Fostering Teamwork Stems from Proper Management Teamwork provides a foundation for business success. Teams, when managed properly, maximize each individual’s strong points while minimizing weaknesses. Of course, creating productive teams isn’t as easy as it sounds. Strong working relationships need five basic ingredients for success: Communication, Collaboration, Culture, Creativity, and Commitment. Each of the five Cs builds on the previous one, to form a complete structure which fosters teamwork and relationship building. Communication Effective communication in the workplace makes the ... view article details

It’s Thursday afternoon and you’re snailing your way to the end of the work week. One peppy co-worker remarks “this is my Friday” because they’re taking the real Friday off. You groan and begin to scrutinize society’s five-day work week. How did the universe decide weekends should only be two days? Well, maybe it’s time for the cosmos to reorder itself. Perpetual Guardian, an Auckland-based trustee company, became New Zealand’s first major business to experiment with “four days’ work for five days’ pay” earlier this year. Over the course of the two-month trial, researchers found that employe... view article details

In Part I of this article we discussed  six common roadblocks faced in the workplace, and how to recognize them. In Part II we’ll talk about specific strategies that will allow you to knock down roadblocks, so you can happily and successfully reach your destination.Roadblock #1: All talk, no action. Instead of daydreaming about how great your life would be if you reached your goal, take action.Strategy: Adapt the adage “There’s no time like the present.” Set goals that are SMART—Specific, Measurable,Attainable, Relevent, and Time-Bound. Taking this important first step will brea... view article details

Workplace challenges are inevitable. But most challenges we undertake go hand-in-hand with obstacles that interfere with—and sometimes even prevent—our progress.Think of your career as a road complete with twists and turns, bumps and potholes, speed bumps and detours. You can reach your destination. The key lies in recognizing specific barriers, and using time-tested strategies to knock them down.Part I of this article will show you how to recognize six common roadblocks that people face in the workplace. Part II will show you how to move beyond them.Roadblock #1: All talk, no action. ... view article details

 It's not your parents' workplace anymore - nor their dress code. Gone are the stuffy three-piece suits and conservative skirt sets of times past, replaced with a canvas of khaki on which a world of individuality is expressed, as if to say, 'Trust me: I'm casual.' In some corporations and industries, it's Casual Friday every day of the week. Yet even with today's relaxed standards, it's still not a good idea to show up for work in torn shorts and a baggy tee shirt. Especially if you deal directly with customers, the way you express yourself to the world is far more important than the true you ... view article details

If you're short on cash but keen to build an investment portfolio, you may want to consider a DRIP. Shorthand for Dividend Reinvestment Plans, DRIPs allow individual shareholders to bypass brokers and make stock transactions directly with certain publicly traded corporations. The beauty of DRIPs is that they offer us all a way to get into the market - even on $50 a month. More than 1,000 corporations offer Dividend Reinvestment Plans, from blue-chip companies like IBM, Chevron, and McDonald's, to overseas firms such as British Telecom, Elf Aquitaine, and Sony. To get yourself started on one, c... view article details

Start with Confidence  Doing research on how to buy a home is itself an investment - in time. On the one hand are the shelves of books on the subject - helpful, yet sometimes tedious in their detail. On the other hand are specialty Web sites with short, sharp home-buying tips that sacrifice depth and introduce pop-up invitations to apply for mortgages, credit reports, or real estate listings. Even the most hardened researcher can have a tough time telling the forest from the trees. If you are gearing up to buy a house, you may need at least one self-help guide, if only as an anti-jargon dictio... view article details

Which statement best describes how you make a decision?The best decisions are the result of thorough research, where several alternatives are considered, and the pros and cons of each are weighed carefully before reaching a fact-based decision.The best decisions are the result of input from a group—two heads are better than one, and three heads are better than two.The best decisions are the ones I make unilaterally. Just kidding—sort of.The best decisions are the result of brainstorming possibilities and choosing the one that everyone is most excited about.If you are familiar with personality ... view article details

Dear Heather,My husband is a firefighter. His dad and uncle are firefighters too, and it’s all he’s ever wanted to do. He was up for captain and had a good shot at it we thought, but he got passed over in favor of a guy with a little more seniority. My husband is devastated. I’ve never seen him like this. He can barely drag himself out the door to be at the station, and those guys are his buddies. He doesn’t want to do anything. Just comes home and watches TV on his off days. He said he’s not sure he’s cut out for the job anymore. What can I do??Katie Dear Katie,Watching a loved one struggle f... view article details

Q: Hello, you don't know me, but I saw your profile on Salary.com. You look so happy in your picture and I would love to see myself so accomplished in the near future! Do you have any advice for a hard working creative woman like me? I've been designing and managing at the same stable, but unfulfilling job for the past 8 years. I need a kick in the a** to make a move to senior management ELSEWHERE, but I have little time with a toddler underfoot? Please help!Heather: What a compliment! Thank you. But make no mistake, that photo was cropped to exclude unfinished laundry, a carry-in dinner and t... view article details