Workplace Wisdom Archive

The Bully Pulpit, Part II: How the Bully Operates at Work

Workplace bullies may not realize that other people think of them that way. They tend to think they’re just trying to get business results that they deem reasonable, important, or necessary. Their sense of “getting... Continue reading

The Bully Pulpit, Part I: Out of the Schoolroom, Into the Boardroom?

Recently, I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to deal with bosses -- and occasionally co-workers -- who are bullies. I’m wondering if bullying is generally on the rise in tandem with the clinically... Continue reading

The Pleasures of the Office

One of the things that helps get me through challenges at work is how much I love my office. It makes a difference that I had complete control -- at least as much as the... Continue reading

Just One of Those Crazy Mondays

One challenging Monday, after assessing the situation at hand, taking stock, and gauging the chances of success, I triaged my task list and rescheduled my afternoon as follows: 2:00 – Don’t jump out the window.... Continue reading

When You Need Extra Support to Be Happy at Work

After the last couple of posts, some of you have commented that you like the idea of increasing your own happiness as well as raising the general level of happiness in your organizations, but that... Continue reading

Happiness Is an Input and an Outcome

One of the amazing things about happiness -- not just rose-colored-glasses pretending, wishing, and hoping everything will be all right, but actually feeling good -- is that if you persist in it long enough, others... Continue reading

Can You Be Happy at Work When You’re Not in Charge?

Most people want to feel at least a little bit in control, to have some say over how they spend their time and what they have to do -- except for those folks who prefer... Continue reading

Can You Be Happy at Work When You’re in Charge?

Leadership and managerial responsibility can be exciting, but being in charge can be draining, worrisome, and even frightening at times. So how can you stay on the upside to ensure successful performance for yourself and... Continue reading

All Your Feelings Come to Work with You

Early in my practice I did an operational assessment of a customer service center for a company where the turnover rate was going through the roof. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that... Continue reading

Can You Be Happy at Work? Should You Be?

Consider these scenarios, each from a different organization, and the unfortunate, but logical, conclusions that can be drawn from each one: A lowest-level manager is disparaged by the other managers in her group because her... Continue reading

Want help coping with conflict?