By emphasizing the positive qualities of others in your conversations at work, you'll show your coworkers you're not one to participate in workplace gossip, writes Victor Lipman. If all else fails, you can also change the subject or just walk away when others are gossiping in your presence. Harvard Business Review online (tiered subscription model) (10/19) Stop multitasking to become more productive You'll be more productive if you focus on one task at a time instead of trying to juggle several activities, writes Greg Wells. Multitasking prevents your brain from working optimally and can even temporarily lower your IQ, Wells writes. Entrepreneur online (10/20)
Data collected by the US government show that people who were outside the labor market so long that they weren't counted as unemployed are seeking jobs and getting hired in numbers never seen before. The data have stimulated a debate within the Federal Reserve about whether it is wise to slow down the strong job-creation trend. Reuters (10/18)
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SmartBrief Originals
Original news, insights, analysis and best practices from SmartBrief.com
Don't mess up these standard interview questions Job seekers should mix personal responsibility with an emphasis on their positive qualities instead of making excuses when asked about leaving previous jobs or not completing college, writes Sheiresa Ngo. Don't launch into a biography of yourself when asked to talk about who you are, as you are better off focusing on your professional life. Cheat Sheet (10/21)
Balancing Yourself
Report: Stress from micromanaging bosses can cause early death The stress of demanding jobs with micromanaging bosses can ultimately take years off your life, according to a study by Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. Those who had little control over their working lives were found to be 15.4% more likely to die during the school's seven-year study than those with more control over their workflow. The Seattle Times (tiered subscription model) (10/20)
The Water Cooler
What the internet might have been The internet might have evolved in different directions had alternate technological strategies taken root. Among possible alternate histories are a corporation-only internet, a highly censored internet and an internet that bans commercial messages. New York magazine (10/20)
