Careers

World renowned author Stephen Covey describes delegation as "stewardship -- where the person assigned the task takes it to heart and makes it their responsibility. The fruit of effective delegation is sweet to taste, but requires a strong commitment from front-line managers to reap the rewards." Never more do these words ring true than in corporate delegation, where you can tell someone to complete a task, but the true talent is having someone want to do something for you and do it well.

Delegation is a key component in accomplishing all the rhetoric that is commonly articulated in corporate environments: Making sure you don't have too much on your plate, developing those beneath you, fostering a strong work-life balance, etc. However, this is only true if you are effective in your ability to delegate and fostering an environment where it is not only accepted but expected that the team will be held accountable for the overall goal. There are specific dynamics that play a key role in delegation and they are: accountability (how people are subject to reporting/justifying outcomes and are rewarded or corrected), authority (the right of someone to make decisions, issue directives and allocate resources), and responsibility (the assigned duty to perform a task or activity). No matter how you establish these three they are the core components in the single most powerful high leverage activity in management.

There are multiple ways to delegate tasks or...

A career in news reporting was once the domain of journalism schools across the U.S. Local news reporting for national television affiliates is still going strong to this day, but the content of what constitutes "news reporting" is undergoing the largest change in the history of news reporting.

Instead of having a one-way conversation with a viewer, news reporters are now actively engaging the audience asking for a two-way conversation. News reporting on television is a two-way affair, with viewers constantly being asked to assist news reporting in many ways. Many viewers have even been recruited as "citizen journalists," as there are fare more viewers to cover news than actual news reporters and photojournalists.

To start a career as a news reporter, ask yourself these questions:

1. Will a non-traditional work day be your friend or foe? News doesn't happen during banking hours -- it happens 24 hours a day, something you need to be ready for if you plan on having a career as a news reporter. Your relationships, family and other things may need to adjust to your non-standard work day (and weekend in many cases).

2. Become a diligent fact checker. Nothing is as important to a news reporting career as reporting integrity. Don't make stuff up and don't fabricate information to fill holes in a story. If the facts aren't available, shelve the story until they are. Many people are watching...

When was the last time someone went out of their way to say "Thank you" or do something unexpected for you? What about telling you how much they appreciate something you do every day that is critical to their success? Multiple surveys over the years have always proven the same thing: Employees will always scale "appreciation for a job well done" over the likes of other performance variables such as compensation, job titles, or benefits. Nevertheless, managers and executives will often place the later above the appreciation in terms of what they believe their employees would want.

It may seem like a small gift to be presented with gratitude, but I guarantee publicly, or privately for that matter, praising an employee will garner substantial results in the long run. It will develop employee morale, better production, and dedication to the company. However, it is not always that easy to bestow appreciation upon those beneath you and oftentimes management will feel uncomfortable expressing thanks for the talents and contributions of others.

Here are some engaging points on the important skills of praising others:

1. Appreciation means the most when it's given in a timely manner. Don't wait until an annual performance review to say thanks for a job well done on work that was done six months ago. The novelty of just saying someone did a good job will have then worn off and will the employee will likely think...

You read about it in the news, maybe someone tells you a story, or you have heard the urban legend about the employee who comes in to the office with a shotgun because he has been disgruntled or harassed for too long. Whatever the case, workplace harassment has multiple origins and although it is by far the most newsworthy, sexual harassment is not the only form perpetrated in the office.

Harassment occurs when unwelcome comments or conduct based on sex, race or other legally protected characteristics unreasonably interferes with an employee's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment. As human resource professionals we all know the key to stopping harassment is prevention, but you need to be able to recognize harassment if it is taking place and take the appropriate corrective actions to remediate the issue.

Examples of actions that may create sexual hostile environment harassment include:

• Leering, i.e., staring in a sexually suggestive manner


• Making offensive remarks about looks, clothing, body parts


• Touching in a way that may make an employee feel uncomfortable,

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