October 2006 - Posts

• Tale of the Two-Faced Interviewee

  I still remember the day six months ago when a good friend of mine called me up to tell me about this new junior-level employee she wanted to hire. I had never heard my friend, the director of the tourism division at a global advertising agency, sound Read More... Posted Tuesday, October 31, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 4 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Best Practices, Communication, Emotional Intelligence, Business, Office Politics, Professionalism, Work

• "Corporate Culture Shock" Podcast with Lisa Haneberg

  I'm delighted to be a guest today on Lisa Haneberg's business podcast series. Here's what Lisa, a well-known management author, blogger, and consultant has to say about the podcast: Corporate Culture Shock? - Chat with Alexandra Levit: During this 30 Read More... Posted Monday, October 30, 2006 12:57 PM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments

• Modern Day Explorers

  This week, I’m posting from Vancouver, British Columbia . My husband is here speaking at the Society for Psychophysiological Research Conference , and I’ve come along for the ride. It’s not a vacation per say, my book writing schedule doesn’t allow for Read More... Posted Friday, October 27, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Creativity & Innovation, Discovering Your Passion, Life Balance, Daily Life Attachment(s): http://www.vancouverbnb.com/Vancouver-pix/s-ChinaTown1.jpg

• New Grads Blowing New Jobs?

  In light of my post last week about the Millennial Generation , I received a few cranky e-mails grumbling that this generation expects the world to be handed to them on a silver platter, and that they’re coming into the workplace as confident know-it-alls. Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 25, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Entry Level, Attitude & Motivation, Professionalism, Troubleshooting

• Be Your Company's Best Ambassador

  At the Here We Are, Now What? blog , Terry Seamon talks about a speech he heard by Greg Taylor at Lee Hecht Harrison . According to Taylor, the Disney World employees who receive the most training dollars are not the characters who entertain, the customer Read More... Posted Monday, October 23, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 1 Comments Filed under: Best Practices, Communication, HR Issues, Professionalism Attachment(s): http://www.holidaysorlando.eu.com/Disney/Walt%20Disney%20World%20Resort.jpg

• The Art of Selling

  In his book, The New Solution Selling , Keith Eades defines a solution as that which provides a mutually agreed-upon answer to a recognizable problem. The problem is resulting in pain for a person, which gives him a reason to change. In discussing how Read More... Posted Friday, October 20, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 4 Comments Filed under: Job Hunting, Personal Marketing

• Who Wouldn't Want to Work Here?

  After reading Patrick Kiger’s article in Workforce Management , I can’t help but spread the word about Best Buy's amazing new Results-Only Work Environment . ROWE, as it’s called, is a radical experiment whose aim is to redefine the very nature of work Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 18, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 7 Comments Filed under: Current Affairs, Employment Trends, Daily Life Attachment(s): http://www.cmkconsulting.co.uk/images/p-unicycle-man.jpg

• Drink the Kool-Aid, Or Else

  A wonderful post from Heather Mundell at lifeatwork cites a recent article by Creating Passionate Users’ author Kathy Sierra, and I can tell you that from my perspective, this one really hit a nerve. In the piece, Knocking the Exuberance Out of Employees Read More... Posted Monday, October 16, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 6 Comments Filed under: Creativity & Innovation, Business, Job Hunting, Office Politics

• Millennials Put the T in Teamwork

  Business Week has an article about one of my favorite topics, the Millennials . According to BW, like the baby boomers and Generation X before them, this new generation, nearly 80 million strong, is starting to reshape the American workplace. Achievement-oriented Read More... Posted Friday, October 13, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Business, People Skills Attachment(s): http://www.millennialsrising.com/images/smChap09-2.gif

• Should Everyone Have a Blog?

  A lot of career experts have been buzzing lately about the necessity of having a blog. Their rationale is that everyone who’s anyone is out there participating in the online conversation, and that if you don’t have something valuable to contribute, employers Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 11, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 9 Comments Filed under: Communication, Employment Trends, Personal Marketing, Technology, Blogging

• Is Career Advancement Overrated?

  This week's Employment Digest blog cites a Wharton Business School article in which executive coach Monica McGrath says that middle managers are increasingly reluctant to take the next step in their careers because the corporate ladder is not as appealing Read More... Posted Monday, October 09, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 3 Comments Filed under: Employment Trends, HR Issues, Life Balance, Reviews & Promotions Attachment(s): http://www.lisarosscenter.org/Pages/Staff/first-place-blue-ribbon.gif

• What Makes An Entrepreneur?

  This week, Dave Lorenzo at Career Intensity commented that what distinguishes an entrepreneur is the business world is his willingness to take risks. His gambles do not always pay off, but even when they don’t, he learns valuable lessons that guide him Read More... Posted Friday, October 06, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 3 Comments Filed under: Entrepreneurship

• Procrastination Addiction?

  Yesterday, I got an e-mail from a twenty-something management consultant asking how she can recover from a procrastination addiction. The solution depends on why she’s procrastinating in the first place, but here are some motivational arguments for common Read More... Posted Wednesday, October 04, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 6 Comments Filed under: Attitude & Motivation, Productivity Attachment(s): http://www.artteegallery.com/graphics/procrastinate.gif

• How to Stop Crying At Work

  I was interviewed on The Greg Behrendt Show about how women can prevent crying at work. Here are some of the points I covered: No matter what your job, having a meltdown at work diminishes your credibility and intrudes on your reputation. Colleagues and Read More... Posted Monday, October 02, 2006 7:00 AM by AlexandraLevit | 0 Comments Filed under: Emotional Intelligence, Professionalism, Troubleshooting