Career Center | Giving feedback? Avoid delivering a 'praise sandwich'

By Alina Tugend / New York Times News Service Most of us think we know how to give feedback. Positive comments are better -- and more useful -- than negative ones. And if you do have to point out something

Job Calendar | Graduate programs open house

Get the facts about Seattle Pacific University's graduate business programs at the Graduate Programs Open House. Ask questions, meet faculty, and discover how you can achieve your career goals when you learn "another way of doing business." RSVP here.

Career Center | Women have to learn how to say 'no' at work

Joyce E. A. Russell / The Washington Post “No is a very simple word. One syllable. Two letters. One of the shortest words in the English language, yet one of the most difficult for women to say at work.” This

Career Center Blog | How to transition from co-worker to manager

One of the more difficult career situations I've coached people through -- and been through myself -- is being promoted from within a department to become the manager of that group. As one client found out, going from a peer

Career Center | Q&A: Maybe nit-picking boss isn't the problem

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: Seven years ago, we got a new manager who does not like careless errors. I usually do a great job, but sometimes I have a bad day and make mistakes, like

Career Center Blog | To excel in your career, focus on the 4 C's

It used to be that the "three R's" (reading, writing and arithmetic) were sufficient for workers to succeed in their careers. But according to a recently released American Management Association (AMA) survey, that no longer holds true. The rapid pace

Career Center | NWjobs: Tell us about work lessons from your mom

What did your mother teach you about work? NWjobs is collecting vignettes about the career-related lessons readers learned from their mothers, whether it was verbally or by example. Email your contribution in 75 words or fewer to editor@nwjobs.com by April

Career Center Blog | 7 things bosses should never say to employees

Last week's post featured seven things employees should never say to their bosses. Well, it's a two-way street. Bosses, it's your turn: "I pay your salary. I'm the boss." Signing paychecks does not make you lord and master. It does

Career Center | Q&A: My co-workers are complaining about me

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I was recently told by both my boss and human resources that people have been complaining about me. My co-workers say I act superior and try to oversee their work. Apparently,

Career Center | Pushing back on workplace bullying

By Sam Hananel / The Associated Press Margaret Fiester is no shrinking violet, but she says working for her former boss was a nightmare. “One day I didn’t do something right, and she actually laid her hands on me and

Career Center Blog | The importance of building a culture of respect

Earning respect isn't always easy. Nor should respect be something only subordinates are forced to give managers. To better compete in this global economy, a key strategic objective of executive teams and human resources managers should be creating a culture

Career Center | Q&A: Owners not letting manager manage people

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I work in a small company where the owners refuse to do anything about incompetent employees. As a department head, I am not allowed to confront poor performers because the top

Career Center | To curb workplace violence, employers should plan

By Gabrielle Banks / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Schaun D. Henry was leading an onsite training session on violence prevention in the workplace when a stranger barged into the room, headed straight for him and threatened: "I have a gun." The participants

Career Center | Q&A: Boss not helping with promised promotion

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: My manager says she wants to help me get promoted, but she doesn’t seem to be doing anything about it. For the past two years, she has said that my position

Career Center | Q&A: Absence doesn't make the boss grow fonder

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: One of my employees constantly calls at the last minute to say she will be arriving late or not coming in at all. “Ginger” also leaves early on a regular basis,

Career Center Blog | Sometimes, money isn't the best motivator

It's that time of year again -- when managers go through the annual ritual of employee performance appraisals. During a strong economy, appraisals were also a time to recognize outstanding employee performance with fabulous benefits and perks, such as the

Career Center | Q&A: Misguided manager botches worker reviews

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: My boss and I have very different opinions about the performance of two people who report to me. She refused to sign their annual appraisals until I lowered the ratings and

Career Center Blog | A worker bee's letter to the boss

Your boss tells you to be a "self-starter," to follow through, to be flexible and patient and dependable and loyal. You're told there is no "I" in "team." You're told, "You should just be grateful you have a job." For

Career Center | Leaders, get out of your bubble to stay in touch

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post After last year’s presidential election, some experts talked about how the Republicans were out of touch with the very people they needed to have vote for them. That thinking holds

Career Center | Q&A: Discovery of tryst makes office enemy

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: About a year ago, I accidentally walked in on the CEO’s secretary in a compromising position with one of the vice presidents. From then on, this secretary did everything possible to

