Water Cooler

Information and insight about your career and the workplace at large
September 2007

News and Views

Unlearning makes headlines at Reuters, writes Workforce.com’s Garry Kranz. Employees at this London-based financial software, technology, and news company are encouraged to find the knowledge they need while taking on stretch assignments or rotating to work on different project teams. But they don’t have to remember what they learn. Details

This letter to bosses from Axel Albin and Josh Kamler says what we can't all say: we leave our jobs because our boss has not lived up to our standards. The premise of this article is in line with what research says about the number one reason people leave their jobs. Read this, and get thinking about how you can make a change in your workplace regardless of whether you are the boss or the employee. Get article

A British law firm says it’s OK to discriminate against obese people, reports Workforce.com (February 4–10, 2007; Vol. 8[6]). The exception: when there is a medical condition contributing to the obesity. More

Sometimes email isn’t the right communication tool. Either you’re trying to get too much information from someone or from too many people—or you’re conveying too much information. Read this article to learn which 10 situations are not suited to email and to view a flowchart that’s helpful for figuring out which tool is right. Details

Women's Leadership A Hot Topic Rolls-Royce is one of a number of forward-thinking companies that have decided not to short-circuit their leadership pools by grooming only people with Y chromosomes.

On Stage

Writers in the Sky Podcast

Writer and public speaker Yvonne Perry is interviewing me about Mentor Me this month—listen online to "Writers in the Sky Podcast" on September 14. You can access archived shows by clicking on a link listed in the sidebar to the right.