We are Always Judging and Being Judged

We judge people every time we meet them, every moment we are with them. And you are judged in return. Sometimes our judgments are faulty. Think of a recent example when you misjudged someone. How did it happen. Did you make a quick appraisal—based on your first impression—that they were arrogant, frivolous, not very smart, unsophisticated, inexperienced, or lacking in understanding about a situation? Or did you rely on the previous opinions or labels from others, on what you had heard ... Read more

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Avoiding Professional Groupthink

Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that happens when someone or an in-group proposes a belief, action, or decision with great certainty, and others go along for the sake of harmony or to avoid conflict. As a result, dissenting viewpoints are suppressed, and independent thinking is strongly discouraged. While groupthink is generally thought to occur at the community or national level (for example, consider our political parties today), it also can be found within an agency or ... Read more

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Assessing Workplace Conflict

There can be many types of conflict in the workplace. Work groups, teams, or departments may disagree about the best way to proceed. Employees may disagree about decisions management or their supervisors have made. There can also be conflict between two employees about a project or option. Sometimes conflicts occur because there is a lack of information or data. Other times, conflict results from a lack of resources, and the conflict becomes a zero-sum game. If one side wins, the other side ... Read more

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The Importance of Workplace Confidentiality

Years ago, I was making a presentation to an audience of health care professionals. To illustrate a point, I included a case example of an older deceased woman who had experienced a variety of issues. I had changed the name and some of the relevant identifying information to protect the women’s privacy, but my changes weren’t thorough enough. After my presentation, a young woman, who appeared upset, approached me. She loudly accused me of using her grandmother as my case ... Read more

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Delegation Requires Discipline

If you sometimes struggle with delegation,the following examples may be familiar to you: Delegation Failure 1. Your boss has made a team assignment, and each person was given a specific task. You’re good at research, so you get the data collection responsibility. Your colleague, John, is tasked with pulling the pieces together and writing the final report. You know John is not the best writer and you fear the project report will not adequately reflect the group effort. After the ... Read more

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Honesty is Always Best When Applying for a Job

We all have strengths, and we all have areas in which we are less competent. Usually, these equal out. We eventually hone our strengths with the goal of becoming a recognized expert in several areas. Sometimes, however, when job seeking and wanting to present the best possible application, we may over rate our competency level in some area. For example, did your two semesters of college French really result in your being “fluent in French?” Could you actually design a ... Read more

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Managing a Disagreement with Your Boss

Sometimes our passion (or our ego) gets the best of us, and we find ourselves arguing with someone in authority. Sometimes that person in authority is our boss. What should you do when you have openly disagreed with yours? You have worked diligently on a project or assignment. You have spent hours doing research, seeking input, and drafting and editing the proposal. You were excited to present it at the staff meeting, and thought others would be excited, too. Most of all, you thought your ... Read more

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Overcoming Workplace Fear

Recently a young professional woman noted that she feared something almost as much as she feared public speaking. Her mention of a fear of public speaking was surprising because she is a “take charge” person, never reticent in a meeting or group. She is an outstanding team leader, a good delegator, and she doesn’t shy away from conflict. So why the fear? Experts note that public speaking is one of the top two or three fears of the average person. It is so common that it ... Read more

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What Does Your Office Tell Others About You?

Have you ever walked into someone’s office and had to wait for them to take stacks of clutter off a chair so you could sit down. Or have you been repulsed by old take-out food containers sitting on your colleague’s desk or by putting your papers down on top of something sticky? Or maybe your coworker likes to work out after work and keeps gym clothes and shoes in the corner. These may seem like extremes, but they are more common than you might imagine. You also may be thinking ... Read more

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Avoiding Negative Optics

Recently, President Trump arrived 20 minutes late for a Gender Equality Advisory Committee meeting at the G7 Summit in Quebec. His entrance was disruptive and rude, and it was documented in news reports around the world. The optics were especially negative. Think back to a recent meeting at your workplace. Was anyone late? Were you late? If so, what optic did your lateness provide for others? A few possible scenarios include: 1. You were viewed as someone who thinks she is self-important. ... Read more

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