Nerd Stalker

Rebecca Teasdale Shares How to Create a Culture of Openness and Candor Photo courtesy of Pablo by Buffer By Rebecca Teasdale Recently, a colleague and I were at a dinner function with a group of leaders from a client company. We found ourselves seated at a table with a new member of the executive team who we were meeting for the first time. Waiting for the plated meals to arrive, we eased into the conversation with small talk about sports and weather and then we went deeper inquiring about his family, his career, his thoughts on the industry. When the dinner wrapped up 45 minutes later, my colleague and I had learned a lot about him. We had learned about his years working abroad, his days as a partner at an IT consulting firm, and his time on Wall Street. Yet, he had learned nothing about me or my colleague. In 45 minutes of conversation, he hadn’t asked either of us a single question. Sadly, this common, self-absorbed style of relating has reached new, alarming le...

I interview Jody J. Foster, MD MBA , a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and author of The Schmuck in My Office: How to Deal Effectively with Difficult People at Work . The book is about how to understand and effectively engage those people at work who display annoying personality quirks which hamper productivity and, occasionally, throw an entire office off-kilter. This book will allow you to recognize, understand, and help manage relationships with people who are in some way difficult or disruptive at work. Learn about the 10 types you need to be aware of, and how to work with them.

Unfortunately, many of us feel trapped during the work day by spaces that are less than welcoming—or even less than inspiring. But it’s hard to pinpoint why unless you talk to an expert. They might tell you a couple of surprising things. For starters, color has more of an influence that many people realize. It can change your mood and even affect how much you get done. Trying to get excited but in a room, that’s neutral or blue? Those tones don’t help—but energetic pops of hot colors like red do. Find your focus failing in the middle of the afternoon (and blaming it on the coffee)? Sure, tiredness might have an impact, but so too does an office’s lack of casual, gathering-like spaces for employees to share or just to get a break. What you can do—even if you can’t paint walls or move offices—is take inspiration from the ideas in this graphic. By Cubicle Concepts

The Future-Proof Workplace is a survival guide for the new realities of business. The future is no longer some far-off destination; it is here, right now, and already changing the way we work. Historically, the sea-changes have advanced humanity and inspired us to reach even further; from the Dark Ages to the Age of Enlightenment, from agrarian to industrial societies—and today is no different. But only those who are ready for the changes will come out thriving. This book highlights the changes already taking place around us: the transition from skills to knowledge, the neuroscience approach to leadership and motivation, galloping technical advances, and more. Whether you're a CEO, a leader or manager, or just trying to survive the chaos, this invaluable guide is your wake-up call—the future is now. The new forces emerging must be understood now if your organization is to succeed. This book details the transformation every business must make to turn upheaval into opportunity...

VIDEO AUDIO Deirdre B. Mendez, PhD, is an intercultural consultant, speaker, and author who helps U.S. companies and their international partners resolve culture-based problems. A former business consultant, Deirdre is now Associate Director of Cultural Programs at the McCombs School of Business. Her book The Culture Solution facilitates self-guided problem-solving for international business people. Learn more at www.deirdremendez.com

By Steven L. Blue When I started to write this article I originally titled it “Culture Is Not a Four Letter Word.” It was intended to address the CEO’s who think culture is a squishy, beer for lunch, feel good concept that doesn’t deserve a place at the grown-ups table. I wanted to demonstrate how wrong-thinking that can be and make the case for the power of culture and why it should be at the top of every CEO’s list. I was prepared to make a compelling case to convince CEO’s that culture is every bit as important as strategic planning. I was ready to cite all kinds of studies and dazzling statistics that prove that positive cultures create positive financial performance. But now I know I don’t have to thanks to a four-letter word: Uber. Uber’s toxic culture is front and center this week in the news. According to recent reports, Uber has engaged in everything from sexual harassment to stealing driverless technology from Google. Even some of its own investors claim the compa...