Given everything we’ve been coping with, it’s not surprising that job performance has suffered at times
It has been challenging for many of us to deliver consistent, stellar performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given everything we’ve been coping with, it’s not surprising that job performance has suffered at times. Even though there are good reasons for it, it doesn’t make us feel any better about ourselves. Failing to live up to…
When your job hits crisis points, it’s easy to panic
Faith Wood knows how to resolve conflict. Her years in front-line law enforcement taught her how to effectively de-escalate any situation to a successful conclusion. Faith will use her knowledge of conflict management to guide you through the often stressful experiences you may encounter in your personal or professional life. Her Conflict Coach column appears…
But will the federal government step up to the plate?
The sweeping structural unemployment across Canada requires our collective attention. It’s time to take a deep dive into the changes happening in the workplace and ensure our young people are empowered for success in the new global economy. Canada’s economy isn’t immune to structural change. The advent of industrialization, manufacturing and, more recently, the information…
To grab someone's attention, move from making speeches and announcements to creating an experience in which people learn for themselves
In San Francisco, on the corner of Powell and Market, I once watched street performers entertain tourists waiting for the cable car to arrive and depart. My favourite "act" was two fully-dressed men who spray-painted themselves gold and silver. Posing like statues, they would kneel on the sidewalk facing each other with their elbows resting…
Embody the change you want in the world
I was still in high school when my father was fired from the San Francisco Examiner. Dad loved the newspaper business and he especially enjoyed his job, working with the newsboys who (then) sold papers on street corners. I knew he'd be devastated by the loss. To add to the problem, he had been employed…
A study of Olympic athletes offered insight into the body language of pride and shame.
For insight into the body language of pride and shame, scientists studied the behaviours of judo matches at the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The competitors represented 30 countries, including Algeria, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United States. The research report in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences stated that body language of blind…
There is good stress and there is bad stress. Can you recognize the difference?
There is good stress and there is bad stress. Pleasant events can be stressful in a positive way. And bad events can be stressful in a negative way. They can even make you physically ill. The trick is recognizing the early symptoms of negative stress so you can do something about it. The more competitive…
Placing content on social networking sites could spell doom for your career
Most job candidates don't consider the power of the social networking Web sites and the impact they have on hiring decisions. If they did, they'd think twice about the information they place on sites like Twitter and Facebook. Companies are more savvy about getting the lowdown on candidates today than they were in the past.…
If your goal is just to stay employed, you risk being replaced by someone more enthusiastic and passionate about the job
If your goal is just to stay employed, you risk being replaced by someone more enthusiastic and passionate about the job. So says Vaughan Evans, a London-based economist, business strategist and author of Backing U! A Business-Oriented Guide to Backing Your Passion and Achieving Career Success. While the book was written in 2009, its premise…
We reveal a lot about our attitudes, emotions and motives by the way we hold our bodies
I often address leadership groups about the importance of nonverbal communication in business. Senior managers actively participate in the sessions, asking questions and volunteering for various demonstrations. Everyone seems genuinely interested in the topic. Everyone, that is, except this one time when one woman sat for the entire time with her shoulders rounded, chin tucked…