Excelle

We live in a world where speed is key. Everything has to be bigger, better, faster, and so on. Time is money, so no one can afford to wait for anything. Unfortunately this development has enabled email to become ridiculously over-used and abused. We all know that e-mail forwards can get you in trouble. Everyone has heard about the person who ...

The Beijing Olympics were a rousing success from every angle. Despite the controversy over the women’s gymnastics and the few athletes who were caught using banned substances, the spirit of competition and national pride of each country was wonderful to see. Here’s my take on some of the headlines and what they would mean if the Olympics was one big multi-national ...

Q: "I’m about to complete an internal audit internship for a rather large company. The company just offered me a full-time job with a salary of $45,000. Although the job is entry-level, I’ve gotten nothing but excellent reviews from a senior who is notorious for being bad with her reviews. I also have a stellar academic record, which includes a 4.0 ...

Whether you are currently working and are looking to make a change, or you’ve lost your job and are eager to get back into the workforce, this is a challenging economic climate. You can find a job, but you need to do things that your peers are not. Let me share with you four things that will help you stand out: ...

We once thought that leaders were born, not made. Now we know that leadership is truly a skill that people can develop. Leadership is the skill of getting people to “willingly do what you want them to do.” When you’re a leader people follow you because they want to, not because they have to. “People don’t quit their jobs, they quit ...

Is money keeping you from changing careers? If you’re like most would-be career changers, various money fears are keeping you stuck in your current position. The thing about money is that it holds so many layers of meaning for so many of you. People let money hold power over them. It keeps people from making decisions—big and small—because of preconceived faulty ...

It may be almost time to hang up the Christmas stockings – but not the job search. Resist that temptation. Smart job seekers will jump in first thing Monday with a clear plan of action for the next six weeks, experts say. Following that strategy paid off for Katherine Smith – twice. She landed a job on Dec. 18, 2006. After ...

From having a personal blog for fun to the necessity of a business blog for profit, there’s the need for a virtual home on the web. I’m talking about something more than a Facebook profile of course. I’m talking about having You.com. If you’ve never thought that you would ever register a domain name and set up your own website, I ...

Research studies have shown that over 90% of mangers and supervisors (including team leaders who have the harder job of leading without authority) receive no formal management training prior to getting the position. There is a myth that says: “if you are good at the job, you will be good at supervising people who do the job.” Unfortunately the skills of ...

I’m a big tennis fan and have been enjoying the Wimbledon Championships the last two weeks. I saw a lot of great tennis, some surprises and some heartbreaks. As usual, there was much speculation about who would end up in the men’s and women’s finals. When it was clear that Venus and Serena Williams would compete on the women’s side and ...

Searching for a job is challenging enough in a recession. Job seekers who are eager to reply to any hint of a paying gig must also avoid online scammers and identity thieves who are targeting them. The Better Business Bureau found that 73% of job seekers reported using online sources for help in 2007, compared to 66% in 2005. And that ...

Between two jobs, a 3-year-old son, a marriage, a house in mid-renovation and elder-care responsibilities, Susan Diachisin doesn't have the time to fill out a name tag, let alone attend events or make networking rounds at work. Lucky for her - and her career - she isn't afraid to network outside traditional arenas. Today, women are busier than ever. The silver ...

This is such a vital and necessary skill in today’s workplace that the AME Institute thinks it should be taught in high school. Staff seems to manage their workload by putting out fires and doing only what’s “due” next. Then they are stressed because of all the interruptions every day (which are a necessary part of business). Many organizations are filled ...

In recent weeks, we’ve heard about corporations losing their value with several very large companies going bankrupt or being sold. Each of us has a set of skills, education and training that provide value to our employers. In my Excelle column last week, I recommended that you think of yourself as a corporation of one. The value of Corporation You goes ...

Employment seekers are increasingly looking for temporary, contract and seasonal work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These days it pays, however, to go into a temporary work situation fully armed with information on how the system works. Sometimes, it makes more sense to avoid temp work. “When the economy is down, employers are more likely to use questionable employment ...

Do you know that research shows that the average person spends 45 minutes a day looking for things? Think about what that costs a company in productivity and profits. Let’s take a conservative example: 1. Average hourly wage of your staff: $20 2. Amount of time looking for things daily: 30 minutes 3. Average number of days worked a year: 240 ...

Are you a woman with an MBA who's looking to rise to the top in marketing? It turns out marketing is the preferred occupation of many aspiring businesswomen. But the attraction extends far beyond traditional perceptions. And strong quantitative skills, a good education, and a strong role model can help convert that attraction into professional success. h4. Women Who Choose Marketing ...

Communication is truly a skill. We don’t teach it. For most staff to be skilled their profession required they learn specific skills in order to perform the job. Many of them could not get the position without those qualifications first. If they could, they had to be able to demonstrate the ability to perform the duties before leaving on-the-job training. Poor ...

In this totally unstable business climate, everyone is under a great deal of pressure. People are more prone to snap at each other, and office altercations aren’t unusual. Nevertheless, no matter what your job or situation, having a bonafide meltdown at work diminishes your credibility and intrudes on your reputation. Colleagues and managers who think you can’t handle stress will take ...

Change is a constant at work – and in life. Organizations need to change to move with our fast paced world. Customers expect more, industry standards change, economic flow changes, priorities change. It’s a way of life. By nature, most people do not openly embrace change. Humans are by nature, creatures of habit. Not surprisingly then, when change occurs in the ...