Be a Winning Team Player part II
Ok – so last week we discussed what a team player “looks like.” Let’s carry that a step further and dig into what active team participation means. Would a relay team be successful with one “bum leg”? Doubtful. Every runner must do his/her part for the team to have a chance at winning. The same goes for “bum” team members. If it’s not all hands on deck, this “ship” is likely to go down. Being an effective team player means more than simply playing well with others. To be a truly integral, impactful part of the crew calls for the…
Be a Winning Team Player part I
Remember the days of choosing up teams at recess and how you longed to be one of the first “chosen” for kickball? While your playground days may be long gone, hopefully, the drive to be a desirable team member is still there. Only now it’s shifted from the playground to the workplace. And if you’re lucky, that drive is stronger now than ever. Why? Because being the guy or gal that every committee, department, and HR manager wants on his/her team is sure to boost your career. So what does a team player look like in the adult world? According…
“Be Yourself; Everyone Else Is Already Taken.”
This sage advice attributed to Oscar Wilde sounds simple enough. As does the modern day version, “Just be yourself.” But with the mega amount of pressure many people feel to succeed, to meet the expectations of family, friend, co-workers, and bosses, to “go with the flow,” to not make waves, being true to one’s self is harder than those statements make it sound. One pitfall to authenticity is that we’ve gotten used to things being fake or false – the exact opposite of authentic. This inauthenticity, if that’s even a word, has skewed our perception to the point that we’re…
Strategies for Responding to Dysfunctional Colleagues
On television or at the movie theater, workplace dysfunction is always good for a laugh. An entire plot can be built around the antics, quirks, and miss-everything’s that go with dysfunction on the job site. But in real life, at your workplace? Well, then it’s not nearly so amusing. Here are some questions to ask yourself when the tension escalates, paired with a couple of strategies for rising above the fray enough to accomplish your assigned tasks and you know, preserve your sanity, too. What’s really going on? Underlying issues such as illness or family situations may be contributing to…
A LinkedIn Profile Too?
But I have a resume. Why do I need a profile too? Because each plays a distinct role in maximizing a job search. These days, most hiring companies hit the web when scoping out candidates. In fact, a Jobvite survey found that 94% of U.S. companies perform social recruiting. And where might you guess the majority of this online recruiting is happening? The survey found that 94% of survey respondents named LinkedIn as their dominant recruiting network. So, do you need a LinkedIn profile! Yes, you do! Joyce Lain Kennedy, author of the Careers Now column and multiple Dummies job…
Effective Communication
Part II – 5 Strategies to Better Communication Skills When asked, “Are you a good listener?” most people fire off a quick, “Yes, of course.” What many fail to realize, however, is that hearing is only half the battle. Maybe even less than that. Listening well includes not only grasping the words but understanding the underlying messages as well. And some folks still don’t get that effective communication is every bit as much—if not more—about listening than talking. Admitting the need for a bit of improvement in the communication department is the first step toward becoming a better communicator. When…