Career Center | Q&A: My hiring decisions aren't very good

By Liz Reyer / Minneapolis Star Tribune Q: My hiring decisions don’t seem to be very good. The past few people I’ve hired have fallen short of my expectations. I can’t figure it out -- I’m hitting it off with

Career Center | Q&A: How to get micromanager off your back

By Liz Reyer / Minneapolis Star Tribune Q: My new boss doesn't seem to realize that I know how to do my job. He's a nice guy, but he is always telling me what to do even though I've been

Career Center | Watch your words if you want career success

By Diane Stafford / The Kansas City Star Little things we say every day can make or break our workplace image. Darlene Price, an executive coach and founder of Well Said Inc., has a list of phrases that we may

Career Center | Q&A: Is it too late for tardy worker to make amends?

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: My manager recently gave me a performance warning for coming to work late. She has started monitoring me very closely, which makes me feel like some sort of criminal. I don't

Career Center Blog | Balancing holiday cheer and your career

"Now that it's December, I can't wait to decorate my cubicle!" exclaimed a friend while we sipped coffee. Our other friend rolled her eyes, shook her head and groaned, "That's exactly why I hate the holidays at work -- people

Career Center | Q&A: Few people at work know that I exist

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: Even though I'm a senior manager, no one outside my department seems to know I exist. Whenever people need information related to my group, they always contact my boss. Instead of

Career Center Blog | Being irreplaceable at work can derail your career

Early in my career I was given an interesting piece of advice from an older, male co-worker who had been with the company for many years. "You need to learn to hold back some of your knowledge and not share

Career Center | Q&A: What to do about new staffer's lackadaisical attitude

By Liz Reyer / Minneapolis Star Tribune Q: We’ve recently added a new analyst to our staff. She just graduated from college and has some of the right skills, but is somewhat lackadaisical in her approach to her work. What

Career Center | Career makeover: Construction project manager retools job search

By Cody Ellerd Bay / Special to NWjobs For nearly 20 years, Rita Maese-Noaker had her dream job. A project manager for a construction company, she enjoyed working with tenants and property managers and seeing multimillion-dollar building projects through to

Career Center | Q&A: Worker bee stung for not being social butterfly

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: During my last performance review, my manager told me that I need to improve my interpersonal relationships. Some of my co-workers apparently said that I don't talk to them enough. I

Job Calendar | NSHMBA career and networking event

NSHMBA Seattle, a group dedicated to increasing Hispanic leadership in the Pacific Northwest, is hosting a career and networking event. For registration, instructions and more information, visit Eventbrite.

Career Center | Q&A: Introvert prefers to stay in comfort zone at work

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post Q: I just started a new job with a great company. There are only a handful of us in my role, and I’m among the more experienced in this newly

Job Calendar | Bellevue executive MBA admissions event

At this event, you will learn more about Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA programs, meet the program directors, ask questions and meet fellow students. Register here.

Job Calendar | Seattle executive MBA admissions event

At this event, you will learn more about Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA programs, meet the program directors, ask questions and meet fellow students. Register here.

Career Center | Q&A: Team's performance ratings take a baffling hit

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: On our recent appraisals, everyone on my team received a lower rating than last year, despite the fact that our level of performance hasn't changed at all. We have always gotten

Career Center | Q&A: Office romance sparks gossip, hurt feelings

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: Two of my co-workers, “Jake” and “Cheryl,” sit next to each other and spend a lot of time whispering and giggling. They often leave the office together and are sometimes gone

Career Center | Q&A: How to deal with helicopter parent at work

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: The mother of one of my employees recently called my boss to complain that her daughter, "Angie," was being overworked. Angie was upset because some required training made it difficult for

Job Calendar | Leadership for Social Good: Translating Passion into Action

Are you interested in starting or leading a socially conscious endeavor someday? Thinking about transitioning into or exploring the nonprofit sector, but not sure where to start? Seattle University Institute of Public Service and the School of Law's Access to

Career Center | Q&A: Worker wants sick days off public calendar

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: Whenever someone takes sick leave, that information is publicly posted in our online calendar. Everyone in the company has access to this program. Even though I’m not sick very often, I

Career Center | Q&A: Should I tell work about my depression?

