It's been said that courtesy is a quiet power. Having a door held open while carrying an armful of packages is a welcomed common courtesy. Extended courtesies are even more powerful because they are not expected. They show extra effort you expend to please someone like a customer, causing that person to feel valued and special. Extended courtesies to customers are also powerful because they benefit your employer's reputation. The more unexpected a courtesy, the more impact it has on the…

You can give constructive feedback to your boss with less unease. The key is making it fully formed, thoughtful, and delivered with timeless and tact. Do manage your emotions so you are calm and these crucial elements don't go missing. Your approach: View feedback as a way to enhance your workplace. Doing so will naturally cause you to exhibit a positive attitude. Avoid a negative tone or approach which could be seen as unwelcome complaining or attacking your boss. When you deliver feedback…

Workplace ethics is a vibrant topic, but in the digital age, where ethical violations can quickly be discovered and big ones exposed internationally on the Web in mere minutes, employers are more concerned than ever. The key prevention concept is grasping how relatively small indiscretions, easily rationalized, can help pave the way to larger events with significant consequences. Every employee is on the front line in the fight to maintain an ethical workplace. Whether it's grabbing a few…

Tardiness is a silent hit to productivity. Being 10 minutes late to work may not seem like a big deal, but like many small expenses that create a large hit to your pocketbook, tardiness can add up. Like ripple effects from a rock thrown into a pond, tardiness reverberates throughout an organization. If you're frustrated about coming in late and puzzled over your inability to correct it, get counseling help to curb it. Start with the only book written solely on the topic: Never Be Late Again:…

When solving problems and searching for new ideas among your workgroup or team, take advantage of the problem-solving capabilities of every team member. Team members bring unique perspectives based on diverse life experience, background, gender, race, culture, or worldview. This strategy is based on a principle called "standpoint theory." Standpoint theory means that each person possesses a unique perspective, but the more divergent from the norm the background, life experience, or cultural…