[Note: We’re starting a new feature called Covert Answers where Covert Leadership Agents will answer reader questions. Submit yours here.] Dear Agents: One of the people I manage is very defensive and because of this she can’t work well with the rest of the team. What can I do to help her become more of […]
Tag Archives | Advice
Considering a Work Life Collage
In an earlier post, I argued that it’s time to throw out the term Work Life Balance in favor of an idea that better represents modern work and modern life — where we are connected to both parts nearly 24/7. I suggested Work Life Collage, where pieces of “work” and “life” fit together in an […]
Being Happy in Your Pursuit
I was taking my co-worker through an exercise I’ve used on folks looking for a new career, and two things became immediately evident. One, she has been so mired down in her dissatisfying role, that she’s been asking herself the wrong question. Instead of thinking about what she wants out of life, she is simply […]
Thank you Sheryl Sandberg!
Is it just me? Or is it sort of ridiculous (in a sad, telling, sort of way) that when the COO of a well-know technology company says she goes home everyday at 5:30 it is BIG NEWS?! I’m talking, of course, about Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg’s video on Makers and subsequent articles on CNN and […]
Negotiating Your Salary
Do you feel well compensated for the work you produce, or under compensated? There is a startling statistic that women still make up half the workforce and are paid approximately 70 cents to every dollar paid to men. Moms are paid even less. It doesn’t make sense, until you become one. And you realize that […]
Should You Tell Colleagues About Your Exit Strategy?
In an earlier post, I told you how I concealed my exit plan from my colleagues. In retrospect, I’m not sure it was the best strategy. But what about the other end of the spectrum, when your boss tells you he’s dissatisfied and is hoping to move on within a few years? This happened to […]
Planning and doing
David has been working at the same company for almost two decades. He is now a middle aged man, with his family to support. He used to really enjoy his career. He even felt passion for it. Today, he still likes his profession, but he suffers from depression due to his relationship with his boss. […]
Writing Thank You Notes
Today I finally got to those hand-written thank you notes I had mentioned in an earlier blog. First I sent an email to my contact and set up a follow up call. But that’s not enough. One of the most important things you can do is send handwritten notes. Do you have problems saying thank […]
50 Ways to Leave your Job
I was driving home from work when the song came on the radio “50 Ways to Leave your Lover”. It starts out: The problem is all inside your head, she said to me. The answer is easy if you take it logically. I’d like to help you in your struggle to be free, there must […]
Tip of the Day Issue 2, Blog… Delete!
My personal manifesto, specifically for managing my emotional intelligence, goes like this. Blog about what’s bothering me, or what is a burning thought or emotion. And then, if the email that triggered the bad feelings is still in my inbox, delete it and wash away the memory. In essence, it’s boiled down to two words. […]
