During the holiday season, gift-giving can be a political minefield. Who gets gifts? Who should NOT get gifts? Q. I am a manager with eight direct reports. I received a couple of Christmas gifts this last season and don’t know how to handle the situation. Should I give them back? What can I say? A. […]
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Workplace Politics: Reeling from Rumor
It was 2006. I had moved to Seattle a year ago and I was excited to be in a city with a WNBA basketball team. But one day I joined other fans heading into the gym for a noontime game. We began to hear the whispers: “Storm and Sonics are moving to Oklahoma.” Some listened […]
Guest Post: Create A FUN Website In A Week
Are you thinking about starting an online business? Want to get an overview of how the online system works? Jeanette Cates has always been the go-to person for straightforward tips to relate technology to marketing – and fun, too. Here’s a reprint of one of her articles. If you are working online or thinking about […]
Career Advice: “Are you about to be fired?”
Nearly everyone who has ever worked for an organization has experienced that sinking feeling, “My job is about to be over. They’re going to fire me.” Even if you hate your job, most people would rather leave on their own terms. But let’s take a realistic look at what’s going on here. Maybe there’s some […]
Career Advice: Coping with the Toxic Workplace
Today I would like to recommend excellent book by Peter Frost, a distinguished professor and consultant based in Vancouver, BC: Toxic Emotions at Work. Frost begins with his own moment of awakening. Diagnosed with cancer after a stressful administrative job, he began to wonder if workplaces could really make people sick. Frost interviewed dozens of […]
“All I want for Christmas is … solitude.”
Note: I wrote this article awhile back. It was published in a couple of small town newspapers. This year I thought I’d share with my readers. Single people, especially those new to a community, experience a unique social challenge as holidays approach. Holiday conversation dies when we enter the room. Hovering in the air is […]