Leverage the advantages of being an introvert at work
November 30th, 2009
The workplace is set up to reward extroverts. For example, ENTJs make up only 3% of the population but they comprise a wide majority of the world’s CEOs. The bias against introverts in American society is well documented, including research that shows that a spot on the cheerleading team foreshadows career success much more reliably …
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Thanksgiving drama on steroids: Adding a family business to the mix
November 25th, 2009
I think its safe to say that for the majority of people, Thanksgiving is not about goodness and gratitude, but rather, family drama.
Until now, I have been pretty much on the outside of this American tradition: The tradition of building up Thanksgiving to be a great family moment and then the family not living up …
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Asperger’s at work: 5 ways to be less annoying
November 24th, 2009
The first step to growing a good career in the face of Asperger’s Syndrome is to recognize that this is a social skills deficit, by definition, and work, by definition, is a social skills decathlon.
I have written before that for me, the biggest problem at work stems from my own sensory integration dysfunction – something …
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This is what it looks like to have a hard time making a change
November 20th, 2009
Some days I look through old posts, reminding myself of posts that I’ve written that I like and that I should link to. Often, this process serves to let me procrastinate writing while pretending to be engaged in writing. If I were a body builder, this would be me looking in the mirror instead of …
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How to know if you’ll be good at sales
November 19th, 2009
It's clear to me that emotional intelligence is the most important skill for success in adult life. And the consummate career application of emotional intelligence is the sales department. So I'm fascinated by sales.
I used to think I'm not that good at sales. For example, I'm an open book—I have very little ability to bluff …
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What makes a blog successful?
November 17th, 2009
I have always thought that blogging is a way to reach your career goals. It's hard to write a blog if you don't have a goal. You need to know what blogging success looks like to you, so you know what you’re aiming for.
Like most goals in life, my definition of blogging success has shifted …
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Don’t be a snob about career advice
November 16th, 2009
I have found that the best way to manage myself is by asking for a lot of help. The question is, how do you know who to take advice from?
The answer is not always intuitive. For example, you’d think that if Bill Gates wants to give you career advice, you should take it, right? I …
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How to make business travel manageable
November 11th, 2009
Last year I traveled almost every week. Some weeks I traveled to three different cities.
If you are excited about business travel, thinking it's a free ticket to see the world, you should stop reading now. But if you are having trouble maintaining your personal life in the face of tons of travel, these tips from …
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Shifting the balance of power. (Mainstream media stinks.)
November 6th, 2009
I wake up Wednesday at 4am to a phone call: The Guardian, in London, asking for an interview about my miscarriage twitter. Then a half-hour later, an Irish radio station. And then the phone kept ringing.
I tell Now Magazine (I think it's basically People magazine for the UK audience) to call back after I got …
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