Sorry? Say So Effectively!

Last Friday the 13th (somehow fitting) was “sorry” day at  Back West’s world headquarters; three occasions that someone said to me “I’m sorry.”

How effectively those apologies were tells you the things that make a sorry work, and how saying you’re sorry can also make the situation even worse.

Here’s the three:

  • Stephanie Smith, the person who cuts my hair was a no-show (as in the lights were off, the door locked, and no one in her shop) for my appointment late Thursday afternoon.
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Little Things Count Big in Your Career: How to Stay in Touch

Many times the most important things to do with managing your career are the easiest and the simplest: it just takes a little thought, a little planning, and a little discipline. More often than not it’s these small things that make big differences in who succeeds, and who struggles in the long run.

Today I got a contact information update note from Tom Taggart, who recently took a role as the Senior Vice President and head of Corporate Communications with Union Bank at their San Francisco headquarters.… Read the rest

[Coaching] 2 Ways to Increase Your Effectiveness: Two Sides, Same Coin

The challenge for most of us is to do more with less: less time, fewer resources, and do it more efficiency and effectively. Sounds like a tall order but grabbing a moment to pause, think, and then act will frequently help you do all three.

Pulling rabbits out of hats?

Nope. Just performance basics that any successful executive, or a parent with more than two kids will tell you: figuring out how to sequence work so you pick up some efficiencies or batching things to time of day to optimize how effectively you work with them.… Read the rest

[Dept. of Bad Advice] How You Can Interview Well. . .

. . . and Disregard Dan and Chip Heath’s How-to-Interview Recommendations


I think Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath is a really good book. Most of the Heath brother’s content is great, both in their book, as well as in their monthly column for Fast Company. But even Babe Ruth stuck out, and their interviewing advice in Fast Company  – Hold the Interview: Why it may be wiser to hire people without meeting them – is a real stinker.Read the rest

[New Rules] The Name Game: What Job Title Should You Ask For?

Mike Latham, who I know through my work at Barclays Global Investors, is a good guy and a good

Job Titles

manager:

He gets things done, is transparent in his dealings, is funny, works hard, knows the business, and is respected and liked by the people with whom he works.

His job title – CEO of United States iShares – looks like a great example though of “paying” people with a title in order to retain them.Read the rest