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: For the past five years, I have suffered from depression. During that time, I have been on and off medication, but I have never told my employer about this problem. During

Career Center | Feel like a fake? Imposter Syndrome common at work

By Joyce E.A. Russell / The Washington Post Do you suffer from Imposter Syndrome? The term, created by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes in 1978, refers to the idea that competent people find it hard to believe in their

Career Center | Fewer firms ranking workers like Microsoft does

By Michael E. Kanell / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Many American companies that use a ranking employee-evaluation system have lately been turning away from it. Known as “stacked ranking” or “forced ranking,” the process made famous by GE is really just

Career Center | Career Q&A: Disillusioned boss wants out

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post Q: I’m truly getting sick of being in a managerial position of having to promote/enforce/talk up policies and positions of senior management that blatantly scream “We’re being cheap and making

Career Center | Q&A: New employee wants to suggest changes

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: Since joining this company a few weeks ago, I have noticed a lot of areas that need improvement. However, I'm not sure how honest I should be in sharing my views

Job Calendar | Full-time MBA information session

This free session provides information on the full-time MBA program at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington.

Career Center | Boss's lousy people skills leave workers in tears

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I supervise three technicians in a busy medical clinic. These employees recently complained to management that I belittle them, show them no respect and occasionally cause them to leave work in

Job Calendar | Executive Women International membership event

Executive Women International Seattle members will be on hand to share with prospective members the benefits of EWI membership and answer questions. Light appetizers and no-host bar. Free, but please RSVP to Jen Gaspar at jeng@gaspars.com.

Job Calendar | BizSmartz Workshop: Hiring A+ Players

The Bellevue Entrepreneur Center and Bellevue Chamber of Commerce present a seminar on hiring top talent. Register at the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce site.

Career Center | Boards of directors remain male-dominated

By Ann Belser / 
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Why aren’t there more women at the very top of the corporate ladder? Nationally, just 16.1 percent of the directors of Fortune 500 companies last year were women, according to a study by Catalyst,

Career Center | Ralph Morton's cool job at Seattle Sports Commission

What do you do? I am the executive director of the Seattle Sports Commission. Our job is to make the Seattle metropolitan area a world-class sports destination. We advocate for local sports, create economic impact, deliver a better quality of

Job Calendar | MBA Women International happy hour

MBA Women International (formerly NAWMBA) - Seattle Professional Chapter invites you to celebrate our name change and the organization's expanded international focus. This happy hour is a great opportunity to connect with professional women (and men) of Seattle and strengthen

Career Center | For crying out loud, don't shed tears at work

By Tim Grant / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The conventional wisdom for both male and female employees when it comes to shedding tears in front of co-workers in the workplace: Don't do it. Things can go wrong and difficult issues can come

Job Calendar | Author talk: William Crano and 'The Rules of Influence'

Seattle University and Global Visionaries, the Seattle-based nonprofit that empowers young people to become global leaders, bring social influence expert William Crano to Seattle to discuss his book, "The Rules of Influence: Winning When You're in the Minority."

Career Center | Manager baffled by employee's about-face

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: One of my star employees has developed a very negative attitude. During the past three years, I have assigned “Kevin” to desirable projects, given him special bonuses and made him a

Career Center | Is your management style causing problems?

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post The news talk shows and columnists are always quick to analyze political candidates and their personality flaws. Mitt Romney, for example, has been called out for his "poor connection and

Job Calendar | CEO Roundtable

This free Biznik roundtable discussion of business issues faced by business owners, CEOs and motivated entrepreneurs, including solo entrepreneurs and small business professionals. Each attendee will have the opportunity to highlight an issue they face in growing their business. Other

Career Center | How to start smart with a new boss

By Lora Shinn / Special to NWjobs When a new supervisor steps onto the scene, everyone gets a little nervous. That’s only natural, according to Julie Jansen, author of “You Want Me to Work With Who?” The little details of

Career Center | Managers must deal with disruptive worker

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: I work in a county government agency with a co-worker, "Pam," who is crazy. Pam's mental state is so deteriorated that she has been placed in an empty office where she

Career Center | Perception of your work lingers longer than actions

By Anita Bruzzese / Gannett If you think you’ll be recognized at work or garner a promotion just because you work hard, you need to get a clue. While you may believe you’re a diligent worker and deserve to be

Career Center Blog | Hey, boss, it's dark here: Bring on the Vitamin D

When I was a kid in grade school, a cart was wheeled from classroom to classroom every day. The cart carried two things deemed, by the powers that be, critically important for our developing bodies and minds: Milk and fluoride.

Job Calendar | Eastside Business Book Club

Participants in the new Eastside Business Book Club for Bizniks will read one book per month, then meet to discuss it. The group will start with "The Thank You Economy" by Gary Vaynerchuk.

