Like virtually any other relationship-oriented activity in the workplace, the Backscratch is a game with rules that no one will actually tell you, but you are expected to know nonetheless. S’ok. We’ll tell you. The most important rule is that you never say the following three words: “You Owe Me.” If you say those words: […]
Advice Straight From The Horse’s Mouth Andrew Goldman, Co-Founder/Chief Strategy Officer at TVtibi and former VP of Program Strategy and Planning at HBO, shares his experiences in entering the infamous television network, and how to get ahead and stay ahead. I recently interviewed Andrew Goldman, who has over 30 years experience in broadcasting and now […]
You are a complete alien in a whole new world until you fully understand the culture of your office and learn how to assimilate to your new environment. If you are truly to succeed at work, your mission is to figure out how to stand out while you are fitting in. Corporate culture determines how you behave in […]
Looking back at my career and knowing what I know now, there were seven big habits that I displayed that didn’t serve me in corporate life. I didn’t always exhibit the behavior I should have at my senior level. Here’s my excuse: I didn’t know. I wasn’t taught in school nor did my parents teach […]
Managing generational dynamics is critical for two reasons. First, given that life expectancy is longer than ever and will continue to extend, all generations will need to find a way to work collaboratively. Each generation brings specialized skills, vision, ideas, and experiences to the marketplace, which could and will benefit the whole. Second, older generations build upon […]
If you take not one other word of advice from this piece, take this: never, ever, ever say one bad word about your boss to anyyyyone. Ever. Your friends don’t really want to hear it anyway, and your colleagues can’t wait to repeat it. It’s a hard habit to break, particularly because boss bashing is more contagious […]
Recently, I had a client who was stuck. Let’s call him Wallow in the Middle. He hasn’t been promoted in five years. He hasn’t been demoted. He is earning his salary but sees nothing on the horizon of learning something new or a promotion. It’s the same old same old. If you’re like Wallow in […]
It’s painful to be around someone you are not sure is lying to you or not. So many times, I have been in meetings not knowing if someone is trying to pull one over on me. Just the thought of someone lying to you can alter not just your mood that day but an entire […]
When I think about writing a resume or even editing my own resume, my breath becomes short and hives breakout. Creating one or two pages which clearly summarizes your work life in a language and format that someone wants to actually read, is an art. An art that is beyond my skill set. My path […]
Incidents in our lives remind us of stories of our past. I don’t know Roger. I don’t know any of the women accusing him. I just know my truth and stories. Here is one. Something felt strange on my right leg. A pressure of some sort was hitting the bone on the front of my […]
Picture this: Late afternoon on a tidy, suburban street. I was parked in front of my very own house staring aimlessly through the windshield at nothing in particular. My mind was on autopilot running through a string of dramatic scenarios when suddenly, a lanky boy confidently passed in front of my field of vision, breaking […]
I think that people assume that if you’re over 40, surely you know it all. It’s the mid-life corollary to being in your mid-twenties. Older means wiser, right? But the truth of the matter is, the older I get, the more I realize I have to learn. Especially from people my junior. Which is why […]
We’ve all been there. Think back to a certain time or place when you were painfully aware of being culturally out of sync. Maybe you once had to defend your strange American ways to that cute guy in Firenze during your junior year abroad. He didn’t understand your desperation for air conditioning and your desire […]
Have you heard the one about a Veteran, a Baby Boomer, a Generation X’er, a Generation Y’er, and a Gen Z who step into an office… “But what’s the punch line?” you might want to know, assuming it were the prelude to a joke. But it isn’t. This, my friends, is a snapshot of today’s […]
Drumroll please…. Without further ado, I present my final 8 suggestions for how to build a reputation as indestructible as a black AMEX card: 18. Dance with grace. Accept criticism — whether you feel it is deserved or not, say: “Really? Wow. I had no idea. I wonder what I’m doing that gave that impression, it was […]
Would Hillary Clinton be more likeable if she signed her emails XO? The answer is probably yes… 11 years after the TV show Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants premiered; we now have the sisterhood of the XO. What started with Arianna Huffington and Lena Dunham signing their emails “xo” has evolved into a hashtag #xoxo […]
