A top-notch salesman, who recently won a prestigious sales award, has had 20 years of successful experience with his company. A year ago, a new regional manager became his boss. The manager is criticizing the salesman’s ethics and blocking access to needed resources. Do you feel discriminated against or harassed at work? Are you humiliated or falsely accused of being incompetent? Do you feel apprehensive about go...

Every day, we're faced with situations that require us to make decisions that have ethical implications. They may be decisions about what to tell somebody, how to react to a situation, or what to do? We have different ideas about what's 'right' in any given situation. Ethics is the branch of philosophy dealing with values relating to human conduct, with respect to the rightness and wrongness of certain actions a...

'I quit my job by email since that's how I normally communicated with my boss. But I've been thinking that quitting by email may not be appropriate...!' Have you had enough? Is quitting the right option? If so, resign with class. But first, know why you're leaving. Do you have patience with customers or co-workers? Are company policies and ethics congruent with your values? Do you have supportive superi...

Are you frustrated with your boss or irritated at co-workers' annoying habits? Do some customers' behaviors infuriate you? How do you react in these situations? In today's workplace there are varied people with diverse perspectives and behaviors. Disagreements occur because people hear, see and interpret things differently. To resolve disagreements with people who have d...

'During lunch a valuable customer makes an offensive racist remark.' As a professional, how would you handle this situation? What does professionalism mean to you? The American Heritage Dictionary and the Oxford Dictionary define a professional as a person having a high degree of knowledge, skill, judgment and continuing practice in a particular activity. Mirriam Webster College Dictionary indicates professionals exhib...

You’re in a meeting when a colleague takes credit for your work. What would you do: 1) Publicly confront the colleague over ownership? 2) After the meeting, request she give you credit when discussing your work? 3) Nothing? 4) Publicly thank her for referencing your work, and give the group additional information? If you selected # 4, you've demonstrated emotional intelligence or EQ. Studies show that emotiona...

Rosemary writes: “I’m starting a new position and want to make sure I get off to a good start. What to do?” Starting a new job is exciting and sometimes intimidating. You have a fresh start, new challenges and renewed energy. But you may also feel apprehensive, particularly if you were fired or laid off from your last job. Tips for thriving in your new job - Believe in yourself. Have faith in y...

Kathleen, a grade six teacher wonders whether to accept the promotion to principal. Les, a human resources manager, wants a job that 'excites' him. Recently laid off, Barbara thinks this might be a perfect time to start her own business. Tom, an engineer, wants to try a different field where he can still use his engineering skills. Intuition is a great tool to use in solving varied career and personal challenges. Sigmun...

Have you ever felt guilty at work when there really was no reason to? True guilt is the negative feeling we have when we harm others. False guilt, on the other hand, is a negative feeling triggered by not living up to standards that are no longer realistic or because of things outside our control. For example, we may feel guilty because we think we are no longer contributing to our group project. Or a manager may feel gu...

Preparing for interview questions will give you the edge over other qualified candidates. Although there isn't one correct way to respond to questions, keep the following in mind: 1. Understand what's being asked. Employers want to know about your adaptive skills (meeting deadlines) and personal qualities (dependability, motivation). 2. Answer questions briefly. Present the facts as advantages. 3. Answer the...