From the category archives:
By Dawn Stanyon, AICI FLC, Professional Image Consultant According to a Lee Hecht Harrison survey, more than 60% of employers say they there is tension between the generations in the workplace. Fifty percent or more of Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers alike perceive that their talents and abilities are not appreciated by the other generations. [...]
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Q: Through downsizing, attrition, and layoffs, I’m the only English-speaking person left on my team. My two remaining co-workers are naturalized citizens. They both have a wealth of experience and seem to do a terrific job. The problem is, they now constantly speak in their native tongue. When they do address me, it’s in broken [...]
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Q: What is the proper length of voice mail messages? I get messages that stretch from two to five minutes. One co-worker’s messages are so long she needs to call back to finish them. A: With voice mail, short is sweet: Leave your name, company, callback number, and a short summary of what the call [...]
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Q: I work for a 30-person company. Many of us eat lunch at the office. The problem is that the firm’s owner often raids the fridge, then leaves a dollar in place of what she took! Even if we put our names on items, she appropriates them. She doesn’t pick on any one person or [...]
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By Dawn Stanyon, AICI FLC, Professional Image Consultant A trend over the past couple years is large watches. Really really large watches. Whether it’s a Rolex or a more affordable brand, men and women are wearing these signature time pieces to the office. Our take? Great! But consider minimizing other accessories. Men generally keep their [...]
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Q: Is it appropriate to make a comment to a new-coworker about his lack of professionalism? I’m referring to his use of “slang” or “street talk” in the office. A: Be careful — you could be skating on very thin ice here. If the language in question isn’t explicitly foul, you’re better off leaving any [...]
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Q: My company sent a form for me to fill out and return. Because the return envelope had no postage, I ignored it. Six weeks later, I received a second notice. This time I sent the form back with a note: “You owe me 37 cents postage.” I was trying to make a point that [...]
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Q: At my office, one woman collects money from everyone on a monthly basis to “cover the cost of birthday cards.” While I think this is a nice gesture, recently the “fee” has doubled. What’s an appropriate way of objecting to this collection? A: Just say no politely, and without any judgment or accusation: “Thanks [...]
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Q: Is it acceptable to list an MBA degree on business cards? I received a master’s in business 10 years ago, and at that time it was never done. Now I see MBAs popping up everywhere, right next to MD, JD, CPA, CFA, and other professional designations. A: I wouldn’t put MBA on my card [...]
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Q: What is the proper protocol for job hunting while still at one’s current job? How do I handle taking time out for interviews, for example? A: Conducting phone interviews on a company telephone, writing your resume when you should be preparing that report, or meeting with interviewers on company time are all major mistakes. [...]
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The Gift of Good Manners
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