On a recent trip through yet another airport, I passed a man whining into his phone: “I cannot take any more bad news! I cannot!” It’s possible that he was having a terrible conversation about... Continue reading
The last few blogs have covered various kinds of typical workplace dramas and their instigators: The eager beaver type who’s “overwhelmed and overreacting;” The intelligent, intense, easily triggered “conspiracy theorist;” The “perfect victim,” who’s always... Continue reading
Many workplaces have a person like Ermengarde, who’s an excellent worker and a dedicated employee in her own right, but often takes it upon herself to bring to management the concerns and complaints of other... Continue reading
“I’m a victim! I’m a victim!” Have you dealt with someone who sounds like that -- maybe not as clearly, but just as dramatically? For Perfect Victims, everything that goes wrong is the result of... Continue reading
Most human relationships involve subtext: What you see on the surface is rarely everything that exists. But if you’ve ever worked with someone like Englebert, you know how an innocuous comment about some administrative matter... Continue reading
At some point in our careers, we’ve all crossed paths with people who create unnecessary drama as part of their daily workplace routine. “Valentina” is a pretty typical example. Valentina believes she has to get... Continue reading
How can you keep yourself from getting hooked by employee drama -- especially if you’re a hero type who naturally likes riding to the rescue? It’s particularly difficult if dealing with an urgent or incendiary... Continue reading
When texting was first adopted in the workplace, it was used primarily for emergencies, such as resolving critical customer problems, rescheduling crucial meetings, dealing with service interruptions, or issuing vital, staff-wide notifications. Now texting is... Continue reading
If you want good work, and even more good work, from employees, it helps to let them know what good work looks like, and to praise them when you see them delivering it. For most... Continue reading
Why is it that we go to so many meetings and yet so little seems to be accomplished? The answer depends on whether you’re using meetings as get-togethers and encounters or as structured forums for... Continue reading
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