Welcome to the Monthly Work Remix, where I answer career and workplace questions submitted by professionals like you. Every month, I’ll adapt episodes of my brand new podcast, The Work Remix, into a reader-friendly advice column. Click the links below to stream the individual episodes and hear my answers in greater detail. Episode 4 – “Understanding a Multigenerational Team as a Traditional Startu...

Most people assume that if they dislike their jobs their only options are to leave and find a “better” opportunity within their field, or to change careers entirely. But there’s a thread of academic research around a third option called job crafting – the practice of making the most of the job you have. Pioneered by a team of psychology researchers and management experts, the concept aims to help...

Gone are the days when working hard was enough to earn recognition or a promotion in the career world. Take control of your career trajectory and design your unique path. In addition to mapping out your career future, be sure to tap the wisdom of those who can empower you to achieve your goals. Keeping your professional ambitions a well-kept secret will not move you forward. Your Boss is Not Your Career Coach Many pro...

You didn’t land your dream job this year, but that’s okay. You had other things going on. If anything, it’s made your resolve to find a new job even stronger. Nothing at work has changed, except your patience to tolerate uninteresting projects and a continuously increasing workload. You don’t want so much to land a new job—you need to get a new job this coming year. You’re sick of bein...

As an executive joining a new organization, you are expected to achieve a higher level of productivity within the first few months with a lower learning curve than other employees. Executives must be ready to make an immediate contribution once they’ve accepted their job offer. You can achieve this by knowing everything you can about the organization, its culture, your team, your executive colleagues, and the Bo...

We live in an age of remarkable products and services from inventive thinkers with lofty ideas. These visionary leaders, who don’t think or work like anyone else, have started businesses based on novel concepts, and those whose achievements greatly impact society are afforded special status. Employees often flock to these visionaries’ companies, hoping the future will offer prosperity within a corporate cultu...

Grit is defined as firmness of mind or spirit – an unyielding courage in the face of hardship. The career world is changing so fast that grit has also become a sought after competency for hiring and a necessity for entrepreneurs and innovators. The emerging research indicates that grit can determine success or achievement far better than grades, credentials or professional pedigree. Linda Kaplan Thaler and initiati...

In the bygone era, prior to the late 1980s, life in corporate America was good. It was comfortable. Predictable. Secure. All you had to do was go to college (or not), get a job, work your way up, and then, 40 years later, retire with a full pension. By 1988, “downsizing” had come into favor as a quick way to boost both shareholder value and earnings per share. In 1993, IBM, which had previously never reduced it...

Among the pressing fears for human beings, public speaking ranks at the very top along with heights and snakes. As someone who really enjoys public speaking, I realize that I may be part of a small population but I also know how speaking has enhanced my communication and leveraged my career brand. I offer wisdom to the non-speaker about how to get started and consider how speaking – from the intimate board room or...

It's easy to understand why entrepreneurs start multiple businesses. Taking risks and innovating are in their blood. However, even the savviest entrepreneur is human, and we can only focus our energy and resources in so many directions before our cash flow takes a hit. Let's explore some tips for getting promising new enterprises off the ground while keeping a watchful eye on the business that currently earns you...