Happy Spectacular Magazine

Delegating can be hard for even the strongest leaders, but it’s not the assignment of work that causes us to stumble most often. It’s practicing the art of the kickback. Let’s pretend for a moment that you’ve got the whole delegation thing nailed. You’ve relinquished that ego-hungry need for control over each and every project and spreadsheet and call script [...]

Here we go again, another installment in a series designed to demoralize you for all the things you’re doing wrong as a manager. Pull up a chair! This time I’d like to try and be on-theme-cute: I’d like to recognize you, Mr. Mediocre Manager, and you over there, Ms. Lackluster Leader, for taking a wrecking ball to recognition, one [...]

“Happy Work” is in our name, and we’ll still be some of the first people to tell you that your career doesn’t always come up roses. Work isn’t happy every day, and that’s OK! Sometimes it’s smelly, rotten, exhausting, boring, and difficult (and not in the fun-challenging kind of way). Conflict at work can be a big part of the [...]

We’ve written a lot about feedback and how to be prepared that most of the time the person hearing the feedback — either inwardly or outwardly — will be defensive, maybe even very defensive. And that defensiveness can really affect the usefulness of the conversation. But what if you’re on the other side of the desk, not giving the feedback [...]

The first week at a new job always brings back memories of the first day of school: trying to pick the right outfit, wanting to make a good impression and being an excited bundle of nerves. It’s important to start on the right foot, and there is one easy way to make sure you do: listen first. We’ve written before about [...]

It’s a new year, which means lazy managers everywhere are ready to ride the resolution wave and capitalize on their employees’ renewed (albeit potentially fleeting) motivation to actually Accomplish Something This Year. When employees want something more out of their lives, award-winningly-culture-killing managers swoop in, “borrow” that motivation, and use it for personal corporate gain. Great timing! Recognize yourself in [...]

It’s often harder to know how to give someone feedback who just doesn’t get it, at all, because it’s not just about being honest in a difficult situation; it’s about helping reshape the way they see themselves in a way that will be valuable for them in the long-run. Over the years, I’ve helped a lot of executives prepare for [...]

LinkedIn is a tool that has made job searching and creating a professional network a lot easier, but it also has created a lot more stress. We tend to only think about our LinkedIn when we’re unhappy at work which means we tend to only pay attention to it or update it when we’re starting to think about leaving our [...]

We want to help set you up for success with your goals, by making them something you can stick to. I asked our co-founder, Jodi Wellman, to help clarify the best way to stick to your goals and why it’s important to bring other people in on it with you. With her advice and the free downloadable tool at [...]