More than 33 million Americans now work remotely at least one day per month, according to the “Telework Trendlines 2009” survey report. Still, most managers have been trained to work with employees who are only physically present to them. How can you manage what you can’t see? Here are some tips for bosses who manage teleworkers:

Just because you don’t feel confident doesn’t mean you can’t play the part. It pays off: Confident people get the plum assignments, the raises, the recognition, Trent Hamm says on the blog The Simple Dollar. Follow Hamm's tricks for appearing confident:

You may be using Twitter.com already. If not, it’s worth taking a second look. Why? Because savvy businesses are using the tool to do some of what you do already—smooth out the information flow between leadership and everyone else. Here's how Twitter can help you on the job:

Whether you're dining with peers at a convention or meeting with a vendor, lunch etiquette can keep you from marring your image with a faux pas. Here are five etiquette rules for business meals, according to Robin Jay, author of The Art of the Business Lunch:

Progressive discipline is a system in which penalties increase upon repeat occurrences. But don’t pick and choose which employees you run through progressive discipline. It’s critical to apply those procedures to all employees or none, as this new case shows ...

When a colleague or customer gets so upset they stop making sense, you need to remember this: Too much adrenaline is muddling their thinking. Here are the most common forms of ranting, along with what to say to get them back on track quickly:

You can’t know what your employees are really thinking. That’s why one CEO went undercover to find out. He worked, in disguise, for two weeks on 10 different sites. His goal was to hear what workers said when they were uncensored. The biggest lesson he learned?

When employees hunch over keyboards all day, all the motivational posters in all the break rooms of the world won’t improve their health. Health care giant Kaiser Permanente—a leader in designing wellness programs for other organizations—wondered what it could do to get its own staff to eat better and exercise more. Thus was born an innovative e-mail campaign that delivered big results.

We certainly don’t want to be the subject of gossip, and we know gossip isn’t kind, so why does it occur? Because people need their gossip fix. We’re preprogrammed for it: It comes standard in all human beings. But does that make gossiping OK?

Reduce the odds that a conversation will bog down when people take things too personally by avoiding statements that begin with “you.” ... Learn how you can add more value at the office by conducting your own “listening tour.”... Stay current on technology by signing up for free e-newsletters. ...

When you’ve forgotten someone’s name, trying to fake it can backfire. Besides, says behavior strategist and author Joe Takash, there’s a real benefit to making sure you get people’s names right: stronger relationships. He offers five tips:

When a secretary posted a question on our Admin Pro Forum recently, she heard plenty of advice from admins who have trouble getting supervisors to adhere to deadlines. Here's a sampling of their “been-there-done-that” advice:

At Progress Energy’s quarterly “compliments and concerns” meeting, senior administrative assistant Amy Finelli uses a template for minute taking. As a result, she can quickly send out notes after the meeting “because I don’t have to figure out how to organize the topics,” she says. Here are a few more of Finelli’s power tools for meetings:

When you manage a staff, it’s only natural to want them to like you. But at the same time, it’s a mistake to get so chummy with employees that you lose your ability to lead them effectively. The best managers walk a fine line by earning the respect of their team without going overboard and befriending everyone. Here’s how you can strike the proper balance:

At the next business social event, break away from your comfortable clique and try your hand at networking.

More than half of HR professionals report that gossip and rumors have increased at their workplaces since the recession began, according to a SHRM study. And 23% say they’ve had to address more frequent “eavesdropping incidents.” The solution? The times call for stepped-up communication, says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM. His suggestions:

Taking minutes wasn’t getting any easier for Terri Michaels, even after years of practice. “I had become wordy, and the minutes were sometimes eight pages. Each new director or company wanted them done differently,” she says. Finally, she enrolled in a workshop, and things changed. Now she uses these 10 best practices:

With more than 200 other administrative assistants in her building, Ilja Kraag sees admins working away in their “own little boxes,” independently figuring out how to tackle tasks that an admin at the next desk may have mastered long ago. So she decided to share some of her “best practices,” especially for common tasks, such as scheduling meetings.

Can you spot the errors in these sentences? 1. Come quick or you’ll miss the bus. 2. Hank felt badly about missing the deadline. 3. Which would be best, a raise or an extra vacation? 4. Speak slower when you answer the phones.

Problem: Your department meetings have too much socializing, especially at the beginning. People are complaining that the weekly gathering runs longer than it should. Advice: Address it with the group by citing some specifics, says Amy Henderson of Henderson Training.

Communication is a cornerstone of any relationship—at least any good relationship. So why do so many executives rely on casual, on-the-fly exchanges with their assistants? Joan Burge, an administrative trainer CEO of Office Dynamics, holds a daily huddle with her executive assistant. Here’s how they make the communication work:

Here are four ways managers can make sure they really hear what their employees are saying. The payoff: fewer costly mistakes, less wasted time and better quality and service. Feel free to pass this article along to your supervisors.

“All first drafts are terrible. I don’t care if you’re Hemingway.” That comes from a writing professor who may as well have been talking about email. No email should be sent without revision. Here's an email etiquette checklist to follow:

Three blind mice, the three little pigs, three wishes—there’s a reason childhood stories revolve around the magic number “3.” Our brains tend to think in threes. How can you take advantage of this simple truth?

Your 26-year-old co-worker doesn’t want to wait until her annual review to find out how she’s doing at work. She wants to know now. Gen Y employees want more feedback, more often, than previous generations. They’ll seek it from their immediate boss, as well as others. If you’re not comfortable with or accustomed to offering feedback, heed these tips: