Our Corporate Life
May 15, 2012   •   Volume 3, Issue 10   •   ISSN: 2154-3240    
In This Issue
♦   Feature Article: Self-Awareness
Ask Amanda: How can I get my boss to be a better manager?
♦   Practical Tips: Bitch Sessions
 
Self-Awareness

Did you know that the highest-performing executives are not only the most self-aware but are also most aware of the impact they have on others? Eighty percent of all managers think they are self-aware and think they know how they come across. Statistically, most of these managers are wrong. How can you know if you’re one of the misguided?

First, don’t expect direct, honest feedback from your boss. According to Dr. Jan Halper, author of Quiet Desperation, “Five out of seven executives and managers prefer to lie to an employee about his or her performance rather than to give constructive criticism.” Instead, you’re going to have to conduct your own informal audit.
read more

Thought to Ponder

Struggle is where the growth is.

  
Practical Tips:
Bitch Sessions

It’s natural to seek support from others when we’re unhappy. However, it is not very effective in helping to reduce stress.

Research shows that when emotionally abused employees seek support from friends, family, coworkers and supervisors, it has only a small positive effect on mental health. The hypothesis is that this is due to the fact that the support group has no power to stop bullying or workplace abuses.
read more

    
 ask Amanda
Question:

I don't like how things are run. I am not consulted by my boss on important things and am often out of the loop. How can I get him to be a better manager?
J.M., New York, NY

Amanda Mitchell
Answer:

One of the interesting consequences of the blurred line between work and personal is role confusion. As someone who works on a team, you are subordinate to your manager and have to earn access to information. If the “important things” you refer to are critical to your specific job performance, then it’s worth approaching your boss to understand why you are being left out of the loop.
read more

    
     
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About Us: Our Corporate Life LLC (OCL) is a company that offers a new system for reducing unnecessary workplace suffering caused by the organizational, interpersonal, and ethical issues of our time. It is founded on the belief that adhering to core human values and achieving business success are always compatible. Working with both companies and individuals, OCL helps create solutions that enable corporate employees at every level to optimize profits while enabling them to thrive in the corporate environment. OCL was founded by Amanda Mitchell to help meet the needs of people working in corporate America during this transformative moment in our nation's history. The OCL system reflects her experience and insight gained from a 20–year corporate career working with Fortune 500 companies, and as an executive coach to senior–level corporate executives. Our Corporate Life
 
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