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Handling Conflict at Work
Nancy Deering In Greek the word utopia literally means no place. For us it means paradise, a place of bliss and peace, but the irony was probably intended: there is no place without worries, problems and conflict. So, in this life no one has… Read more
Stand Out from the Rest: Dress the Part
There have been many volumes written, and seminars given, about how to dress properly for interviews. Believe it or not, John Molloy’s Dress for Success has been around for 35 years! But I’m surprised that so many people haven’t gotten the… Read more
A Kinder, Gentler Firing: Seven Best Practices for Handling Layoffs and Downsizings in the 21st Century
In our struggling economy, many companies still face the difficult task of letting employees go. Dr. Richard Bayer has some advice: Terminate with dignity and you’ll set downsized employees up for success, keep remaining team members calm, and stay… Read more
A Kind Word Helps Advice for Managers who Must Let Employees Go
Heroes come in all sizes, and you don’t have to be a giant hero. You can be a very small hero. It’s just as important to understand that accepting self-responsibility for the things you do, having good manners, caring about other people—these… Read more
How to Handle the Phone: A Life Skill
How to Handle the Phone: A Life Skill by Kate Wendleton I wrote to Betty, a senior HR executive whom I have known for years, asking her to be on a panel addressing about 100 other executives. A few days later, I called her office. Her… Read more
For HR and the Rest of Us: Social Media in the Workplace: Risks and Rewards
The panelists were: Steven Z. Ehrlich, Global VP, Client Development at TMP Worldwide Advertising and Communications; James P. Flynn, Partner, Litigation and Labor and Employment practices of the Newark offices of EpsteinBeckerGreen; and… Read more
Job Search, American Style
by Katherine Meeks, Five O’Clock Club Career Coach Americans have a unique approach to job search and career development, and people born abroad sometimes have trouble adjusting to it. So I’m going to offer seven insights into American thinking… Read more
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS Begins with an Attitude of Acceptance
by Ronna Archbold with Mary Harmon The Ford Motor Company launched a marketing campaign for the Ford Pinto in Brazil with hopes that sales would take off at a gallop. But enthusiasm turned to embarrassment when Ford executives discovered that… Read more
Do Yourself a Favor: Hire My Brother
by Kate Wendleton Everyone has a handicap–something they think will hold them back in their careers. It could be that they feel they are too young or too old, have too little education or too much, are of the wrong race, creed, nationality, sex or… Read more
Power Dining–and You Are the Guest: Bring Grace and Good Manners to the Business Meal
Bring Grace and Good Manners to the Business Meal by Ronna Archbold The world was my oyster, till I used the wrong fork. Oscar Wilde In today’s competitive business market, using the “right fork”–practicing appropriate table manners and dining… Read more
The Etiquette of Networking with Fellow Five O’Clock Clubbers
by Kate Wendleton Five O’Clock Clubbers have always been generous with their time and insight. We appreciate the help of the experts who contributed to this article, and we are planning articles on other fields and industries. Without this… Read more
Electronic Etiquette: Keeping the Human Element in Communication
by Ronna Archbold It is the era of enhanced communication. Electronic gadgets are everywhere. Ringing golf bags and attache cases. Car phones that chirp. Facsimile machines that beep and spew forth reams of paper. Digitization that brings instant… Read more
Is It Ever Acceptable Behavior To Reach Out and Touch Someone?
By Ronna Archbold Broadway is reviving the 1961 musical hit How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, which tracked an ambitious young man’s journey from the mailroom to the executive suite. The producers concede that they had to do some… Read more
It Matters How You Shake It
By Ronna Archbold Handshaking is an ancient ritual. It is reported as long ago as 2800 B.C. in Egypt. According to historian Charles Panati, folklore places the handshake even earlier and speculates that because the right hand is the weapon hand,… Read more