This is the latest news and information for workers and managers from across the Web universe, brought to you by Monday Morning Manager writer Harvey Schachter. Follow us on Twitter @Globe_Careers or join our Linked In group.
If you want to boost productivity on your team, consultant Alison Green recommends you stop making decisions without getting input from your people, since they'll be more invested in their work when consulted and decisions will be more informed. The Fast Track Blog
Focus on things you can control
Canmore, Alta.-based consultant Michael Kerr has a client whose office whiteboard contains two lists: Things We Can Control and Things We Can't Control, reminding everyone to focus on the former and, using a humorous example, not fuss over an employee's outrageous taste in ties, since it's not likely to change. Humor At Work
We're terrible at evaluating others
Consultant Marcus Buckingham says that research shows none of us is a reliable rater of colleagues and therefore virtually all our people data is fatally flawed. The Idiosyncratic Rater Effect indicates that ratings of potential, for example, reflect our own views, not the ability of the person being evaluated. Harvard Business Review
Set limits during business trips
When business travel has left you drained, writer Meagan Davenport advises you to take a break while on the road. If you need to check e-mail at day's end, set a timer for 30 to 60 minutes, then turn off the computer and work phone, and walk away, leaving the rest for your return home. Women on Business
Swing your way to better decisions
The King Arthur Round Table may energize your meetings – it's round, as you might expect, but instead of chairs it has swings that can get your people moving. Fast Company
Harvey Schachter is a Battersea, Ont.-based writer specializing in management issues. He writes Monday Morning Manager and management book reviews for the print edition of Report on Business and an online work-life column, Balance. E-mail Harvey Schachter