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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.
Don't start your résumé with blah-blah-blah and end it with useless boilerplate, entrepreneur Seth Godin advises. Your list of general objectives at the top of the résumé is usually an exercise in say-nothing doublespeak, and since you'll supply references if asked, why end with that statement? Seth's Blog
MEETINGS
Dole out assignments in advance
To prepare everyone for a meeting, assign homework in advance. Challenge participants, for example, to bring three solutions to the problem being discussed. Or, include with the invitation a "brain dump" memo listing everything you know about the issue, allowing creative thinking beforehand. The Organized Executive Blog
RELATIONSHIPS
Ties that bind can prove costly
Researchers found the higher the affinity (such as ethnicity or alma mater) between venture capitalists investing in a firm, the less likely it will succeed. Another study found half of corporate directors would cut company research and development by 25 per cent to help a CEO friend receive a hefty bonus. Harvard Business School Working Knowledge; American Accounting Association
COMMUNICATION
Handle harsh comments constructively
If you're verbally attacked, career coach Cheri Baker suggests doing the following: Take a break to let emotions recede; consider whether there is some truth to the criticism; discard the unkind, unhelpful remarks; and decide how you will relate to your attacker in future, without getting stuck on apologies or soothing your ego. The Enlightened Manager
TECH TIP
Limit the open tabs on your computer
If you often leave lots of tabs open on your computer, affecting the stability of your computer, use xTabs in a Chrome browser, or Max Tabs in Firefox, to set a limit for the number of open tabs. AddictiveTips.com
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
Harvey Schachter