Excelle

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover. That’s great advice. But, the truth is: during a job interview or networking opportunity we do often judge a book by its cover. So, while it is important to say all of the right things during your job interview and networking opportunities; your actions and body language often speak much louder. Rather than bemoaning ...

Starting your first job, changing positions, trying a new career, moving to another department or location — all of these can be frightening experiences. You’ve left where you were comfortable and successful and now you have to establish yourself all over again. You go to the new area, and your first day is a disaster! Surprise! You are not alone. Your ...

Recently I read about an Australian company that put out an ad seeking new employees, but with a rather uncommon request—the applicants had to be a certain astrology sign. Anyone under the Taurus, Aquarius, Aries, Capricorn, or Leo signs were encouraged to submit resumes because, according to a spokesperson for the company, those signs make the best employees. I was a ...

We've all heard stories about the nightmare of working for a toxic boss. Some of us have even had the unique displeasure of doing so ourselves. Red flags to such behavior often appear as early as the interview process. We've compiled 10 warning signs of a toxic boss. Watch for them in the interview and you might be able to avoid ...

Don't just sit there, basking in your continued employment... Phew. You survived the culling. Or maybe your company has managed to avoid a mass layoff. Either way, you're one of the lucky ones. Unlike so many of your friends and family, you won’t have to deal with the unemployment office or cancel your cable -- yet. But instead of sitting ...

Do any of these sound familiar? • You have a great idea but you aren’t telling anyone because it still needs work. • You stay up late to redo the presentation you have already spent 20 hours on. • You won’t tell anyone about the job you have applied for, just in case you don’t get it. • You have more ...

Wow. As I thought about the past eight years and what it’s been like being an entrepreneur, I was struck by how many mistakes I’ve made. I was also struck by how great those mistakes have been for my business. If it were not for all those mistakes, my business would never have grown. I would never have written a book, ...

I was reading Twitter tweets this morning and I came across one that directed me to a story about the Ten Characteristics of Great Companies by a venture capital investor in Hoboken, N.J., named Fred Wilson. It was a solid list of virtues that make for solid companies, everything from “constantly innovating” to “having a global mindset.” But there was one ...

In this economic climate, everyone wants to avoid getting laid off. The number one way to do this is to have a strong relationship with your immediate manager. Here are some strategies that have worked well for me over the years: Be humble. Don’t approach your boss with a sense of entitlement, as though he is personally responsible for furthering ...

There is no more important skill in attaining success—personal and professional—than your ability to communicate effectively. Yet women often sabotage themselves through their communication skills. Differences in how men and women communicate are rooted in social conditioning. Only by understanding the impact of this social conditioning and how it translates into the workplace can we begin to unlearn “girlish” behaviors and ...

During my second year of college, I got married. Eyebrows raised, questioning began. “What are you thinking? Are you sure you want to get married?" “Do you know what it means to get married? Do you know what marriage is?" "I Feel sorry that you are getting married so young. You are missing out on life.” "How many men have you ...

I vividly remember my first leadership assignment. I was an expert in a particular software product. Based on that expertise, I was brought into a new organization as the senior person. I was responsible for providing guidance to a group of programmers who were all male. There were even fewer women in technology then as there are now, and I was ...

“There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” _Madeleine Albright, Former U.S. Secretary of State_ One dynamic that hinders women from being more successful is something that most people don’t speak about openly: women’s damaging competition with other women. By “damaging competition”, we mean competition that is not productive, but instead is personal and mean- ...

We all have that one really annoying coworker who drives us nuts. I’ve been hearing a lot of funny stories from my friends about this topic lately and wanted to share some notable grievances. If you want to be the annoying one in the office, you will probably ... *1.* Tell a story every time you get into the office, and ...

I’ve been hearing about a growing number of workers having their hours cut back at a moment’s notice. Telemarketers suddenly being told not to come in for a few days. Housekeepers at hotels and country clubs being told to leave half way through their shifts. It’s all part of the economic squeeze. Since employee paychecks are the biggest chunk of an ...

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the economy but I’m not asking myself the question ‘has it hit bottom?’ Instead, I’m asking myself ‘what do I need to do to succeed in this economy’? Turning the question around opens up a world of opportunity. It takes away the assumption that I will be a victim of the economy and forces ...

Have you recently become a manager? Do you want to be successful at leading people? Have you found yourself frustrated? You are not alone! Too often we get into leadership because we are good at our jobs. Being good at your job has NOTHING to do with the skills needed to lead people who do the job! Here are four sure-fire ...

I’m the farthest from artistic that any one person could be, and that’s no joke. I’ve always been interested in drawing but have never been any good at it. I’ve no great sense of rhythm, and I can’t sing to save my life. If I tried out for American Idol, you’d have laughed the most at my tone deaf efforts over ...

Let me start by saying that I'm not an extrovert. Every personality assessment I've ever taken spits out results that say I'm "in my head" or a "thinker." In other words, an introvert. And I've built my career on networking. It's opened doors for me, given me critical advice and, when I became an entrepreneur, developed millions of dollars in business ...

Since I graduated from college and joined the workforce, I’ve had about dozen bosses, give or take. And trust me, some of these bosses I would’ve preferred to give away than take! This doesn’t even include the bosses I had while working at various retail establishments while still in school. While I’ve also had some excellent bosses, unfortunately I’ve had more ...