Disintermediate. Recontextualize. Envisioneer. You’ve got to give business executives one thing: They love their jargon. Clinging to their buzzwords like Leo DiCaprio to a life raft, there are managers out there who seem to enjoy a squirt of dopamine every time they use a verb like architect (yes, as a verb!) or interface. Throw in some adjectives like constructivist, interdisciplinary, metacognitive or inquiry-centered, and then tack them on to nouns like bandwidth, convergence and methodologies and you’re well on your way to a minor stroke as you try to process the message lurking behind all... view article details

Figure Out Which of Your Employees Are Causing a Problem Interested in good employee morale, team chemistry, and improved retention. Then you'd better realize your employees don't have to be best friends, but they do have to at least get along for productivity's sake. Quality coworkers can be the reason some people stay at a job, while horrible colleagues can make every day in the office a living hell from which they'll almost certainly want to escape. If you’ve spent any time managing employees, you’ve no doubt experienced a cornucopia of annoying workers. But have you ever wondered which one... view article details

The Best Doesn't Always Win If only competition in the workplace mirrored the simplicity of Olympic swimming. Whoever does the best job and touches the wall first, wins. It's the winner who goes on to earn bonus money via endorsements, and your smiling face lands on a box of breakfast cereal! If only it were as easy as slamming that completed report in the boss’ hand and stepping right up on a big corner office desk for a playing of the National Anthem and an instant raise and promotion.But there’s no winning buzzer in your department (just the occasional annoying ringtone), and somet... view article details

Find Out Why You Get Along with Certain People at Work Have you ever wondered why it is that you seem to get along with some people and not with others? Or why it is that you can’t seem to get through to another? The answer lies in your personality style, a predictable set of behaviors that defines how others see you as you go about doing what you do. Your style -- a preference for behaving one way rather than another -- governs the way you lead others, participate in teamwork communicate, make decisions, and manage change; it even governs the way you learn. Personality style influences the ... view article details

Make the Best of a Good Situation In many ways, it is an ideal situation. Looking for a job while you already have one has many benefits. You can take your time to find a job that you love without feeling the pressure of having to pay the rent. You get to bone up on your interviewing skills, and discover if the field that you’re interested in is really a fit for you.That is, if you don’t get caught.The one huge caveat about job hunting while you have a job is just that…you already have a job. And if your boss or catty colleague catches wind that you’re interviewing for another positio... view article details

First Impressions Matter You’ve made enough of an impression with your resume and job experience to get an interview, and in that first seven seconds when you walk through the door, research suggests the person on the other side of the table is going to size you up.And as we all know, first impressions matter. A lot.What you wear – and, perhaps more importantly, what you choose not to wear to that job interview – could make all the difference in whether you get your foot in the door. “The person should not notice your clothes,” Barry Drexler, an interview coach with Expertinterview.co... view article details

Job Interviews and Dating At first glance, dating and job interviews don't seem to have much in common. But as I was writing 'Date Like a Grownup: Anecdotes, Admissions of Guilt & Advice Between Friends,' I began noticing missteps common to both endeavors.Are you coming off as desperate? Bad-mouthing an ex? Turns out there's a lot job seekers can learn from going on first dates and online dating in general. So when you're headed to see the hiring manager, remember these hard-learned lessons from the front lines of dating.9. Don't Be Desperate The most common cause of poor dat... view article details

Dear Heather,I read one of your articles on what to do about hating your job and it moved me to write you a message myself.Like the woman in the story I too have come to absolutely loathe coming into work. I've been in my current line of work for close to five years, and to be honest I really enjoy what I do. In case you were wondering I'm an Ophthalmic Technician for an Ophthalmology office. At first my advice and actions were very respected and the rest of the office seemed to care about them. But as time slipped past the luster started to fade and the true beast began to rear its ugly head.... view article details

In the mid 1990s I took a job at a growing startup. The delineation of talent at the office was pretty clear: Four partners (President, VP/Technology, VP/Sales, VP/Marketing) and four employees (Video producer, Graphic Designer, and two Application Developers).Then there was Martin.Martin didn’t work at the home office in Boston, he worked somewhere near the mountains of Utah. For the first few months I only heard rumors of who he was and what he did. I heard he lived in an impossibly small apartment, slept on a small mattress on the floor, and owned only a handful of personal items. I heard h... view article details

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that health care is expected to generate more new jobs than any other industry over the next several years. As Baby Boomers age there will be a need for more home health care services, residential care facilities and nurses to staff them. Medical group practices and integrated health systems are predicted to become larger and more complex, resulting in an increased need for office and administrative support workers. High job turnover, additional anticipated retirements in the industry and the slowing number of foreign healthcare workers being allowed to e... view article details