I went bowling with some friends yesterday afternoon. I am not a regular bowler and really haven’t bowled for several years. I did set pins when I was around 14 for a couple of years at the local Elks Club. They had four alley’s and we used to have to set doubles. That is we […]

Although designed for use in the short interval when you have a captive audience in the elevator, an elevator pitch is also handy when you have just a few minutes to pass on information or make a favorable impression. While for the longest time, I thought that elevator pitches were shameless acts of self-promotion, and […]

One of the greatest clichés is that there are no mistakes or failures only learning opportunities.  While I do believe we learn from our mistakes, I am not sure that we always learn the most beneficial lessons.  More often the lesson we take away is DON’T TRY THAT AGAIN!, instead of learning how to succeed […]

Most of us spend more time working than at any other activity, but we manage our working relationships less than in any other situation.  In our personal relationships we usually seek and obtain a level of interaction that permits us to enjoy ourselves and grow our skills.  Even in our casual relationships, like recreational activities […]

I am not sure exactly what causes it, but every year at the end of August or the beginning of September, I get the urge to go back to school.  Perhaps it is the realization that summer is drawing to a close as the days get noticeably shorter and there are hints of autumn appearing […]

I re-learned a lesson the hard way this week.  This summer I took a temporary job. When I was hired I was told the job had a definite term, and there would be no more work after the term was over. I accepted the job.  There were several people who were hired to accomplish the […]

This week there was a lot buzz about Psychometrics and other job screening techniques.  questionsIt is probably a sign of the times, as employers are flooded with applications for all available jobs.  The idea of psychometric testing and correlating traits with aptitude and performance is becoming main stream.  So how do you prepare for psychometric […]

Perhaps the best definition of closing a deal is when a commitment is made.  The classic business definition is when money changes hands, but in our careers and life in general we make a lot of deals that do not involve money.  Deals are a social concept where one side gives some thing in exchange […]

This week I responded to a question posted on answer.yahoo.com. The question read; “My new boss has told me and my other 2 colleagues that she is going to change our job titles as its not working for the private hospital we work in. Our titles are Team Leaders and she wants to change it […]

I recently received a request for advice on selecting a postgraduate course of study.  My colleague, who I met though Yahoo.answers.com, has an under graduate degree in accounting and, is currently employed by a small accounting firm.  Recently he enrolled in PGDIBO (Post graduate diploma in International Business Operation) at IGNOU (Indira Gandhi National Open […]

Good job with great benefits, nice place by the ocean, active social life with lots of friends, what more could you want?  Isn’t it everyone’s dream to be financially secure, live in a nice house, and have lots friends? The term “golden handcuffs” is often used to describe a state where apparent benefits hold us […]

It’s a slow day in a small West Virginia town.  The sun is beating down, and the streets are deserted.  Times are tough, everybody is in debt,  and everybody lives on credit. On this particular day a rich tourist from out west is driving through town. He stops at the motel and lays a $100 […]