September 1, 2015 • Volume 6, Issue 18 • ISSN: 2154-3240

In This Issue

♦	Feature Article: When Your Staff Critiques You
♦	Ask Amanda: How do I stay relevant at work?
♦	Practical Tips: Monitor Your Credit

When Your Staff
Critiques You

As a manager you’re probably used to hearing “constructive criticism” from your boss and know how to behave. What happens, though, when it’s one of your direct reports providing negative feedback? It’s important to handle this situation right so that staffers feel free to share information—both good and bad—with you.

The goal is to stay calm, hear what they have to say, and move on productively. Avoid being—or appearing—defensive. Watch your body language and stay present in the conversation to make sure you are accurately hearing what is said. Don’t interrupt, even if what they are saying is untrue. They are telling you how they perceive or interpret the situation. You can respond later. Recap what the person said using their language, to ensure that you completely understand what was said.
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	Chance favors those in motion.

Practical Tips:
Monitor Your Credit

We expect employers, or potential employers, to check out our social media profiles and google our names as part of the interview process, but did you know that potential employers may check your credit history?

“Your personal credit report gives employers an indication of the quality of your work,” says Gregory Meyer, community relations manager for Meriwest Credit Union in San Jose, Calif. “If you make payments on time, pay off debt in a timely fashion, and avoid judgments and tax liens, you may be the right person for the job.
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All of a sudden I've become "old" at work. The examples I cite are now met with blank stares and awkward silences. I have at least 15 more years before I retire and am worried about staying relevant. What should I do? M.P., Norwalk, CT

It sounds like the issue isn’t that you’re “old,” it’s that you’re don’t understand your audience. Good communicators start with where their audience is—they use relevant language and examples that resonate, and they speak to benefits that are important to them.
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About: 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 acting humanely 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 thriving in the workplace.