“The more I know, the more I realize I don't know.” - Albert Einstein
Recent Winning at Working Columns
Bad Drum? "He who cannot dance will say: the drum is bad." Too many people I've encountered use a philosophy akin to this African proverb to navigate their work. It's easier to blame the drum or the boss, the co-worker or the company...read more
Lying on a Nail Once there was a young woman who didn't like her job. Everyday when she came home from work, she told her husband how terrible her day had been, how tiring the work and how unreasonable her boss. "Leave that job," her husband told her...read more
Working for the Right Person "I don't know," the Gen-Y acquaintance mused. "I'm thinking about grad school, but it's more work than I thought to prepare for the GREs. Then if I do all that and don't get into the program I want, it's a waste of time...read more
Herd Mentality Booths featuring products and services related to employee engagement, web-based delivery, global performance, and talent management were overflowing with conference attendees as I walked the trade show at a national conference where I was speaking...read more
Get the Facts It was his perception that caused the outburst. "Why aren't there any managers at these sessions? Why aren't they required to attend, too?" he challenged. Hired to provide workshops on building trust in a workplace lacking it, I answered his question to the extent I could during that first session, "It's my understanding ...read more
Kept Waiting "I don't like to be kept waiting," he responded when asked by the travel-study professor why he delayed the entire group for a third straight day. "Next time," the professor warned, "we won't hold the bus...read more
The Secret to Success Most people are looking for the secret to success; the secret to being a millionaire; the secret to winning at working. To help them find it, Amazon inventories 1,797 books promising success secrets, everything from Mustang Sallies: Success Secrets of Women Who Refuse to Run With the Herd to
...read more
How About, "Thank You?" It started with a turkey. In the early days of a start-up company I once worked for, a plump turkey was a small thank you token given to employees around the holidays. The turkey-giving practice lasted maybe three years, until the growing size of the organization necessitated its change...read more
The Person, Not the Position Taking time off from graduate school to earn enough money to continue, I was fortunate to find a teller position in a local Credit Union. I got more than a year's tuition from the experience. I also got a lesson in expectations...read more
Busy About Once upon a time, a prince and princess lived in stressful palace, surrounded by a stressful village, inside a stressful land. They knew it was stressful because everyone said it was. Their parents, the king and queen, worked from sunrise to sunset hearing issues from their kingdom, weighing the requests, and appropriating the collective harvest...read more
Shades of Grey A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in silver the message: Life isn't always black and white. It serves as a reminder there are few absolutes at work (or in life). Yet, it would be easier if there were; if good ideas from bad, trustworthy people from non-trustworthy, and right paths from the wrong ones could easily be discerned...read more
Past or Future? Watching a rerun of "What Not to Wear" on The Learning Channel, I was struck by the dialogue between the individual being transformed and the cast of experts. While agreeing to follow the advice and input from these style-masters, "Joyce" was closed to the ideas presented of what she should wear, how her...read more
Your emails are so valuable and so wonderful in the information you share. What a gift to get your insights and what you do is very special and rare. I get so many emails each day, but I look forward to reading yours because I know it will add something valuable to my life. Velma
I am going to use your piece for my motivational team meeting. it is just terrific. Diane
When I read others work advice I often feel that they are trying to make me into something like them. When I read yours I get a whole different feeling that you are trying to help me shine. It's appreciated. Rodney
I recently discovered your blog and am writing to tell you how much I enjoy your tips. Please keep writing. Liza
I distribute your newsletters at work. They really "hit the mark." Carol
Thank you so much for sharing your very enlightening thoughts. Jed
Love your articles. Bob
Audio recordings of previous Winning at Working columns, read by Nan with additional commentary, are available from LearnOutLoud.com
