Detroit Free Press
How to criticize constructively
What is the one responsibility you probably avoid more than any other at work?
Giving criticism.
Not criticizing is destructive. Giving criticism is constructive.
As long as you have criticism to offer, you still believe things can improve. When you stop criticizing, you have given up - on your ability to think, and on the organization's ability to absorb new ideas.
Weiss says companies that discourage honest criticism are jeopardizing their ability to serve their customers - ultimately, their ability to meet competition.
Learning to give criticism takes trust, and trust is what builds good teams, the ones that succeed at work.
Selling Power
Accentuate the Positive
CONSULTANT JOYCE WEISS advises unmotivated salespeople to get out of their safe comfort zones and reevaluate the way they do business.
"When things aren't going well, it's easy to blame the marketplace or the economy, but you have to stop whining, look in the mirror and force yourself to squarely address the problem and brainstorm for solutions."
Remember this quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Standing in your own sunshine causes most of the shadows in our life."
Chicago Tribune
Putting skills to work for husband's career
More typically, it is the woman who chooses to take a hiatus from her professional life - assuming that the couple can manage it financially - and devote her time and energy to the family front. And especially if her husband has a high-powered career, she may function as a "corporate wife," meaning that she lends support and helps him cultivate key business relationships as he climbs the career ladder.
It's what women do so well: maintain a social network. And they provide all kinds of support - remembering birthdays, sending cards, gifts, thank-you's and inviting people over for social gatherings.
"Just like wives of politicians, she creates possibilities for him to have social opportunities."
There's also an element of public relations work, says Joyce Weiss, a corporate consultant in West Bloomfield, Mich. For example, the wife might mention her husband's latest achievements to his higher-ups. "It's classier to have a third party promote you than to have to sell yourself," Weiss says.
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USA TODAY
Slowdown Moves More Adult Kids Back Home
As economy stutters Generation Xers discover there's no place like Mom's while they look for work, dig out of debt, or try to save on rent or for a home of their own.
Both sides face hurdles
"If the expectations aren't discussed, the relationship will deteriorate like a bad marriage," says Joyce Weiss, author of Full Speed Ahead: Become Driven by Change. "The economy has changed, and it's a new situation. But some may be moving back because of immaturity, but they just don't realize it. And parents aren't always the best role models financially. How can they give their kids a lecture without looking in the mirror first?"
Customer Service World
10 Tips to Keep Motivated Employees
In many companies, work has become a place of disillusionment. Employees start with enthusiasm and creativity, but day after day they feel more and more helpless, as if they don't have any real choices anymore. Employees are overwhelmed, exhausted and bored. They feed like they have been shot down. Complaining and ridiculing others becomes the norm. The "romance" is gone.
If this scenario sounds like your company, don't despair. Deep down, employees are begging to gain a sense of hope and enthusiasm again, but they need your help. If you make a genuine effort to follow these ten tips, you will not only notice attitude shifts, but real changes in behavior among your employees. Give it a shot, and watch the fun return:
- Walk Your Talk.
- Be Supportive.
- Be a Leader with Vision.
- Use Straight Talk.
- Build Supportive Teams.
- Encourage Creativity and Laugh at Mistakes.
- Empower Employees to Feel Liberated.
- Help Employees Feel Comfortable with Change.
- Insist That Employees Always Keep The Customer in Mind.
- Keep Employees Focused on Their Cheerleaders and Fans.
The Next Big Thing
Release employees from boring board meeting, some companies say, and you've got a winning team
This philosophy is right on, according to Joyce Weiss, a corporate speaker and motivator based in Michigan. Her job is to go into companies, including AT&T and Electronic Data System (EDS) and show them how to have fun. Because, she says, employees that play together work better.
"Just when companies think they need to put the frivolous games aside is a time when they need them most," Weiss says. "You need to support one another, and this is how you do it.
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