Self Improvement

In many ways, moving ahead in our careers depends on our bosses: the people who can motivate us, advise us, challenge us, or — on the other hand — make our lives miserable.

Your credit history can keep you from getting a job.

For years employers have been pulling credit reports as part of the background check of potential job applicants.

“In the past only bank and financial institutions used credit checks,” said Amber Yoo with Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, “But over the years it has evolved so that more and more employers are using it to predict character judgments on people.”

Management is a complex task. As a manager, you are continually faced with problems that need solving and decisions that need to be made. Making decisions is not easy, but it is a major part of a manager's role.

As a leader in the New Economy, you surely recognize the imperative of faster, smarter and newer. The entire business agenda, including the quality of our decisions and relationships, is increasingly defined by how fast we act.

With all the job hunting going on right now, I get a lot of questions about how applicants can put their best foot forward and get hired.

To get the most helpful information possible, I went to the source and surveyed a group of hiring managers. They shared the following tips—things they won’t tell you at interviews but sure wish you knew before you came in the door.

An overall approach to showing you care involves acknowledging individual views, encouraging people, and being sincere in your interest. As a manager, there are four primary ways you can demonstrate to your direct reports that you care:

Would you be surprised to learn that management studies indicate that 50% to 80% of a manager's time is dedicated to communicating in some way? Clearly, the ability to communicate effectively is an integral part of being a manager.

Consistent use of four communication strategies will promote effective communication and help you do a better job directing others:

The purpose of management in any type of organization is to make sure available resources are used most efficiently in the pursuit of goals. Organizing is one managerial function that helps ensure resources are used efficiently.

The purpose of persuasive writing is to motivate the reader to support an idea or take action. To make persuasive writing effective, you should ensure it attracts attention, stimulates interest, and maintains focus. It must also create a desire and prompt a response from the reader.

Example

Dear Homeowner,

The purpose of responsive writing is to provide a response to previous communication. For responsive writing to be effective, it must be prompt and courteous, exact, sincere, and brief. It should be straightforward in providing what a reader has requested.

Examples

Thank-you note

[Production development staff],