A significant trend that is picking up speed is the number of times commitments are forgotten, appointments are ghosted and reminders or offers of help are ignored. You’re busy. I’m busy. We’re all busy. That doesn’t excuse a lack of courtesy. Not responding to communications, showing up late (if at all) for appointments or failing to pay bills on time are disrespectful and irresponsible. Stop wastin...

When you’re the person who makes the seating chart, you have a lot of power and also a serious responsibility to optimize a functioning workplace. There’s a whole Myers-Briggs personality chart of different needs to consider when deciding who sits where and in what kind of working environment. You’ve got your introverts who suffer in an open area with no control over chatty co-workers; then there are th...

In the movie, 'Star Wars,' Obi Wan-Kenobi gave Luke Skywalker a sword that seemed to have magical powers. The sword was useless to Luke when he lacked confidence in his abilities. But when Luke realized that he had the magical powers within to create his own perception of reality, he wielded the sword with confidence and accuracy. Do you have control over your life career? Indicate yes or no: I didn't get t...

“Find your passion.” The phrase conjures up some mixed feelings. On one hand, we imagine Future Me living our best life, one where we’re smiling at work and making real and important change happen. There’s a glossy filter on this fantasy. And on the other hand, we feel a small bubble of panic rise from our stomachs; I haven’t found my passion yet—was is wrong with me? Or I thought I found...

You know someone who found a great job in a week. But you’ve been looking for the last six months. What’s wrong with you? Chances are, nothing. It’s entirely possible that your strategy needs help, but that’s why there is help here, and of course, not just here. Before you start comparing yourself to anyone, though, remember that the job search is affected by a thousand things that none of us can con...

Almost 10% of white-collar workers in the US now work from home on a full-time basis, and more than 40% of all white-collar workers work from home at least once per week. This flexible work arrangement is one that costs employers nothing but engenders high engagement from employees. While many people report that they are more productive when they work from home, many also struggle with the blurred line between home and wor...

The Class of 2019 Commencement speakers included celebrities like Glenn Close at the College of William & Mary, Fareed Zakaria at The Ohio State University, Laverne Cox at Pitzer College and Apple CEO, Tim Cook at Tulane University, to name only a few. While the style and wisdom shared by the myriad of commencement speakers around the world varied, the common denominator indicated that the Class of 2019 is the succession...

As some of you may know, I’ve been studiously writing a multi-part essay on “Capturing and Captivating a Mostly Distance-Learning Audience.” The platforms are webinar and teleconferencing and the unprecedented program success (in terms of “spin-off gigs”) has been surprising. I've been trying to understand how the setting and structure of these two recent programs has affected my presentati...

As federal contractors, academic institutions are responsible for abiding by the regulations enforced by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which include taking affirmative action with respect to employment. The additional challenge for academic institutions is implementation of affirmative action in admissions. This is under the jurisdiction of the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Ri...

As Foley and Lardner reported recently, on April 29, 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued an opinion letter clarifying its stance on the classification of workers in the gig economy. The letter provided good news to those who contract with workers in the 'gig economy,' concluding, based on the facts provided, that with respect to the specific company that solicited the letter, its workers would be properly classi...