school worth it? There are certainly a lot of benefits. For one, there’s about a 30 percent difference in average annual salaries between those who hold graduate degrees and those who hold a bachelor’s degree. According to the United States Census Bureau,Read… Read more »
Camaraderie is declining, but what can we do about it? Workload and regulations are beyond our control, so we may need to find ways to bring back a sense of the “good old days” within our current constraints. While we can’t turn back the clock, there may be ways to improve workplace socializing. Is this possible? KeepRead… Read more »