To thank or not to thank, that is the question. Thank you. Two short and simple words we say several times throughout the day to strangers for the services they provide such as making our sandwich, selling us the paper, etc. If it is so easy to say thank you to total strangers in their workplace, why is it so difficult to utter these same words to those we work with? Many managers would agree with one or more...

Do you spend your days wishing your week away and waiting for the weekend? You probably spend at least 40 hours a week at work. If most of this time is spent in a gloomy and solemn mood, except for that one hour before you go home on a Friday, it is time to do something about it. There are a number of factors that can contribute to a downbeat environment at work. I have written about how to handle Bad Bosses...

I have a dream that one day training events will be more than uninspiring presentations, worthless chit chat and stale sandwiches. I have a dream today! That dream has become a reality. Now in its third year, Training Zone Live 2012 proved once again, to be an exceptional event and is quickly establishing itself as one of the most significant events in the diaries of L&D professionals. An event is only...

Do you work with a difficult boss? Is your boss making your life miserable at work? Have you tried to address certain issues to no avail? Has the time come to escalate matters and talk to their boss or HR? These conversations are never easy and can cause anxiety so here are a few ideas to try to minimise your distress. Before engaging in this type of conversation, ask yourself the following: – ...

Do you work with someone with an oversized ego? Chances are we have all come across at least one or two people with massive egos. It can be very difficult to work with someone like this. The question is, how do you know it’s an ego problem in the first place? The answer is that you can’t know for sure. The competitive nature of the work place can lead to people looking out for themselves. You could just...

If you manage a team you are probably faced with the issue of selecting team members and finding the best possible team. When we think about sports, there are specific numbers for different teams. A football team is always 11 people and basketball 5. However, when we consider the workplace there does not appear to be a set rule that determines the optimal number of team players. So how do you know if your team...

Throughout your career you have probably lost count of the number of meetings you have attended. Team meetings, department meetings, focus groups, workshops, you name it. Do you find yourself dreading your next meeting and see it as a waste of time? Well, you are not alone. It never seizes to amaze me how many meetings take place without any real purpose. Improving meetings is not about ordering bagels and coffee...

They say you choose your friends but not your family. Where do colleagues fit it? We spend more time with our work colleagues than we do with our friends or family yet we don’t really have a choice in who they are. You may become friends with some of them, admire a few and consider others decent co-workers. So what happens when day in day out you have to deal with difficult personalities? As with beauty,...