By Will Schwalbe — Some of the most polite things people say can take on a totally different character when you write them in an email or in an IM or text message. Here are some examples.
1. Please
We are taught from an early age to say "please" when we ask for things. "Can I have [...]
Office PoliticsSend: 4 words that sound nice when spoken, but not in email
Posted to: Office Politics
May 3rd, 2007
Send: Etiquette for apologizing in an email
Posted to: Office Politics
April 27th, 2007
By Will Schwalbe — Email is great for minor apologies – especially when you think your transgression might not really need an apology at all. A classic is the, "I'm so sorry I didn't spend more time with you at my party" kind of apology, which is usually greeted with the classic, "Don't be silly, [...] Cupcakes go far at work
Posted to: Office Politics
April 25th, 2007
You need to be nice at work. This doesn't mean holding the door. Well, it does, but you need to do more than that. You need to do high-profile, from-the-heart niceness. People who are popular at work do better at work. Yes, it's true, the popularity contest never ends. Send: Why Good People Send Savage Emails
Posted to: Office Politics
April 19th, 2007
By Will Schwalbe — Even the most placid soul can find her or himself in the midst of a full-fledged, take-no-prisoners flame war. One minute you are scoring a minor point, then a few more emails go back and forth, and soon you are choosing the perfect vicious barb to complete an angry screed. New guest blogger: Will Schwalbe
Posted to: Office Politics
April 19th, 2007
Will's new book is Send: The Essential Guide to Email for Office and Home. How to get your company to listen to your ideas
April 11th, 2007
One of the biggest complaints I hear from employees is that no one is listening to their ideas. In a large part this is not because the ideas are bad, but becuse most employees don't sell their ideas to their company properly. If someone's bugging you, change yourself
Posted to: Office Politics | Self-management
April 10th, 2007
Here's a fascinating piece about an Amazon tribe that has no ability to use numbers. Even when the tribe members asked anthropologists to teach counting, the tribesmen couldn't learn. The tribe is good at other things — fishing and making jokes, for instance — but not counting. Google Guy: Dressing for success — don't do it all the time
Posted to: Office Politics | Promoting Yourself
March 20th, 2007
By Jason Warner — One of my direct reports told me I'm wearing VP shoes. Apparently, my Eccos are the most popular shoe brand among vice presidents at Google. The secret life of salesgirls
March 13th, 2007
Who makes the best salesperson? A cheerleader. The Madison update (and the Britney update)
Posted to: Networking | Office Politics
February 27th, 2007
A lot of people ask me how living in Madison is going. For those of you who don't know, I moved from New York City to Madison, WI about six months ago. I can't believe it's already been six months, because I still feel like I'm in culture shock. What Obama means for the workplace
Posted to: Office Politics
February 19th, 2007
Barack Obama is dissing the baby boomers. But he's doing it tactfully. So he's got a wide range of people talking about generational issues in politics, and I'm eagerly anticipating spillover into the workplace, which also needs this frank discussion. The ill-advised but often-sought business-trip tryst
Posted to: Office Politics
February 12th, 2007
When I was younger and traveled more for business, I got hit on by just about every man I traveled with. This is not uncommon among women I know. Recognize when you're being a nutcase
Posted to: Knowing yourself | Office Politics
February 5th, 2007
One of my best friends, Sharon, is a hairdresser. She is not a normal hairdresser. She's a big-shot hairdresser in Los Angeles. And one of the most important moments in my financial life was when I moved from client to friend — I started saving $100 on a haircut and $150 on color because she [...] How to make ladder-climbing a positive experience
Posted to: Diversity | Office Politics
January 30th, 2007
The work world offers a continuum of means to stability. Huge risk takers might choose to pay off the Russian mob and try to corner to oil market in Siberia. If you're looking for stability, you might try climbing a corporate ladder in a large, publicly traded company. How to sidestep office hierarchy to get the job you want
Posted to: Management | Office Politics
January 29th, 2007
A lot of you know you'd like to be doing something more significant for your company, but no one is giving you the chance. This is your wake up call. You don't need to wait for someone to bestow a title on you — you can take on a bigger role right now. Office politics is about being nice
Posted to: Office Politics
January 25th, 2007
Here is a message for people who say office politics don't matter: You will die a slow, painful career death. This is because there's no getting around office politics, and mastering them is essential to being able to steer your own career. Don't take that as bad news, though, because mastering office politics is good [...] Dealing with social awkwardness at work: Insights from the autism community
Posted to: Knowing yourself | Office Politics
January 21st, 2007
Hannah Schufreider may seem an unlikely person to be teaching you how to manage your career. She is a 12-year-old autistic girl living in Haverhill. Her days are spent being a little bored in school, reading Manga comics, watching Hannah Montana on TV, and going to fencing class on the weekends. Sounds like a typical [...] Don't report sexual harassment (in most cases)
November 2nd, 2006
Sexual harassment in American work life is pervasive — as much as 80 percent in some sectors. But most women don't stand a chance of winning a lawsuit. So having a plan to deal with the problem is a good idea for all women. How to run a meeting
Posted to: Management | Office Politics
October 10th, 2006
There are lots of rules for running a good meeting – always have an agenda, start on time, make sure no one is hungry. But this rule is more important than all others: Be a cheerleader for your objectives. When you run a meeting you have an objective and you are trying to convince everyone [...] Friday smorgasbord
September 15th, 2006
Here are three tidbits I've collected that haven't fit in other places over the week. |
Super Bowl Sunday coup: Times Sqare is empty, which inspires me to try to get last-minute tickets to The Lion King. Orchestra seats! Score! 2 days ago
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