Conventional wisdom tells us that making a specific, realistic to-do list is an effective way to organize our thoughts and put us on the right track during our workday. Matthew E. May believes the opposite is true; he recommends that instead of adding things to a to-do list, we should be making a “stop doing”… Read more »

Are you unhappy at work or at home? Are you lacking work-life balance? Or is it something more? According to a recent Inc.com article, the secret to happiness is much closer than we tend to think. Jessica Stillman explains that people are made happier by successfully achieving smaller goals rather than by failing to achieve… Read more »

It is easy to notice the shortcomings of other people at work — employees, colleagues, bosses — and offer constructive criticism to help them be more productive or professional. It is much more difficult to take a step back and do the same thing for yourself. Challenge yourself to take an honest look at how… Read more »

After a long and heated campaign, the US presidential election came to a close late Tuesday night, reelecting President Barack Obama for a second term. While Republican candidate Mitt Romney and President Obama disagreed fiercely during a sometimes aggressive and bitter fight for the presidency, both recognized in their speeches Tuesday night that the leaders… Read more »

Some of us have a strong need to get things just right before we are ready to give a presentation or turn in a big project. Although attention to detail can be a good thing in theory, this perfectionism at work can also be a big problem. Is it an easy problem to solve? Understanding… Read more »

One important aspect of any career development activity, whether it be individual, department-wide, or company-wide, is goal setting. It is important when planning for the future to have specific benchmarks with which to evaluate the success of the plans. Different people view goal setting in a variety of ways. Some people advocate for setting several… Read more »

Do you have trouble focusing at work? Do you find that you are often unable to think deeply and effectively about issues at work? A recent article in the Harvard Business Review reveals that you are not alone. Author David Rock is cofounder of the Neuroleadership Institute, an organization which extensively researches ways to boost thinking… Read more »

Most of us work best and most effectively when we are excited about what we are doing, engaged with our work, and feel like we are making a difference. Such positive energy is important to personal effectiveness and professional success. However, it is so easy to get dragged down by complaining co-workers or moaning managers…. Read more »

U.S. News published a great piece last week called “12 Things Killer Employees Do Before Noon,” that outlines how you can maximize your energy, engagement and personal effectiveness at work: Here are a few that especially resonated: 1. They make a work to-do list the day before. Many swear by having a written to-do list,… Read more »

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are in full swing in London, and people are tuning in every night to watch the most talented, disciplined and determined athletes from around the world compete against one another. The Olympic Games are amazing, not only because they foster a sense of national pride, but also because they inspire… Read more »