Executive Female articles from November 1995

Executive Female archives from November 1995

How to turn procrastinators into top producers.(Managing Smart)
November 1, 1995... Deadllines are something I appreciate. They give me a focus, force me to plan my time and assure that projects don't slide. Not all of my staff, however, have always met their deadlines. As a matter of fact, several staffers seemed to respond...

The power of asking the right questions. (adapted from the book 'Smart Moves for People in Charge: 130 Checklists to Help You Be a Better Leader')(Managing Smart)
November 1, 1995... Just because you're in charge doesn't mean you must always know the right thing to say at the right time. Actually, the most effective leaders don't necessarily always say the right things; their strength is to ask the right things. The art of...

Affirmative action does make a difference. (research results; includes advice on building and maintaining a diverse workplace)(Managing Smart)
November 1, 1995... When companies take gender and race into account for such things as hiring, training and promoting, does workforce diversity really increase ? Yes, it does, according to a study by Alison M. Konrad and Frank Linnehan of Temple University in...

Making the most of E-mail. (electronic mail; includes list of E-mail acronyms and information about E-mail etiquette)(Managing Smart: Cyberspace and You)
November 1, 1995... Who says the Internet is a guy thing? Isn't e-mail just the newest form of communication? In that sense we non-guys may even be at an advantage, especially if you accept the premise that women communicate more and better than men. "Women,"...

Selling a breakthrough product in a tradition-bound market. (ballet shoes)(Your Business)
November 1, 1995... Ever since she was a young girl, Eliza Gaynor Minden wondered why dancers had to suffer so for their art. She expected the dancing part to be grueling, but why must the shoes be so uncomfortable? Minden, an amateur dancer whose mother taught...

Entrepreneurial problem solver. (mentoring relationships among entrepreneurs)
November 1, 1995... What better way to enhance your business expertise than to hook up with a seasoned entrepreneur who, having found solutions to problems similar to yours, can give you customized guidance. In 1988 the Small Business Administration's Office of...

Wedding consultant. (Mimi Doke's wedding consultant business)(Your Business)
November 1, 1995... For years, Mimi Doke spent all her free weekends attending weddings. No, she wasn't party-crashing, she was a part-time wedding photographer. She spent her weekdays as co-owner of a roofing company with her husband. Then in 1981 her marriage...

How to get your employees to act like owners; opening your books to employees could improve the performance of the entire company - and won't cost you a dime. (adapted from John Case's 'Open-Book Management: The Coming Business Revolution')(Your Business)
November 1, 1995... Unit costs, monthly grosses, profit projections, inventory turns. These are the numbers that most employees know nothing about. CEOs keep them as closely guarded as an alchemist's formula for gold. Yet it is workers' incremental decisions that...

Marketing your practice with tact. (marketing technique for professional practices)(Your Business)
November 1, 1995... The words "small business" immediately conjure up visions of retail shops, home-based mail-order outfits and cottage industries. But another component of the small-business community -- the professional corporation, which includes law firms,...

Your office family. (identifying and changing maladaptive roles learned in childhood)
November 1, 1995... Every day at work is bring-your-family-to-work day. Just ask Camille Patterson, whose father -- or at least her memories of him -- commuted alongside her for years. And when they got to work, Patterson's father undermined her performance. ...

The right financial moves for 5 different career plans. (financial planning advice)
November 1, 1995... The Cauldron of life always seems to be on the boil. As goals, career paths, the job market and family life bubble and churn, the idea of planning for the future may seem futile. It's not. In fact, any career changes you are contemplating will...

If I'm such a success, why do I feel this way? (excerpted from 'Female Executives Stress Syndrome')
November 1, 1995... Isn't strange? When you think about a successful executive woman, her problems are not uppermost in your mind. She's made it to the top (or near it), often against great odds. She makes big bucks (comparatively); she gets to order people...

Executive gifts to soothe, refresh and enchant.
November 1, 1995... Make a pre-New Year's resolution: The only presents you'll give are those that relieve tension, lessen stress and help everyone (you included) to relax into 1996 STRESS IS LIKE THE WEATHER. Everyone talks about it, but... nobody does...

Want to be a great investor; think like a kid. (investing advice)(The Working Life)
November 1, 1995... How would you like to be an investor with nerves of steel? How would you like to take profits over and over again and never second-guess yourself? How would you like to buy on an educated guess and never feel remorse? If you could do all...

Is your leadership style holding you back? (leadership and flexibility; includes leadership style quiz)(The Working Life: Workshop)
November 1, 1995... Your effectiveness as a leader depends on an interplay of traits, style, tasks and the expectations of others. All managers must be both leaders and followers. The demands of their work require them to approach leadership using several styles:...

5 interview mistakes to avoid. (appearance and communication style)(The Working Life: Careers)
November 1, 1995... An interview is never just an exchange of information. Your appearance and communication style can make or break your chance to get the job. Never believe that your experience, skills and background are the only qualities that are...

All things are tossable. (sorting through years of personal and business papers)(Column)
November 1, 1995... Yesterday, I vacated the New York house in which I lived for more than 16 years. Auctioneers had visited earlier, purchasing the good stuff that had no sentimental value. My final task was to perform triage on the residue: a few items to be...