I’m always amazed when I hear about smart, talented people going to their supervisors to ask for guidance using phrases like, “What do you think I should do?” Or, “How should I…?” As a young professional or junior executive, it’s not crazy to think you won’t know what to do all of the time. Having limited or bad information is a reality many of us face on a regular basis. What we do in that situation, however, is up to us.
Read MoreMy husband, Eric, is an armchair entrepreneur. He has ideated, seeded, started, funded, built, grown, and sold dozens of companies — 10 times over — all in his head. His best friend, Marc, is a finance guru. A whiz-kid investor who’s in it for the love of the game, not for the love of money. They are an unlikely pair: one a dreamer, the other the ultimate pragmatist.
Read MoreHow do you decline to make an introduction on behalf of someone else without sounding like a jerk? The truth is, you should never make an introduction you don’t feel comfortable making. If you can’t vouch for someone’s qualifications or don’t feel confident that the introduction makes sense, than you owe it to all parties not to move forward — it’s never a good idea to waste other people’s time or your own political capital. If you can’t in good conscience move forward with an introduction, here’s what you should do instead.
Read MoreAlex, a summer intern in public relations, found herself facing the end of a successful summer internship without the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Alex was smart, talented and well regarded by her colleagues. Her agency, however, simply didn’t have a full time job to offer her at the end of her internship. So Alex’s manager took it upon herself to help Alex find a full-time job. Unfortunately, she’s the exception, not the rule. Only 37% of students say internships are a good job search resource.
Read MorePeople often ask me to introduce them to others who are well connected or well respected in their fields. Strategically, when it makes sense, I’m all for putting them in touch with whomever I think can help their cause, personally or professionally. And yet, while I love making meaningful connections for people, I am extremely thoughtful about protecting colleagues’ and friends’ time or best interests — I don’t want to damage our relationship by pulling a fast one on you.
Read MoreAccording to Elon Musk, a good way to tell if a candidate is fibbing about his or her qualifications is whether they can use a personal story to illustrate a particularly telling experience. “If someone was really the person that solved a problem, they’ll be able to answer the question on multiple levels,” he says. “Anyone who really solves a problem never forgets it.”
Read More“You’re the best!” the four American Idol contestants cried to their voice coach Patty after narrowly escaping elimination, “We couldn’t have done it without you!” As they celebrated, I couldn’t help but notice that their hero was the same irascible, no-holds-barred woman who had been shown yelling and screaming at the same contestants just minutes earlier, leaving her devastated charges in tears.
Read MoreHow many times have you sat through a meeting with something brilliant to say but never knowing quite when to say it? Or realized half way through the meeting that your colleague who spoke up said something completely erroneous? Or worse yet, found yourself nodding and smiling in agreement while wondering what in the world the discussion at hand was actually about?
Read MoreLast week, I wrote a post on How to Ask for a Reference Letter which gave three steps for asking for (and getting!) a great letter of recommendation. The second, and arguably most important step, is to provide a template for your reviewer of what you’d like included in the letter.
Read MoreIn the 2009 film “Up in the Air,” Natalie Keener decides she can no longer stomach being part of a corporate firing squad and quits her firm. Her mentor, played by George Clooney, behaves as the magnanimous gent we all know him to be: he writes a glowing reference letter on her behalf, addressed simply “to whom it may concern.”In the real world, getting a reference letter is far more difficult and often a source of much anxiety. Whom to ask, how to ask, what to say?
Read MoreLast week, I wrote a post about exiting a conversation gracefully that generated some buzz. Beyond commenting on the strategies and tips to help you get out of those awkward moments, many of you rightfully pointed out that breaking into conversations was just as perplexing, especially at networking events, conferences, and other forced-conversation forums.
Read MoreLast week, my husband Eric was caught in the crosshairs of an overzealous museum curator eager to impart his encyclopedic knowledge about twentieth-century model trains. For what seemed like an eternity, Eric feigned interest as he searched for a way to end the conversation. Fortunately, there is a way to exit gracefully.
Read MoreIt’s hard to argue that a primetime network T.V. show that debuts after the Super Bowl has any mission other than to entertain the masses. It’s perhaps unfair then to ascribe any further responsibility to “Undercover Boss”.
Read MoreA mentor can prove invaluable when it comes to providing insight into your organization, inside information about the politics of the place, or just some over-the-shoulder advice about who to work with and who to stay away from. Mentorship, however, is a two-way street — and you’ve got to figure out how to repay the favor and make the relationship work for both of you.
Read MoreHow do you make people love you at work? Why should you bother? Here's why: because you'll find work that is compelling, challenging, exciting, and fulfilling. And when I love you, I'll do anything and everything for you to help you succeed.
Read MoreMake people love you. At work. Seriously. In a totally platonic, appropriate, work friendly kind of way.
Read MoreOn a nondescript evening this fall, I walked into a 50th floor conference room hosting a networking-event-disguised-as-a-cocktail-party for Today’s Chicago Woman “100 Women to Watch List,” of which I happened to be one. And instead of being excited and ready to mingle, I found myself filled with dread.
Read MoreI spend a lot of time thinking about finding mentors and building relationships with people whom I can look to for advice and guidance. I spend less time, truthfully, looking for mentees. I probably don’t give myself as much credit as I should (who would want me as a mentor?) and I’m also admittedly too self-absorbed as an entrepreneur, writer, and mom-to-three as to be actively on the lookout for others I can help and mentor.
Read MoreMentorship matters. There’s no question about it. You aren’t going to keep moving up the proverbial ladder without the guidance and support of those who’ve walked in your shoes. But the concept of “formal” mentorship is daunting and less relevant than ever before. Like everything, mentorship is changing. Here are four ways to make the new model work for you
Read MoreWhen Ginny Rommety became IBM’s new chief executive last fall, she spoke about a point early in her career when she was offered a promotion that she initially rejected, for fear that she was under-qualified. Her husband asked her: “Do you think a man would have ever done that?” She learned an important lesson then and there — to be self-confident on the outside even when she felt self-critical on the inside.
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