Category Archives for human relations skills

Making the Best First Impression

You only get one chance to make a first impression – is a comment I made recently in Business Insider. First impressions count with your interviewer, new boss and co-workers. How you conduct yourself in the first few minutes – or even seconds — of meeting someone can have a profound impact. And when you’re […]

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“If You Want to Keep Something Priceless…”

(Like People You Work With) Companies are not built of brick and mortar; they are “built” of people, and losing that “most valuable asset” can cause a major setback. Not just in terms of lost time on projects, but also in restarting the hiring and training process; potential lost business or corporate practices shared with […]

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Conflict Resolution at Work and Home

The workplace can be a breeding ground for conflict because when you get two or more people together in any situation there are can be disagreements.  My book, Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant™: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job deals with conflict resolution in the workplace, but the fact is, […]

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A Humanized, Trusted Workplace Equates To Success

Bosses and employees seem to have a legacy of dichotomy in the workplace. When I hear them discuss each other, I often feel this dynamic has burrowed too deep into workplace culture. It seems that each side sees the other as a problem to solve, rather than an opportunity to build on. Both sides spend […]

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The Money Talk

The interviews went well; you like the applicant – he seems to have been born for the job. Now there comes a point in the application process where you are going to tell him how much you actually like him – through the numbers of his proposed salary. If the prospective employee is happy with […]

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How Do You Cope with Annoying Co-Workers?

There is an important corollary to the phrase “It takes all kinds to make a world”: some of those “kinds” are not always easy to be around. If the micro-world of your workplace includes someone annoying, there’s no picking and choosing; you’ve got to stick it out. (Not that we are all perfect.) But there […]

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Bad Boss Spotting

(Or Not Running Into One In The First Place) The sheer fact that bad bosses have spawned a movie franchise speaks to their pervasiveness. It’s not surprising – so much of your well-being depends on the person you work for. A good manager will help you thrive and bring out the best in you. A […]

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Sharp Wit As A “Weapon” of Success

There’s a saying (whose author, unfortunately, is unknown): “Every survival kit should include a sense of humor.” Not only survival, I’d argue – every “success kit” should necessarily include it as well. There’s a reason why motivational speakers start with a joke or a humorous anecdote — it captures the audience’s attention, lightens the mood, […]

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Are You In Danger Of Becoming An Office Tyrant?

Your Own Employees Can Help   Bad bosses seem to be ubiquitous—employees’ surveys keep pointing that way. There are, though, few truly incorrigible office tyrants—most bad bosses behave badly episodically. When under stress or frustrated, many bosses—just like most humans—aren’t on their best behavior. Overwhelming stress can turn a suave charmer into an angry beast […]

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Have You Seen The Horrible Bosses Sequel?

(I Hope It Doesn’t Remind You Of Someone You Know)   Horrible Bosses Two is in theaters, and whether you’ve seen the movie or not, whether you are a boss or an employee, it’s a good reminder to check whether those two words also sum up your current work situation. Bosses with exalted, entitled views of their authority […]

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