How to Handle Awkward Situations at Work

How to Handle Awkward Situations at WorkIts always nice to get as friendly as you can with the people youll spend so much of your waking adult life working alongside. But building personal relationships at work can create a few sticky situations. Here are a few of them, and what to do when you find yourself in trouble. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) 1.When You Get Promoted and Your Coworker DoesntYou get one, your friend in the same position doesnt. Now theres resentment and a new power dynamic to negotiate. You cant share your work drama with the same abandon anymore, because youre in different roles. The kind of belly-aching youre accustomed to is no longer appropriate. Also be prepared to withstand some initial resentment.Either way, its best to talk about it once out in the open. Be proactive. Address the aspects of your relationship that have to change according to your work functions, but emphasize what aspects of your friendship do not have to change. Check in, be humble, and be honest. Itll help you both navigate the new situation if youre still on the same page and can express some solidarity.2. WhenYou Become Friends With Your BossYou and your boss have become close outside of work. You get in a fight. It makes things awkward at the bro. This is normal. All friends fight. The only tricky bit is not compromising either of your jobs. Keep things civil and professional, and try not to be too defensive. If its a minor thing, take a bit of distance, cool off, then send an olive branch schmelzglas to smooth it over. If its major, make it clear that it will not impact your daily office routines, but make a plan to chat outside the office after work.3. When You want Skip Out on a Social EventYour coworker wants you to double date Fun, right? But you dont want to. Thats totally fine. Youre under no obligation to do so. Trouble is, turning it down can be a little tricky. Youll want to be as firm as possible, witho ut being mean. When in doubt, try to downshift. Say youre super busy and would prefer to have some one-on-one time, maybe coffee or lunch Eventually, shell get the hint.4. When YoureFighting With Your CoworkerThis is the same as fighting with your boss, just that the stakes are slightly lower. Though you also have the potential to damage the others reputation in the office. Be careful not let the fight spill over into the work day and make either of you act unprofessionally. Otherwise, the same rules apply.5.WhenYou Dont Want to Make Friends With EveryoneYoure close with a couple of your coworkers, but not another. Youre under no obligation to let this other coworker into your clique. People have the right to chose their friends and you are not required to be friends with people just because you work together. But do be sensitive to the feelings of the person you are not including. Avoid talking about all the fun stuff you and your pals are going to do in front of this other coworke r. Its the kind way to behave.6.When You Dont Fit in at WorkIf youre the one on the outside of the cool kids clique at work, dont worry. It doesnt say anything about you necessarily. And you certainly shouldnt take it personally. Be warm and civil with your coworkers, and then divert your friendship-forging attention elsewhere. Make sure you maintain an active and fulfilling social life outside of the office so you dont get discouraged by not being part of the crowd. The upside here is that youll focus more on your work and not be as easily distracted by office banter.7. When You Overhear Hurtful GossipYou overhear your coworkers talking about you behind your back. Resist the temptation to throttle them. You dont have to confront them, but you shouldnt hide and pretend you didnt hear either. Take time to cool off and give them the space to do the adult thing and apologize. If they dont, theyre probably not worth talking to.8. When Your Coworkers are Mooching Off of YouAre you always paying for the coffee trip? The happy hour round? Rather than quietly resenting this state of affairs, give your coworkers the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to set things right. Try saying, Hey, you mind grabbing this round? I got the last few. Or something equally casual. Its awkward the first couple of times, but youll be glad you got better at asking. Its better than slowly going broke

