Problems at work best fixed with speedy response When something at work needs fixing, don't take months or years, "which tends to be our default timeline for solving hard problems," says leadership expert Anne Morriss. A Monday through Friday action plan -- starting with framing the problem as a question and ending with handing the solution to employees -- shows urgency and "makes it clear to everyone that you take the problem seriously," Morriss explains in a TEDTalk. Full Story: CNBC (9/22)
Deciding to find another job is a deeply personal decision, and there is no roadmap for determining the exact point when you should begin to look for a new role, writes speaker and career consultant Joseph Liu. However, if your relationships outside of work are deteriorating, you feel like you're not utilizing your strengths, your work doesn't feel meaningful and your unhappiness at work is affecting the rest of your life, it may be time to consider a change, Liu writes. Full Story: Forbes (tiered subscription model) (9/24)
Fractional executives dedicate their expertise to a company for four to 20 hours a week, offering much-needed agility and cost-effectiveness, writes Won J. You, a design leader, educator and founder of WJY Studios. Won You outlines the multiple benefits, including better productivity and decision-making, and explains when a fractional executive might be a good fit for different types of companies. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (9/22)
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Everyone suffers when an ill-prepared manager is promoted Employee morale and general productivity can suffer when people are promoted into management responsibilities without adequate experience or support, writes Alison Green. Businesses can reduce this disconnect by investing more in manager training and support, providing advancement tracks that reward nonmanagerial expertise and providing new managers with mentors, Green writes. Full Story: Slate (9/26)
The Landscape
Survey: Nearly half of workers didn't haggle over salary Of professional workers in new jobs, more than half of those surveyed by Glassdoor say they didn't try to sway employers to increase their salary offer. But salary negotiation did occur in certain industries including advertising, marketing, and technology, at rates of 67%, 62%, and 56%, respectively. Full Story: HR Dive (9/21)
So many American students and adults are so woefully inept at or disinterested in math that this lack of "intellectual capital" will soon hamper the US' ability to compete with other countries, says UCLA professor Jim Stigler. US students' math scores on the Program for International Student Assessment tests rank behind those in 36 other countries, and math scores on other key tests continue to decline dramatically, ultimately leading to a US shortage of information technology and manufacturing workers; too few STEM majors and even fewer STEM graduates; and declining earning potential and productivity, among other problems. Full Story: The Hechinger Report (9/26)
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Dinner-table quarrel: What's the best work schedule? Generational differences in work style and career-building are causing rifts in some families. Workers aged 50-plus tend to believe in the benefit of a structured work schedule while younger workers in their 20s often think work and personal lives should be compatible, enabled by a more flexible work schedule. Full Story: The Wall Street Journal (9/21)
If you've spotted people wearing ridiculously over-sized shoes that look like they belong on a circus clown, this article outlines how such footwear is the latest fad. How long until this fad fades? Full Story: BBC (9/24)
SmartBreak: Question of the Day
Kongo Gumi, a construction firm established in 578 AD, is known as one of the oldest businesses still in operation. Not quite as old, but which one listed here is oldest?