Job Calendar | Master of Public Administration information session

Attendees will meet with faculty, staff and students of Seattle University's Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. Participants will learn about the MPA curriculum, the application process, career opportunities and more.

Career Center | Why are meetings so unbearable?

By Rex Huppke Chicago Tribune If the workplace were a person, meetings would be the unidentifiable, gooey stuff stuck to that person’s shoe. Loathed almost universally, meetings gobble up time like ravenous tapeworms and often seem as productive as standing

Job Calendar | Evening MBA open house

Join the UW Bothell MBA program staff for a fun evening to meet UWB MBA students, alumni and faculty to learn more about the Technology MBA and Leadership MBA programs. RSVP required.

Career Center | Boss has squashed love between 2 co-workers

By Karla Miller / Special to The Washington Post Q: A colleague and I have fallen in love after working closely together for about a year. Unfortunately, our boss has forbidden us from dating because he feels it would

Job Calendar | Seattle executive MBA admissions event

At this event, you will learn more about Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA programs, meet the program directors, ask questions and meet fellow students. Register here.

Job Calendar | Bellevue executive MBA admissions event

At this event, you will learn more about Cornell-Queen's Executive MBA programs, meet the program directors, ask questions and meet fellow students. Register here.

Job Calendar | UW Foster School of Business open house

Learn about the MBA and non-degree options available for working professionals during the University of Washington's Foster School of Business open house. The evening includes program-overview sessions and refreshments. Program representatives, alumni and faculty will be available to answer questions

Career Center | Please show courtesy to job applicants

By Joyce E.A. Russell / Special to The Washington Post We all know how critical it is for applicants to exhibit and maintain great manners when applying for jobs. But it’s just as important for employers to be courteous

Career Center | How to resolve work conflicts before they get ugly

By Steve Twedt / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette A consultant who specializes in resolving workplace conflicts says the No. 1 reason people leave jobs is because of a poor relationship with their immediate supervisor. Another consultant reports that workplace conflicts can consume

Career Center | Will passing up supervisor's job hurt my career?

By Rex Huppke / Chicago Tribune Q: My supervisor is being transferred to a different department. The position she is vacating has just been posted. Although it would mean a fantastic career move for me, I have decided not to

Job Calendar | Productive Workplace with Marv Weisbord

Marvin Weisbord presents an interactive seminar of his book, "Productive Workplaces: Dignity, Meaning, and Community in the 21st Century," and a review of the 10 organization-development myths he no longer believes. Advance registration required.

Job Calendar | Consultant mentors workshop

The event for consultants, entrepreneurs and professional service providers offers advice on leadership, public speaking, mining referrals to increase business and marketing strategies. Dan Weedin will present the talk "Panic to Power: Swift and Simple Speaking Strategies That Anyone Can

Career Center | Play an active part in your performance review

By Maura Pallera / Salary.com Performance review season is upon us. This presents an opportunity for employees to demonstrate their accomplishments and distinguish themselves and their value to the organization. Here are some tips to make the process work for

Job Calendar | MFA in Arts Leadership information session

Learn about Seattle University's Master of Fine Arts in Arts Leadership, a two-year program that provides future arts leaders with an opportunity to merge the best management practices of nonprofit organizations with the specific skills necessary to lead complex arts

Job Calendar | UW Foster MBA preview weekend

Prospective full-time MBA program candidates may attend all or part of the University of Washington's Foster MBA preview weekend. Events begin Jan. 12 with an application workshop from 6-8 p.m. From 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Jan. 13, experience the program

Career Center | Boss must not play favorites

By Marie G. McIntyre / McClatchy-Tribune News Service Q: On a recent employee opinion survey, my staff gave me a terrible rating on favoritism. I have no idea why they feel that I'm biased, since I try to be very

Job Calendar | "The Innovative Team" reading/signing

Chris Grivas will read from "The Innovative Team: Unleashing Creative Potential for Breakthrough Results," a business fable that introduces readers to FourSight, a measure of problem solving preferences field-tested by top business consultants. Autographed copies of the book are available

Career Center | Ten bad work habits to leave behind

By Laura Frongillo / Salary.com In order to make room for the great new work habits you’re resolving to adopt in 2012, be sure to ring out any bad office practices. And, yes, procrastination is on the list, so reading

