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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.
After you make positive workplace changes, things may get worse before they improve, following the so-called J-curve, with a dip before a rise, just like the letter. The difficulty, consultant Roy H. Williams says, is that if you goofed, you'll see the same dip, making it hard to tell the difference at that early stage. Monday Morning Memo
Loosen fixed ideas by asking questions
If your team is stuck, management professor Michael Roberto suggests asking: "What other options might we consider beyond the proposals on the table?" Also: "How might our principal marketplace rivals look at this issue? How might they approach it differently?" Or: "Are we trying to solve the wrong problem?" Professor Michael Roberto's Blog
Keep good people with regular praise
Consultant Wally Bock warns people not to be like the manager who started listing an employee's wonderful qualities – such as "you do great work" – only after she said she was leaving. Her response? "You never told me. " Now it was too late. Three Star Leadership Blog
The rules of love don't apply to sales
Absence may make the heart grow fonder in romantic relationships, but that doesn't apply with your customers, consultant Drew McLellan says. And in marketing, love is not blind. How you present yourself has a vital impact on your ability to capture and keep customers. Drew's Marketing Minute
Free your task app for big projects
Productivity consultant Michael Vardy recommends feature-rich Due, an iOS and Mac app, to remind you of your mundane tasks in order to free up your regular task app for the big stuff. The Productivityist Newsletter
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