It's easy to accept the received wisdom of the workplace without giving it much thought. For example, you'll be an expert at something if you practice for 10,000 hours. You're more likely to achieve your goals if they are SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound). Playing to your strengths is the best way forward. There are […]
All Posts, Expert Interview, Leadership, Team Management, Uncategorized
About 3,000 years ago, King Solomon warned us, "Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions." In 2015, the Chicago Tribune's top 10 list of distractions ended with, "The most mind-blowing fact about distractions is that almost no one could possibly imagine... oh, look, it's a cat video!" Dealing with distractions has always been important. […]
Mike is as close to the perfect employee as you could possibly get. He's always at work 15 minutes before his shift started. He's productive, helpful toward colleagues and clients, uses his initiative, and often comes up with creative solutions to problems on the shop floor. Doing odd jobs that aren't part of his job description is never […]
#MTtalk, All Posts, Leadership, Team Management, Uncategorized
Do you look out of your office, see your underlings hard at work, and think to yourself, "What a great example of leadership I embody! Look at these people beavering away for me. I inspire them and they look up to me!" If so, chances are you might be surprised by what they really think! And by what gets […]
Influence can come in a variety of forms. From a viral campaign on social media, to a presidential election campaign, to the pleadings of your children for that much-dreamt-of holiday to Disney World. So what does influence mean to you? How do you influence people and, conversely, how do they influence you? I'm an emotional decision maker. […]
Maybe you're the exception to the rule and you absolutely love meetings, but many of us don't enjoy them. Some meetings drag on for hours, without adding much value. Other meetings are held for no better reason than that it's the usual routine to have them. Regardless of how we feel about them, we all […]
#MTtalk, All Posts, Communication, Decision Making, Team Management, Uncategorized
Are we born with certain abilities or can we acquire them through deliberate practice? Myles Downey has a theory about this nurture/nature question of genius. For him, the debate points directly to a tradition of powerful people seeking to retain their authority. A keen tennis player himself, he explains this with a metaphor from the world […]
All Posts, Career Skills, Creativity, Expert Interview, Uncategorized
Please Join Us! What: #MTtalk Where: Twitter When: Friday, July 8, 2016 @ 1p.m. EST (6p.m. BST) Topic: Team Meetings: Do You Help, Hide or Hinder? Host: @MindTools About This Week's Chat Your life at the office has become somewhat unproductive. You're hardly ever at your desk. You don't answer your phone and no one […]
Many people, when they start working, don't have clear goals or a definite idea of what their career path should look like. But many aspire to become a manager. They know they want to climb the corporate ladder, get recognized for their hard work or for being an expert, and become the "boss." They even say, […]
So, you've said your goodbyes, signed the contract, and packed your bags. Now it's time to start on a new adventure, and take your working life abroad. A mixture of excitement and fear overtakes you, as you wonder if you're fully prepared, whether you've made the right choice, and what this could all mean for […]
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