BNET1

Did Cockiness Cause the Crisis? Did the Bailout Make it Worse?

Jessica Stillman — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 21:39:30 +0000

The Find: If Malcolm Gladwell is right and cockiness caused the financial crisis, than Business Insider thinks the bailout only made Wall Street’s problems worse. The Source: John Carney writing on Business Insider. The Takeaway: Easy reading author and popular idea man Malcolm Gladwell’s latest piece for the New Yorker is bound to stir up debate in [...]

Ten Ways to Annoy an Interviewer

Jessica Stillman — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:10:22 +0000

The Find: Of all the times it’s a good idea to be likable, interviews probably top the list, so here are ten ways you can spoil your first impression. The Source: A guest post by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon, authors of I Hate People!, on blog Punk Rock HR. The Takeaway: Littman and Hershon have received [...]

Five Lies It's OK to Tell at Work

Jessica Stillman — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:35:21 +0000

The Find: 99 percent of the time at work as elsewhere the best policy is honesty, but one author explains there are a few select scenarios where a white lie is appropriate. The Source: Nicole Williams author of Girl on Top (yes, this is a business book) writing on the Huffington Post. The Takeaway: When it comes [...]

Letdown Calls Suck. Make Them Anyway.

Jessica Stillman — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:00:44 +0000

The Find: One blog is offering a reminder to hiring managers from the better angels of recruiting: you must call every candidate who hasn’t gotten the gig, even if picking up the phone is a miserable job. The Source: The recruiting blog Fistful of Talent. The Takeaway: Getting a call to say you haven’t got a job [...]

Head Scratcher of the Week: CEO Confidence Surges

Jessica Stillman — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:16:02 +0000

The Find: CEO confidence surged in the second quarter, according to new data, but the question remains as to why executives are suddenly feeling so hopeful. The Source: The Conference Board Measure of CEO Confidence. The Takeaway: The Conference Board asks 100 business leaders from a wide selection of industries about their outlook for their business, industry [...]

Older Managers Confirm It's Bad, Keep Fighting

Jessica Stillman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:17:38 +0000

Older managers in their 40s and 50s may be hardest hit by the recession, but that doesn’t mean they’re simply caving in to the pressure of one of the toughest job markets in years. In fact, if the flood of comments that came in from last week’s post on older managers and the slump is [...]

How to Apologize Right

Jessica Stillman — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:16 +0000

The Find: In business, as in life, we all make mistakes, but you shouldn’t mess up your apology as well. The Source: An interview with John Kador, communications expert and author of Effective Apology: Mending Fences, Building Bridges, and Restoring Trust on the website of Tom Peters. The Takeaway: Humans are imperfect creatures and mistakes are inevitable, but [...]

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Fri, 10 Jul 2009 16:00:16 +0000

The Slump Hits Older Managers Hardest

Jessica Stillman — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:23:47 +0000

The Find: Each economic crisis is different and experts argue that the current slump may be particularly brutal on managers in their 40s and 50s. The Source: An in-depth article from Knowledge@Wharton. The Takeaway: As Tolstoy famously observed, “happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way,” and perhaps the same [...]

Is Charisma Overrated?

Jessica Stillman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:36:21 +0000

The Find: You don’t have to be “a jump-on-the-desk-and-shout-at-the-troops type of person” to be an excellent leader, argues one long-time manager. The Source: John Hollon writing on The Business of Management blog. The Takeaway: When Wendy Kopp, the founder and CEO of Teach for America, recently told the New York Times that when she goes out to [...]

How to Hold ROWE Employees Accountable

Jessica Stillman — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:18:29 +0000

The Find: Employees love flexible working, but managers are duty bound to ensure accountability: here are three ways to make sure your team stays productive wherever and whenever they work. The Search: Ashley Acker writing on the blog Cube Rules. The Takeaway: Your employees may be clamoring for a results-only work environment and the right to [...]