In this month's podcast, journalist, academic and writer Dean Nelson talks to Mind Tools about interviewing techniques. What are the secrets to a good interview? And how can you get the most out of interviewees?
There's a lot of advice on giving praise, but how can we accept it gracefully? Mind Tools' Editorial Assistant, Alice Gledhill, explores why, for many of us, accepting praise can be so difficult.
How to stay out of social media trouble at work and what to do if it all goes wrong
"The difference between real life and a story is that life has significance, while a story must have meaning." ― Vera Nazarian, Russian-American writer I'm sure many of you enjoy watching a good movie. I do too. But isn't it disappointing to leave the theater feeling that the story didn't live up to your expectations? […]
Holidays are rarely all they’re cracked up to be. The promise of endless golden beaches and glorious sunny days. A band of happy people just waiting to share the good times with you... When you're planning and booking it all looks so enticing, but it too often leads to disappointment – the picture-postcard slice of […]
You respect, admire and get on well with your boss. You've rarely seen a more dedicated, impressive and productive worker. There's just one problem - they expect the impossible from you on a daily basis. Relationships with managers come in all shapes and sizes. We've all heard horror stories of micromanaging tyrants, but some people have […]
Fake news, corporate data scrapes, phishing emails… They're all contributing to an epidemic of mistrust sweeping across the world. But is this lack of trust healthy? Well, no. Whether it’s keeping your word, confiding in someone, working as a team, or delivering on time, trust is the glue that holds things together. But trust takes […]
For all the talk of a "global business environment," it’s still easy to feel wrong-footed when you travel abroad for work. When the extent of the cultural difference is unclear, how do you know what behavior is appropriate and what isn't? Dean Foster has made it his life’s work to smooth out cross-cultural misunderstandings. Because […]
Career Skills, Communication, Expert Interview, Team Management
It's lunchtime. You're sending a few messages and catching up on that great article you were reading. Suddenly, uh oh, your colleague sits down next to you, and he continues the highly inappropriate personal story he started yesterday. You want to scream, "Please stop talking!" But you feel trapped. So, what do you do? It's not […]
The person is standing right in front of you. The words are in your throat, but they won’t come out. “It might make things worse.” “What if I say the wrong thing?” “I might shoot myself in the foot.” Then, once again, the moment is gone. Your chance to have a tough conversation has passed. […]