Clocking Out: The Politics of Face Time and Leaving Early (or Late)

It was a busy day, but now it’s 6:30 and you've finished your project. As a junior in most corporate organizations, work is often assigned to you rather than generated by you. If you are finished with the assignments and your services are no longer needed for the day, can you leave? I’ve been often told that the answer is NO. However, by knowing your boss(es), knowing your organization’s culture, and using your judgment, it doesn't have to be NO.

The Name Game - Navigating Names and Nicknames in the Office

Angela – Angie            Thomas – Tom           Chinyere – Chinny

Yoshikazu – Yoshi       Katherine –Kate          Daniel – Dan

Ask. If you are uncertain, ask the person how to pronounce his or her name.

Ask. If the person’s name has a common abbreviation, ask if it’s okay to use it. Do not impose nicknames because the person’s name is hard to pronounce. If you can say the name of your favorite athlete (Ndamukong Suh, Fernandinho, Anna Kournikova), you can learn the name of a person you see every day.

On Professional Disappoints and Setbacks: Explanations and Solutions

They came in thin envelopes -- the rejection letters. For all of my accomplishments, the thin envelopes came for me as they would for anyone else. Even when I was certain of the contents, I opened them. I had to know that I had been rejected. And in most cases I had.

It is a bad grade. It is making a mistake on a major project. It is being passed over for a promotion. This corporate world is presented hopeful students as a meritocracy, where winning is a sign of their virtue. Even some young associates cling to the idea of always winning.  

Virtue is most evident in the manner in which one handles disappoint. That idea is not novel nor is it my own.

This post is about the way we deal with losing.