Office Etiquette

• The Mental Shift That Can Change Everything at Work [LinkedIn]
• Make Your Career Goals Known to Your Boss [Lifehacker]
• Rules of Crying at Work [Psychology Today]
• Should You Friend Your Co-Workers on Facebook? [HR Communication]
• How Much Notice Should You Give When You Resign? [US News]

&nb

Forget lengthy improvement plans. Sometimes the best way to make a change in life is to take Nike’s advice and simply “Just Do It.” For the next several days, experts on subjects ranging from stress to time management will offer straightforward suggestions on how handle issues facing busy admins.

According to a recent survey conducted by CareerBuilder and Harris Interactive, dress codes at the office are becoming more relaxed. While business casual may be the expected attire at more than 40 percent of offices, the study of more than 3,900 adults found that a third of employees are allowed to wear jeans (another 21 percent wear uniforms and 4 percent don business suits).

Have a tendency to open your mouth – only to put your foot in it? Many people say things without taking time to think about the consequences. Keep impulsivity from landing you in tricky situations by trying the following:

Ask for a second (or an hour or a day).

Chatting with colleagues can build bonds and help the day go faster, but depending on the subject, it also can give you a sudden urge to retreat to your cubicle. We asked workers to complete the sentence “I wish my co-workers would stop talking about . . . .” Here are some of the responses; we’d love to hear yours!

• Don’t Lose the Job Over Bad Manners [LinkedIn]
• Common Spelling Mistakes That Could Hurt Your Career [Recruiter]
• Why Your Cover Letter Hasn’t Gotten You a Job [Business Insider]
• Surefire Ways to Reach Your Goal in 90 Days [Psychology Today]
• Five Ways to Create Your Own Career Luck [US News]

Sure, we’ve all been warned that talking about politics or religion in the workplace is dangerous, but there are plenty of other subjects that might get you in over your head, too. Think twice before chiming in on water cooler conversations about these topics:

Salary

While conventional wisdom often states that people should devote all of their energy to concentrating on the job at hand, doing more than one thing at a time might actually be helpful – if the alternate activity engages a sense other than the one needed for the main task.

• Infographic: What Women Want at Work [Undercover Recruiter]
• Do Women Derail Their Own Careers? [CBS News]
• Is it Appropriate to Wear Wigs to the Office? [Career Realism]
• Keeping Salary History to Yourself During Job Search Only Hurts You [Business Insider]
• How to Deal with a Co-Worker Who is Driving You
  

• How to Play Clean Office Politics [Inc.com]
• Four Things We Need to Have a Good Day at Work [LinkedIn]
• You Don’t Always Have to Give Two Weeks’ Notice When Leaving Your Job [Lifehacker]
• Psychology Experts Share the Best Productivity Tips [Psychology Today]
• Fatal Job Search Mistakes That Most Job Seekers W