Matt LeMay, business consultant, coach, and author, has an interesting way of gauging a company’s underlying culture. He asks a team leader if they would like some coffee. He finds their reaction telling. Do they offer to accompany Matt on his coffee-run? Do they offer to pay? Do they dub Matt as the coffee guy […]
Make a Career Change Without a Career Move
How to Improve Your Work Ethic and Feel Fulfilled in Your Career
Tom Cruise and Don Johnson wanted a picture with me. They each motioned for me to step forward, and butterflies battered the inside of my stomach. Earlier in the evening, I assumed that the crowd around them would not disperse before the night’s end, barring my chance for a photo. That was okay — I […]
The Simple Key to Improving Your Status at Work
I have a problem with status, by which I mean someone’s social or professional standing or rank. But my problem is not what you think — I’m not offended by the pursuit of status. People should strive for and receive acknowledgement for their accomplishments. I have a problem when someone mistakenly pairs their status at […]
How You Can Change Attitudes to Mental Health at Work – An Interview with Jonathan Phelan
Have you ever seen a picture of a tardigrade? It looks like an alien. But tardigrades, also known as water bears, are earth-dwellers — and the toughest animals on our planet. Tardigrades can withstand extreme heat and cold, dehydration and starvation, and intense pressures. Incredibly, even a trip into space is no problem for them. […]
How to Dive Into Work and Find Your Flow
My high school history teacher, Mr Wright, was more physically fit than I thought. He lithely stepped onto the diving board, walked to the tip, and peered into the water. He acted as though he wanted to make sure the water in the pool was still there, while we, the student body, cheered and jeered. […]
The Best and Worst Advice I Ever Heard About Work
I waved and smiled over my shoulder as a co-worker walked past me and out the door. It was late in the day — closing time. I squished the phone between my shoulder and ear, and looked through the papers on my desk. “So I have to stay late to get it all done and—” […]
What If Your Morals Clash with Your Work?
The phone rang for the tenth time, and I was grateful that I wasn’t in the newsroom alone. Steve, in his wrinkly t-shirt and baggy pants, picked up the phone. “News-desk.” He waited, listening. I wondered how he could hear the caller over the din of the police and fire radio-scanners lined up along the […]
Can a Bad Boss Give You a Heart Attack?
Stan was a bad boss, and he was my dad’s boss. I knew there was something off about Stan, though I was only four or five years old when I met him. Stan was tall, thick-bodied and balding — normal-looking, for an adult. But when Stan smiled he had a shark’s grin, and he glided […]
Your Hidden Barriers to Better Communication at Work May Surprise You
“You didn’t add yourself to my calendar.” I looked over my shoulder at my co-worker, Brenda, who stood at the edge of my desk. Her voice was louder than necessary, and my desk-mate, seated just over the low wall between our desks, shifted in her chair. I turned my chair in Brenda’s direction. “No, I—” […]
The Job Interview Blunders That Taught Me Valuable Lessons
I dressed in my suit. I wore my best shoes — uncomfortable, but stylish. The interview was for a sales and marketing position, no prior experience necessary. I arrived early and sat in my car for a moment and gathered my thoughts. Months had passed since my college graduation, and I hadn’t been able to […]