How to survive on a committee

Dear WW: Recently my boss asked me to sit on a new committee. I work in a warehouse and have never done anything like this before. Any tips? NEW TO THE MEET MARKET
Dear Meet,
There’s a tree house at the end of my block. It’s a regular architectural masterpiece, with gables, shutters and a shingled roof, [...]

How to make meetings more productive

Dear WW: I hate meetings. Let me say that again. I HATE MEETINGS. Can you suggest any strategies to avoid them so I’ll have more time to get my work done? DOER NOT A TALKER
Dear DOER,
Scientists used to believe that homing pigeons used the sun to find their way from one place to another. Recently [...]

How to overcome your fears when giving a presentation

Dear WW: I’m one of those people who would rather die than give a speech. But suddenly I’ve got a bunch of presentations coming up. HELP I’M SPEECHLESS
Dear SPEECHLESS,
Whenever I think about the fear of giving a speech, I think of my Uncle Fred. Fred spent World War II on PT boats in the Pacific. [...]

How to debrief after an important meeting

Dear WW: I feel like we make the same mistakes in our company over and over again. We have long meetings and discuss all kinds of possibilities but somehow nothing changes. What can we do to actually turn all that hot air into action? RETREATED TO DEATH
Dear RETREATED,
Your email reminded me of a promotion to [...]

How to make meetings more effective

Dear WW: In my new job I have to run a lot of meetings. I’ve never been a big one for committees, so what advice can you tell me to make my meetings worthwhile? MEET MARKET
Dear MEET,
Do you remember the Mars Climate Orbiter? If flew 416 million miles over 9 months. So far, so good. [...]

Best business quotes

Dear Readers: I’m Bob and I’ve got a confession to make; I’m a quote junkie. I’ll list some of my favorites and I’d encourage you to participate in our weekly contest and email me yours (bob@workingwounded.com).”So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.” Peter Drucker
“A company is [...]

How to use stories to influence people

Dear WW: I recently went to see a motivational speaker who told great stories and it made me think that I should use stories in my sales pitches. But I don’t know any stories. Where can I find stories that work for meetings and sales situations? WHAT’S THE STORY
Dear STORY,
Every year in London a group [...]