Workplace Communication

If you worry that the personal habits and behavior of your employees—particularly new hires, fresh out of school—might be holding them back (and re­­flect­­ing poorly on your organization), try these tips for reinforcing business etiquette.

When you have to deliver bad news to someone, follow this protocol that medical doctors use to tell patients about dire prognoses:

When you hear "negotiation," what comes to mind? When I ask this question at seminars, women often respond: men in suits arguing and yelling; buying a car; attorneys. When I ask how many women enjoy negotiating, only a few hands go up. Yet in reality, women are born to negotiate.

In business writing, bullet points often replace regular old paragraphs, with good reason: Readers can scan them faster. Stick to these standards for using bullets effectively:

In 1975, producer Brian Eno and artist Peter Schmidt published a set of 100 cards each containing a single question or “brain bomb” to push them out of their mental rut.

Here are six common communication mistakes that people—especially professional women—make in the workplace, according to communications consultant and Business Management Daily contributor, Colette Carlson:

“Is anyone receiving raises?” That’s what one admin asked recently. “I’ve been told performance reviews will be coming up soon. I want to be prepared. How do you bring it up? How do you know how much to ask for? I’d like to stay in this position, but I’m only making ends meet.”

Tired of an incessantly negative co-worker? Post a “No Whining” sign for others to see when they enter your work space.

Build a stronger relationship with your boss by never letting these phrases cross your lips: 1.  “It’s not my job.” 2.  “It’s not my fault.” 3.  “I can’t work with Person A.” 4.  “I can’t do X, because I have to do Y.” 5.  “That’s not possible.”

Being an effective manager means confronting those “challenging” employees who, while typically good at their jobs, too often display unprofessional or downright obnoxious behavior. The best way to tackle such problems is to meet with employees right when you spot the problem behavior. Follow these guidelines, which have the side benefit of protecting the organization from employee claims that they weren’t treated fairly.