Career Center | How to ask for, then accept feedback

Joyce E.A. Russell The Washington Post Requesting feedback from others about your specific behaviors is a frequent recommendation in this workplace-advice column. But many people are uncomfortable doing this, or are at a loss as to how to proceed. There

Career Center | Office drama causing trauma? Nip it in the bud

By Brian Hyslop / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Whether it’s back-stabbing gossip, whining or bullying, drama in the office saps energy and wastes time. If you don’t address it, then you are counting on “the four-letter word ‘hope’ that it will

Career Center | In charge: How to be a good manager

By L.M. SixelHouston Chronicle Houston management consultant Craig Wasserman has been counseling rising executives since 1975 on how they can become better managers. Wasserman and his business partner recently wrote “The Invisible Spotlight: Why Managers Can’t Hide.” He calls it

Career Center Blog | When the boss cries in front of you

Crying at work is back in the news. This time, it's because Dick Cheney suggests in his new memoir that former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is a bit of an on-the-job sobber. Much can be said about how those

Career Center Blog | What to do when your company gets a new leader

Now that Apple CEO Steve Jobs has stepped down, it's natural that employees might feel anxious about the company's future and their place in it, despite the fact that replacement Tim Cook has a long history with Apple. [Flickr photo

Career Center Blog | Anti-fraud policies: Why your business needs one

On career websites like this one, Independence Day often conjures up talk of starting one's own business. In fact, my esteemed colleague Randy Woods wrote an excellent post on the topic yesterday. [Flickr photo by timlewisnm] For many new

Career Center Blog | Who's telecommuting and who isn't

Every time I write a blog post or article about telecommuting, the reader questions come pouring in: How can I find a telecommuting job? Do work-from-home jobs for entry-level workers exist? I like my job and could do some

Career Center Blog | Are workers becoming more comfortable with flexibility?

A new national survey says yes. According to survey sponsor Work+Life Fit, Inc., which helps companies create flexibility programs, today's full-time workers are less worried than they used to be that having a flexible work schedule will affect their paycheck

Career Center Blog | How to deal with a clueless boss

As you've no doubt heard, Will Ferrell is guest starring on "The Office" this spring. If you watched Thursday night's episode (preview below), you know that Ferrell's Deangelo Vickers is just as bumbling a boss as Steve Carell's Michael Scott.

Career Center Blog | Is revenge against a bad boss ever acceptable?

Depends on how you avenge yourself, say researchers from UC Berkeley's Hass School of Business and UC Santa Barbara. In a study recently published in the journal Industrial Relations, respondents said that getting back at a resented boss is "more

Career Center Blog | How to handle an office romance

If you're like a majority of U.S. workers, chances are you've dated, had a fling with, or fallen in love with someone from the office at some point during your professional life. [Photo by Sister72] A new survey of 2,000+

Career Center Blog | How managers can help telecommuters succeed

We've talked a lot on this blog about how employees can make telecommuting work. But managers also need to play a part in ensuring that remote workers are sufficiently integrated with the team and as productive as their onsite

Career Center Blog | You and your boss: BFFs forever or strictly professional?

Who says the recession hasn't brought coworkers together? In a recent survey by employment agency Adecco Staffing U.S., 78 percent of managers polled said they felt a stronger bond with their team members than they did three years ago.

Career Center Blog | Free webinar: How telecommuting can save your company big bucks

Speaking of commuter pain, the good folks at the Telework Research Network just released a study that quantifies the amount of money small and midsize businesses stand to save by allowing their employees to telecommute. [Photo by basykes] Sponsored

Career Center Blog | Is it ever okay to diss the boss in public?

We were just talking about giving your boss a bad review when this week it came to light that Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the country's top military dog in Afghanistan, gave his own boss, President Barack Obama, a scathing review

Career Center | Management material: Do you have what it takes to be a boss?

By Sandy Shore The Associated Press (Dan O’Brien) Some people are natural managers. They love to lead, drive performance and contribute to the broader goals of a company. The perks also can be enticing — more money, an office,

Career Center Blog | Give me Facebook or give me unemployment?

Would you turn your nose up at a job that didn't allow you to access your personal e-mail or social networking sites like Facebook on company time? One in five younger workers would, says a new survey from London-based software security

Career Center Blog | How would you feel if you worked at BP?

To say that energy company BP has an image problem on its hands is likely the understatement of the year. [Photo by hill.josh] As if it weren't bad enough that 11 oil rig workers died in last month's offshore