You don't have three seconds to make a good first impression. You only have one! A study published recently in the Journal of Neuroscience found that the human brain decides whether a person is trustworthy or not almost instantly. To thwart this unfair biological response and be considered trustworthy in the world of work, appear confident, relaxed, and knowledgeable; use a firm handshake; greet others with a smile; and make eye contact. Listen slightly more than you speak, and always practice…

Don't shy away from becoming a supervisor because you don't possess every required skill. Are you good at explaining things to new coworkers or those learning something new? Do you have good ideas and a way of expressing them in a convincing matter? Do you stay unruffled by politics and frustrations of a bureaucracy? Are you motivated to learn new skills that give you the business acumen necessary to be effective in a managerial role (technology, finance, etc)? If you believe in your…

Being happy on the job and engaged, productive, and feeling "at one" with your supervisor is about as good as it gets. One more thing will make it perfect -- no surprises at your annual review. Plan upstream to prevent this problem by having a conversation about your performance. The "Performance Conversation" is about getting feedback on how well you're doing your job, but you don't have to wait for your supervisor to initiate it. It can start with you. If you're beginning to feel unsure about…

Tolerance of others' beliefs and backgrounds is rapidly becoming more important because of cultural changes within a broadening and diverse workplace population. Failure to practice this principle creates conflict and a host of counterproductive and undesirable effects on productivity and workplace harmony. Overcoming natural resistance to practicing tolerance is everyone's responsibility, but the key to success is understanding common myths about tolerance. One myth is that tolerance means…

The younger you are the more unlimited time seems. Appreciate the finite nature of time and you'll achieve goals faster and more abundantly. "Chunking" is one way to do it. Chunking is a time management tool for getting more done with fewer interruptions, starts, and stops, and without the requirement to repeatedly refocus your efforts on competing tasks -- which are multitasking's flaw. Chunking focuses on completing one thing and then moving onto the next. Its impact may astonish you. Google…