Office, Advice | featured news

Beneath a veneer of professional collegiality, your co-workers are taking note of the mess on your desk, how loudly you chew, even your word choices. Obviously, serious misconduct such as discrimination and harassment can lead to a job loss. But small irritants can hurt productivity and build walls between co-workers.

In all the years I've been teaching and coaching managers, I've yet to meet one who wakes up each morning, thinking, "How can I make someone's life hell today?" Most bosses really want to do right by their people, knowing it's not always easy to juggle business objectives, constant ...

Amid so much downsizing, it's risky and unnecessary for managers to let feelings confuse what ought to be a clean transaction when firing an employee.