July 2006 - Posts

• What Me, Worry?

  In the Washington Post , Amy Joyce talks about how today’s workforce is fraught with worry. According to Joyce, companies are all too aware of the problem, and many are trying to do something about it. More than 90 percent of the Fortune 500 firms provide Read More... Posted Monday, July 31, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Emotional Intelligence, Life Balance, Daily Life Attachment(s): http://www.seykota.com/tribe/FAQ/2003_Oct/Oct_26-31/worry.jpg

• Take a Job for the Right Reasons

  An acquaintance of mine just called to ask my advice on a job search quandary. Kate is a bright, personable 23-year-old who so far has done well in the business world. She was on her way to developing a promising career in nonprofit administration when Read More... Posted Saturday, July 29, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Job Hunting

• Should You Be Among the Self-Employed?

  How do you know if you have what it takes to be among the successfully self-employed? Over at the Career Intensity blog , Dave Lorenzo lists the personality characteristics necessary for starting and sustaining your own business. He cites a willingness Read More... Posted Thursday, July 27, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Discovering Your Passion, Entrepreneurship, Ownership & Initiative Attachment(s): http://www.cartoonwork.com/archive/workplace/selfemployed.gif

• Go On, Say Something Nice!

  When you’re a busy manager, the tendency is to only provide feedback to your employee when he’s made a mistake. You’re tied up with your assignments and expect that your employee knows what he’s doing. You expect that he’ll complete his tasks correctly Read More... Posted Tuesday, July 25, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 4 Comments Filed under: Communication, Management

• Why "Idealist" Jobs Can Also Be Practical

  The Wall Street Journal reports that the pressure on young adults to earn a lot of money right out of college has seldom been greater. Beyond soaring rent and fuel costs, college seniors are graduating with record debt loads. Yet idealism springs eternal Read More... Posted Sunday, July 23, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Cool Careers, Discovering Your Passion, Personal Development Attachment(s): http://www.diversitycareers.com/articles/pro/04-aprmay/images/dia/Peace-Corps.jpg

• Innovation 101

  I’m reading a great book by Tom Kelley called The Ten Faces of Innovation . Kelley says that a lot of successful innovators look closely at things that have been done a certain way for a long time, and find a way to improve on them. He talks about some Read More... Posted Thursday, July 20, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Creativity & Innovation, Ownership & Initiative

• Starbucks Buddy or Friend for Life?

  A recent Gallup Poll survey noted that 38 percent of people meet most of their friends at work . In an article on MSN Career Builder , Kate Lorenz says that there are pros and cons to work friends. Among the pros: friends can make your workday less stressful Read More... Posted Monday, July 17, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: People Skills, Daily Life

• In-Person Communication is a Beautiful Thing

  Jessica writes that the constant barrage of information from cell phones, pagers, Blackberries and laptops makes it impossible to communicate face-to-face with people anymore. She feels that she’s always competing for attention with colleagues’ outspoken Read More... Posted Saturday, July 15, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, People Skills Attachment(s): http://www.asceconnect.org/careercenter/index/revised_8_28_05_jpg/index_r3_c21.jpg

• Goals Aren't Just a Performance Review Exercise

  At Career Intensity , Dave Lorenzo tells us that a simple and effective way of making goal attainment a core element of your life is setting a goal every single day and accomplishing it. He suggests writing your goal down every morning, and check in with Read More... Posted Thursday, July 13, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 1 Comments Filed under: Personal Development Attachment(s): http://www.tgiltd.com/Headshot_of_businesswoman_with_superimposition_of_career_goals.jpg

• Time Off Isn't a Bonus, It's a Necessity

  Last week, Tory Johnson of Good Morning America reported on the death of the American vacation. According to a recent survey by Expedia.com, the average employee in the United States earns 14 days of time off, but only takes 10 of them in a given year. Read More... Posted Tuesday, July 11, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Life Balance, Daily Life

• Are You An Ethical Employee? - Part IV

  Ethical issues in the workplace can be dicey, and as we've mentioned, proper solutions aren't always black and white. I've been asked for a few examples of how one might handle specific situations, so here goes: Question: A happy client sent an expensive Read More... Posted Saturday, July 08, 2006 11:04 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments

• Fireproofing Those Bridges

  Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably heard about the drama surrounding Star Jones Reynolds’ departure from ABC’s daytime talk show, The View . Reynolds’ contract was not renewed for next season and she and the producers decided on a Read More... Posted Thursday, July 06, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 2 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Office Politics, Daily Life

• Discretion is the Better Part of Valor

  Imagine this, if you will. Two men, Harry and James, are good friends. Harry’s daughter, Lisa, a college senior, is trying to decide on a career to pursue and would like to get an insider’s perspective on an entry-level job in software sales. While over Read More... Posted Monday, July 03, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Communication, Office Politics, People Skills, Professionalism Attachment(s): http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/mly0174l.jpg

• Are You an Ethical Employee? - Part III

  What if you’re not certain if an action is unethical? Here are some questions to ask yourself: Are there any potential legal restrictions or violations that could result from the action? Does my company have a Code of Ethics (formalized rules that describe Read More... Posted Saturday, July 01, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Ethics