ARTICLES

Assertiveness: An Essential Workplace Skill
Have you ever said 'yes' when you really wanted to say 'no'? Have you ever wished you had stood your ground instead of giving in? Have you ever decided to go with the flow although you disagreed with the action being taken? Full article

What To Expect in 2008
A reasonably strong economy, a growing labour shortage, and changing demographics will make next year very interesting for employers and employees. Here are ten trends (good and bad) to watch for in 2008. Full article

Learning From Others: It's No Big Secret
The secrets to success aren't really secrets at all. They're generally close by, easy to find, and simple to understand. Take learning for example. Learning occurs in many ways - from books, videos, lectures, training programs and workshops. But without a doubt, the simplest way to learn is from other people. Full article

Can Work Be A Calling?
Beer bashes on Friday afternoon? Pool table in the lunchroom? If you read the annual top-companies-to-work-for-lists and didn't know any better, you'd be inclined to think that all a company has to do to keep employees happy is surround them with a bunch of fun and games. Full article

Bad Hires Can Be Harmful to Your Reputation
Hiring decisions are among the most important decisions you will make as a manager. To add to the complexity, these hiring decisions are highly visible. Your bosses and peers assess you in part by the quality of the people who work for you. Full article

The Perils of Passion
In this era of apathy in the workplace, is it possible that having too much passion can be a problem? I would have thought not - until I met Patricia, a coaching client of mine.
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When Being Right is Wrong
One person that you should never attempt to prove wrong is your boss. Even if you are absolutely right. I learned this lesson the hard way several years ago, long before I entered the human resource field. Full article

Manage Your Career Like A Business
Your career is like a business. It has assets and liabilities. It generates revenue and requires investment. It has customers and competition. It has a life cycle and goes through phases. It requires sound planning and careful execution. Full article

Are Your Behaviours in Line With Your Values?
After speaking with over 8,000 individuals throughout my executive search and coaching career, I've come to the conclusion that the greatest cause of career unhappiness is when people are forced to behave at work in ways that are in conflict with their values. Full article

Where Do You Spend Your Time?
The theory goes that you spend your time where you receive the greatest return. That's what good sales people do: they focus their attention on those customers who buy, or will potentially buy, the most products from them. Full article

All I Want for Christmas: A Wish List for the Workplace
It's that time of year again. The time when everyone starts making a list and checking it twice. So I've decided to join in too and prepare my own list of wishes for the corporate workplace in the coming year. Full article

Guidelines and Suggestions for Selection Committees
Many organizations, particularly not-for-profits and public sector ones, choose to use a selection committee to facilitate the interviewing and hiring of key employees. Full article

Employers Competing for Employees: A Case Study
Not long ago, candidates competed with one another for jobs. Now employers compete with other employers for good candidates. Interesting sign of the times! Full article

How to Sabotage Your Career Without Even Knowing It
In our executive search and coaching practice, I often meet people who are frustrated by their own lack of career growth. Full article

The Joy of Quitting
Quitting your job is not easy. Leaving co-workers whom you like and often, several years of emotional investment in an employer is difficult, even if the job you're going to offers you more pay, is closer to home, and presents greater career potential. Full article

Leadership is a Marathon
The thrill of victory and the agony of the feet. You might have seen these words on billboards and posters around town promoting the Blue Nose International Marathon. Full article

Better Reference Checking Leads to Better Hiring Decisions
My guess is that most of you have experienced huge frustrations in attempting to obtain accurate references on a prospective employee. Like many aspects of the hiring process, reference checking has become a minefield. Full article

Current Thinking on Compensation
Fair compensation is fundamental to attracting and retaining key employees. I am often asked for advice on how to structure a fair compensation package and generally I suggest that organizations look at pay as having three components. Full article

How To Negotiate A Fair Starting Salary
The style and manner used by a job applicant during salary negotiation can be a major factor in whether the process concludes successfully. Full article

If People Are Your Greatest Asset
In a recent issue of our company e-newsletter, I asked the question: If people are your greatest asset, why do so few HR Managers become CEO? There were several interesting responses to our question. Here are a few of them. Full article

How To Evaluate Your Job in Any Economy
My sense is that there continues to be a tremendous amount of uncertainty in the workplace right now. Although the economy remains relatively stable, factors such as global competition, the strengthening dollar, new technologies and a continued emphasis on cost control, leaves many employees worried about their jobs. Full article

Use Courtesy When Rejecting Job Candidates
How you treat unsuccessful job candidates is just as important as how you treat the successful ones. Full article

How to Create Development Opportunities for Key Employees
Everyone understands that the best way to develop employees is to offer them challenging work. By exposing less-experienced managers to development opportunities, you help them learn and increase your pool of leadership talent for the future. Full article

Create a Workplace Employees Will Not Want to Leave
Companies want to hold on to their brightest and best employees. So why is it that most companies don't notice that an employee is unhappy until after they give their notice? What can be done to reduce the risk of losing talented workers to other organizations? Full article

How to Answer the 'Tell Me About Yourself' Question
Most employers start the interview with some version of the question: "Tell me about yourself." Here's a guide you can follow when answering that puzzling question. Full article