The Best Thing to Say When You Feel Totally Unprepared in a Meeting

The Best Thing to Say When You Feel Totally Unprepared in a Meeting Picture this Yure in an important meeting with senior leadership. The CEO is sharing the firms strategic plan, including how the company will leverage big data to gain visibility into market opportunities producing measurable ROI.Umwhat?You do a quick scan around the conference room. Heads nod in agreement as the CEO concludes.Self-doubtkicks in. Am I the only one who hasno ideawhat she just said? Even though youre totally confused, you dont ask questions for fear of losing face.Later while grabbing coffee, a colleague divulges that they were lost amidst the jargon. Yet they didnt speak up. Though you shared the same opinion, you both stayed quiet.Is this simply ironyor is something more at play?This phenomenon is calledpluralistic ignorance. It describes a situation in which a majority of people in a group privately disagree with an idea, while incorrectly assuming others in the group accept it. Instead of standing up for our beliefs, we go along with what the group seems to favor.Pluralistic ignorance is surprisingly common in the workplacefrom the boardroom to how we evaluate our personal success. It even affects attitudes towardsflex-work policiesandthe gender wage gap.Typically, youre not the only one who feels confused or who wishes they could speak up.Its time to do away with the myth that asking questions makes you look dumb.While there may be no such thing as a stupid question (as the old saying goes), there is such a thing as agreatquestion.If youve been holding back and not speaking up on account of the pluralistic ignorance effect, itll pay to invest time in becoming a master atSocratic questioning.Try this smart, strategic way of expressing yourself at the right time, assertively and with tact.This includesclarifying questions,such asWhat do you mean by?Could you put that another way?If I heard you correctly, what youre saying is?Andprobing questions,such asWhat would be an example of?How did you decide?Could you expand upon that point further?Theres definitely adeep-seated fear of speaking upin a group, so dont beat yourself up for feeling tentative about it. Its normal to be worried youll embarrass yourself, feel rejected or lose peoples respect. But its a good exercise in self-assuredness to get used to believing in yourself enough toknow that speaking up wont make you look stupid or foolish. In fact, youll look proactive and engaged in the conversation.On the other hand, if you are the one presenting and you feel caught off guard by someones question, you can use phrases likeLetme get back toyou about that.Great question. Whats your sense of the situation?Thanks for the feedback. Give me some time todigestwhat Ive heard.If it makes it easier to tiptoe into this new territory, start out by testing yournew skills in small groups or one-on-one situations before transitioning to speaking up in high-stakes situations like client meetings.--Melody Wildingis a c oach and licensed social worker who helpsambitioushigh-achievers manage the emotional aspects of having asuccessfulcareer. Her clients include CEOs and C-level executives at top Fortune 500 companies such as Google and HP, as well as media personalities, startup founders, and entrepreneurs across industries. She also teaches Human Behavior at Hunter College in NYC. Get free tools to grow your career confidence atmelodywilding.com.A version of this article originally appeared on Forbes.

The Number One Method You Need to Be Using for Writing Resume for Promotion

The Number One Method You Need to Be Using for Writing Resume for Promotion Do bedrngnis assume youre a shoe in for the job because you previously get the job done for the organization. If youre on the promotion track, you will most likely be asked to submit a resume to your employer even when you have been with the company for many decades. Never burn bridges if you plan to remain with the business. For instance, if youve been with the business long enough, you have in all likelihood mentored new employees. Your own personal development program should consist of goals which are both feasible and measurable. While its said that difficult vocabulary shouldnt be used, it is suggested that jargon linked to your particular area or industry ought to be utilized as keywords. When youre working on acquiring a promotion, it can take some effort to become noticed by management. When you submit an application for an internal promotion, its far better pay attention to your contributi ons to the organization. If youre short on experience and searching for an entry-level position, you might want to highlight things like grades, awards, and so forth. Just remember to take care of everyone respectfully even if its the case that you dont get the job. Simply take the opportunity to be certain youre in an ideal place to create the best impression on the job and to find that promotion youre seeking. You might be thinking, Yeah, I already knew that, but what you might not know is that a resume written to make an application for an internal position is a little different from the resume you would write if you were searching for a work elsewhere. New Ideas Into Writing Resume for Promotion Never Before Revealed If youre asking for a management role, you have to showcase your management abilities. If youve got many abilities, the previous skill paragraph may be called Additional Skills. Learn about the three kinds of skills you are able to highlight and the way it is possible to incorporate them into your resume. Below youll observe the best skills required to fulfill an administrative site. All About Writing Resume for Promotion Realize that though you previously do the job for the company, managers in various departments might not be acquainted with your work. If you dont supply the info necessary for the hiring agency to ascertain your qualifications, you may not be considered for the job. Hiring managers may pass you over in the event that you do not own a strong resume as you look for a job. They are more concerned with your current responsibilities rather than what you were doing three years ago. Top Choices of Writing Resume for Promotion At the same time, reading some leadership books will also aid you with the sort of language you wish to use on your resume to describe yourself. In truth, its better to leave your reader with a couple questions theyd love to ask you. In addition, there are many methods to communicate 1 idea util izing different action verbs, which enables you to bring some spice to your resume. Do not assume that, because youre asking for an internal promotion, the individual reading your resume will be conversant with your work. The One Thing to Do for Writing Resume for Promotion When you contact the business you originally left, list it again with the info about that position. Your experience should deal with every necessary qualification in the job announcement. Then stack each work title and the dates you held the job below the name of the organization. You may often receive a great starter list right from the work advertisement. Your professional profile is a brief paragraph that tells the employer about your abilities and the way they directly relate to the job that you seek. Concentrate on these sections to understand whether you meet the requirements for the position. Utilizing action verbs in resume writing is as simple as any other schriftart of writing, so long as you know what things to include and what things to look for. At times the Skills and Accomplishments section is a distinct section. Guidelines and minimum requirements for promotion will be different from state to state, so you are going to want to understand what promotion resembles in your individual area. You must organize your resume to aid agencies evaluate your experience. Make certain you get the info youre looking for.