Ever since I started blogging on Brazen Careerist, a site that aggregates blogs by young professionals about careers, management, and life, I’ve been thinking a lot about my personal mission statement. At some point I’d like to write a personal thesis; a manifesto, if you will. But right now I really just need to be … Read more
Two years ago, I took a road trip across the rolling hills of England and Wales. Accompanying me were two female friends and my girlfriend. We made a good group. After several days in the countryside, we arrived in London for the final leg of our trip. There, at the grossest hotel I’ve ever stayed … Read more
Starting a conversation comes naturally to some people. I am not one of those people. The best way I know to start a conversation at an event, reception, or happy hour, is to introduce someone (even if it’s someone you just met) to someone else. It also gives you a chance to relearn that person’s … Read more
“I’ve been reviewing Darren’s internship journal. Doing laundry, mending chicken wire, high tea with a Mr. Newman?” “Well, it all sounds pretty glamorous, but it’s business as usual at Kramerica.” “Far as I can tell, your entire enterprise is little more than a solitary man with a messy apartment which may or may not contain … Read more
Everyone makes mistakes. From the lowliest subordinate to the CEO of the company, people are bound to mess up every now and then. When you make a mistake, the key is not so much the mistake itself as it is how you present yourself afterwards. There is one thing you can do that will distinguish … Read more
I’m the first to admit that I’m not great at running meetings. I’m supposed to facilitate bi-weekly meetings at my current organization, but all I really do is create the schedule and then let people talk for two hours. I don’t like to cut anyone off or put words in anyone’s mouth, and as a … Read more
A couple years ago, I had a memorable staff meeting at work. During the first half of the meeting, one staff member was particularly vocal about his/her displeasure with the performance of several coworkers. He/she consistently broke one of the golden rules of management: criticize individuals in private, compliment individuals in public. An hour into the … Read more
As my current and former coworkers could tell you, I can be kind of anal. I wouldn’t say that I’m stubborn, per se—really, I’m quite reasonable—but I have a certain way of doing things that I generally think is correct. I’m open to suggestions, but I never like to hear “this is just always the … Read more
I handwrite a lot of thank-you notes at work. Part of the reason I do so is that my printer is slow and crappy; I don’t have the patience to wait for a page to print. But the main reason is that it adds a personal touch to a world of mass mailings and junk … Read more
Over the last 27 years of my life, I’ve learned a lot about how to be a leader. But as I’m entering my fifth month as the Director of Operations at my current job, I know that I need to continue to improve if I’m going to make a positive impact at my workplace. So … Read more