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Yes Men, No Men: Dealing With the “Autonegatives” at Work

Posted on 06/29/2015 by ·
Yes Men, No Men: Dealing With the "Autonegatives" at Work by Laura Stack #productivity

Do you have a coworker who says "no" to your ideas before he or she has given them a decent hearing? For whatever reason, some individuals always have to say "no" before they can see clear to even considering something new. These “no men” (gender neutral) are more annoying and useless, at least in the short term, than “yes men”—and that's really saying something. I call them "autonegatives." These people love to criticize and tear down ideas before they’ve given them any real thought. Autonegatives live everywhere in life. Some may be masquerading as your friends or family. Sometimes you run into them in shops (though the smart manager doesn't leave them in place long). At work, the fiefdom builders and information hoarders tend to be autonegatives, some because they like the tiny … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: ,

Promises, Promises: What To Do When Your Coworkers Fail You

Posted on 04/29/2013 by ·

"Gain a modest reputation for being unreliable, and you will never be asked to do a thing." -- Paul Theroux, American travel writer and artist. "From the backstabbing co-worker to the meddling sister-in-law, you are in charge of how you react to the people and events in your life. You can either give negativity power over your life, or you can choose happiness instead." -- Anais Nin, French-American diarist. Volunteer leaders, freelancers, and corporate employees alike all depend on others to contribute or provide work. At some point, you will run into people who fail to deliver what they've promised. How should you react when people leave you in the lurch? Your reaction depends on a number of factors: • Was the failure an oversight, or did they outright break a promise? • Was this a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged:

Co-workers, meetings, and inefficiency: the big energy bandits in the workplace

Posted on 07/03/2008 by ·

The workplace is full of energy drains, even for people who work at home. You get caught up in the routine, and lo and behold, hours have passed -- and you've expended precious energy without much return. If this sounds like your work life, maybe you ought to try a few of these prescriptions. 1. Speak up when you have too much on your plate.  If you're overworked, you'll eventually hit a point where your personal energy falls to nil and nothing gets done. Do what you can to streamline your work processes, negotiate deadline extensions, simplify your tasks, and delegate in order to get things done. 2. Be unavailable. That's right. When someone says, "Do you have a minute?" it's okay to say, "Not right now." You don't have to be rude or impolite, but you do have to be honest. Get over … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,