I met Ricky Bell because my home office computer was deadly slow. As an independent computer technician, Ricky came highly recommended by my accountant, so I knew I’d be in good hands. To my surprise, I soon learned that those hands were equally talented on the neck of a guitar and that Ricky had connected two talents into one amazing career. DL: Ricky, do you consider yourself a computer guy who’s a musician or a music...

It’s become a pastime, a bit of on-the-job sport. Grumbling starts out innocently but can become all-consuming, taking on many forms like: - Harping about the boss’s annoying habits - Whining about boring work - Complaining about your cubicle location - Obsessing over how long it might take to get promoted The more we grumble, the more we grumble. It’s not a cure for anything, but a perpetuator. Who’s guilty? All o...

Serve them to your employees. They’re as hungry for success as you are.Employees know the drill: They’re expected to deliver specific results for which they’re compensated. The better they perform, the more likely their careers will advance. When they understand what matters to their bosses, they can perform with minimal uncertainty. Bosses who aren’t clear about what drives their leadership and who act inconsistently give...

The rush is in the reaching. Ask any athlete whose career is on the rise. Every day is about putting it all out there for the team, the fans, and the games they love. Winning is the driver, the measure of their contribution and achievement.Their personal value rises when they: - win a championship - get selected for the All-Star Team - receive Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors There’s nothing quite like attaining sup...

There’s a lot of talk about “attitude” in the workplace: - “That employee is giving me a lot of ‘attitude.’” - “If s/he had a better attitude, the work would get done on time.” - “Good performance is about attitude.” Our attitude speaks to our disposition and/or our frame of mind. That’s the platform we start from when we come to work. Built into our attitudes is our sense of fair play, honesty, respect, and authenti...

Did this ever happen to you? You’re in a meeting about a complex problem facing your work group. Everyone’s got their own idea about the cause and what to do about it. The discussion consists of: - Blaming bad decision-making or poor management - One-sided perspectives on the “real” factors obstructing a fix - Accusations about how no one cared about the situation until now - Seat-of-the-pants solutions with little...

Do you remember your first job title? In business mine was coordinator—Consumer Education Programs. Oh, that sounded so sweet to me. Our first jobs are where we get our feet wet and start to showcase our talents. The plan is usually to upgrade our titles for swankier ones that come with higher salaries. The traps await Companies create titles to define their hierarchy and manage payroll. They write titles they hope we want...

I met Steven Leibensperger at an edgy little coffee house to give him a sell job. The executive director of the Lehigh Valley Arts Council and I, as president, were hoping we could convince him to join the board. He would be the only working artist and the youngest member by a lot. He gave us a “yes” and a lot more. Now I know why. DL: Did you always want to be an artist? SL: It’s hard to say. I just know that when I was...

Women have seemingly limitless career opportunities. If we’re smart enough, tough enough, and driven enough, we can get where we want to go. But will we get paid for our value? Women have different career obstacles to overcome, in most cases, then men. The most challenging is often ourselves. Mika Brzezinski unplugged Her new book, Knowing Your Value: Women, Money, and Getting What You’re Worth, is an amazingly open account...

Seems counter-intuitive, doesn’t it? When we want an opportunity or a raise, we need to ask for it. If we’re being mistreated, we need to speak out. When we see wrong being done, we need call attention to it. So how can being quiet help us get ahead? Crack this case and reap the benefits! Size up the situation The workplace is a din of noise. Everyone’s tuned into to multiple channels at the same time: Engaging in live conv...