Technology lets employees try out sensitive conversations | How to present coaching as a career opportunity | What to say to a coworker who knows it all
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Advancements in virtual reality technology have allowed employers to use it for soft-skills training, say technology professionals, who point out VR can help employees practice difficult workplace conversations. "It also creates an immersive experience that feels safe, allows you to practice, and springboards you into really deep and relevant conversations," says DDI CEO Tacy Byham.
Coaching is a valuable benefit to offer to high-performing employees, but the opportunity must be presented in the right way to get their full buy-in, writes Laura Weldy, a women's leadership coach. Weldy advises emphasizing how coaching can unlock potential, accelerate career growth and show the employee that they are being viewed as leadership potential.
It's sometimes hard to know what drives a "know-it-all" coworker, but thanking them for their input while staying your course, or using their habit of speaking up to encourage others to talk as well, can blunt their impact on you and your team, write Karin Hurt and David Dye. "Of course, the way you approach the conversation with your know-it-all will vary based on your relationship and their receptivity to the conversation," they write.
US companies expanded their payrolls by 236,000 workers last month, less than the upwardly revised 326,000 in February, while the unemployment rate fell to 3.5% as hiring slightly cooled, according to the Labor Department. "The great labor market machine is finally slowing down some, but it's still got a lot of strength left," said Robert Frick, corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.
Imposter syndrome can include feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt as well as concerns about how other people perceive us. But, questioning ourselves can sometimes be beneficial to our personal and career growth. What's more, studies have shown that managers who frequently question themselves are seen as competent, being good with people, forthright and rational, and also better prepared to take on high-pressure tasks and projects.
Rudolf Erasmus, a pilot in South Africa, somehow kept his cool and guided a small aircraft to an emergency landing after feeling "something cold" slither against his lower back and then seeing the head of an extremely venomous Cape cobra sliding back underneath his seat. Fire and rescue teams, along with a snake handler, met Erasmus and his four passengers at the airport. All emerged unscathed, although a little shaken. The cobra never resurfaced after its brief appearance, and the handler and aviation crews were unable to locate the sneaky snake even after stripping the plane down, which means it could have disembarked after the emergency landing or (gulp) found a great hiding spot.