You can demonstrate you have what it takes to lead by practicing active listening when you talk to co-workers, writes Jane Burnett. Although you may be tempted to do everything yourself, showing you can delegate tasks effectively also will go a long way toward proving you can manage employees. Ladders (11/6) Use shorter meetings to avoid wasting time Some companies are experimenting with five-minute meetings to ensure gatherings are more focused and include only relevant discussions. Brief meetings force participants to organize their thoughts and deliver them in an economical fashion, said Jamie Abbruscato, an account director for LaneTerralever. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (11/7)
Making the Connection
Should you attend that upcoming work event? In many cases, it may be better to practice methods of exiting work-related events early instead of missing them entirely, writes Sarah Greesonbach. Try not to miss annual events, and strive to attend at least one out of every three monthly or weekly events to help build positive workplace relationships. Glassdoor (11/7)
Use these categories to narrow your job search When you begin looking for a job, you should always narrow down opportunities according to the geographical areas, companies and roles you're interested in, writes Gary Burnison. If you can be specific about what kind of job you want, it will be easier for your network to help you. Forbes (11/7)
Balancing Yourself
Study: Politics causing stress in the US More Americans are stressed out about the country's future than they are about their jobs, according to a recent American Psychological Association poll. Although it's important to stay informed, "it's time to make it a priority to be thoughtful about how often and what type of media we consume," said APA CEO Arthur Evans Jr. WebMD (11/1)
The Water Cooler
Lamborghini plans electric supercar Lamborghini is developing a supercar that would run on supercapacitors instead of lithium-ion batteries. The Lamborghini Terzo Millennio also will be able to repair small cracks in its carbon fiber body on its own. Bloomberg (free registration) (11/7)
We are all failures -- at least all the best of us.