Ask any HR or top management representative, and you'll discover one of their key frustrations is employees who do not read the organization's employee handbook. Do so and you will 1) discover benefits and opportunities that may have been only briefly mentioned or that you forgot; 2) avoid embarrassment from asking questions clearly spelled out in rules, policies, etc.; 3) learn about the work culture so you can align with it; 4) learn about the chain of command so you use it properly; 5)…

Having performance-at-work issues? Consider writing your own performance improvement plan. Don't shy away from this tool that you may associate only with employees who have bigger performance problems. Employees who are proactive and take initiative when performance lags are an impressive and rare group. Join them with these steps: 1) Make a list of the deficiencies you believe need attention. 2) Ask yourself these diagnostic questions: a) Did you receive appropriate training?  b) Do you…

Working from home (telecommuting) has gained greater acceptance, but some employers remain skittish about it. Organizing, planning, and knowing how to focus are key telecommuting skills, but avoiding distractions is the toughest one to learn. Door bells, incoming email, pets, even hunger pangs and intrusive thoughts can sabotage productivity. The best way to manage distractions is to be preemptive rather than trying to tackle each one as it appears Create a checklist of anticipated…

Are you unwittingly sabotaging your team? Examine these disruptive behavior clues: 1) Dismissing another team member's ideas; 2) Using coercion ("do as I say") when a team is under pressure for a solution; 3) Refusing to let go of an idea or solution the team believes won't work.; 4) Failing to value diversity. No one knows where the next insight or best idea will come from or how it will be inspired. The diversity of your team represents untapped riches. Avoid having personal bias prescreen…

Ebola is in the news. And as with any terrifying news that receives mass media attention, children will eventually notice it and possibly have their own anxious reaction. Help children feel safe, and explain the event in a way that matches their age and developmental ability. On the upside, the Ebola crisis and related questions are an opportunity to teach children two key life lessons: that health and safety are important and that it is good to ask questions about any concerns. Key strategies…

There may not be universal rules for getting ahead, but there are strategies that, when applied consistently, will land you more opportunities to advance your career. Beyond knowing what you want, working hard, and networking, consider these power plays: 1) Look for quiet opportunities to practice self-promotion.  This means asking for "the chance" or taking advantage of opportunities when they appear. There is an old saying, "if you don't ask, you don't get." Its cousin is "opportunity knocks…