Advice for someone just starting their career

 What is your strategy for someone just starting their career?
Your Rant: I’m 21 and graduating from college in the spring. What business advice would you give to someone just starting out?
911 Repair,
Twenty years ago I asked my mentor, Charlie, the same question. He was CEO of a big company and I thought he was the [...]

Is an MBA degree worth the time and trouble?

 What is your strategy for going back to get your MBA?
Your Rant: I can’t decide if I should go back for my MBA. On one hand I think it will help my career; on the other, it’s a lot of time and money.

911 Repair:

Join the club. At last count there were 372,000 people enrolled in [...]

Outsider or insider, who is more effective?

What’s your strategy for becoming the inside guy with your boss? 
Your Rant: The following is an e-mail from a reader who went from being a “rebel” to being a “mole” (he defines a mole as someone who works alongside his boss to make change from the inside). I think his e-mail raises interesting questions about the [...]

Being happier at work

What’s your strategy for being happier at work? 

DEAR READERS: Recently, a book came across my desk titled, “Be Happy at Work: 100 Women Who Love Their Jobs, and Why.” I had to talk to its author, Joanne Gordon, a Forbes contributing editor.Joanne’s message about defining the keys to happiness will resonate for anyone trying to [...]

Interview Lee Beach on ethics at work

What’s your strategy for ethics at work?
YourRant: Corporate crook prevention please.
911 Repair: Are you tired of seeing corporate executives going to jail? I am. I wanted to explore an approach to ethics at work that actually works. So I talked to Lee Roy Beach, Ph.D., one of the world’s top decision researchers, retired MBA professor [...]

Can’t read the unwritten rules at work-AHHHHH!

What’s your strategy for finding the “unwritten” codes of your office?
Your Rant: I know how things are supposed to work in my company. But it’s clear to me that there are also a lot of unwritten rules. How do you learn what gives outside of the personnel manual and operating policies?
911 Repair:
Everything that [...]

I can’t do this alone! Delegating effectively

Your strategy for delegating at work? 
Your Rant: I am overwhelmed at work. I work longer and longer hours but the work just keeps piling up. Do you have any advice on how I can get more done?
911 Repair:
Donald Sebastian recently pulled over a driver on the highway and became concerned about the driver’s [...]

I’m a rotten boss-I want to be a great boss

What’s your strategy for being a great boss? 
Your Rant: According to a recent 360 evaluation, a number of my people said they don’t feel comfortable talking with me about their problems. My boss just dropped this in my lap without offering any advice on how to fix it.
911 Repair:
Your e-mail reminded me of how [...]

Do you bring people together or divide and conquer at work?

I read a great article on Karl Rove, a.k.a. the President’s Svengali. In the article it talked about the fact that in politics there are two kinds of people-”lumpers” and “splitters.” Lumpers try to build the biggest possible coalition to get the policies they want while splitters use wedge issues to divide and conquer the [...]

How to promote yourself at work

Dear WW: I hate people who constantly promote themselves at work. At the same time, they seem to be the people who are getting ahead. Is there a classy way to talk yourself up? CASPER
Dear CASPER,
When I think of self-promoters, Rochester mayoral candidate Pat Carr immediately leaps to mind. After a reporter noticed similarities between [...]