Office Life

Articles by this author

On shutting my mouth, knowing my room and looking out for #1 Danny Rubin

Who can you ask for advice this week? Once the person starts to drop knowledge bombs, you need to nod furiously, take notes and generally be a sponge. Never stop absorbing. Read More

Going gray: Will silver hair hurt or help your career?Michele Weldon

It is up for debate whether a full head of gray hair is a nod to the longevity of your professional career or a hindrance. The stigma of age is undeniable for women leaders culturally and professionally. Read More

5 ways to share a story that won’t make listeners' eyes glaze over Jane Burnett

Do you ramble, ramble and ramble on until you get to the point? How many times have you started telling a story, only to watch a listener or crowd lose interest and start checking their phone intermittently? Here’s how to get better at storytelling. Read More

13 cognitive biases that really screw things up for you Travis Bradberry

The human brain is a natural wonder. It produces more than 50,000 thoughts each day and 100,000 chemical reactions each second. With this amount of processing power, you would think our judgment would be highly accurate, but that’s far from the case. Read More

The employees at this company aren't allowed to wear shoes Monica Torres

What the startup, Gusto, actually does — helping businesses with human resource management tools — is less interesting than its unusual office policy … no-shoes allowed! … Read More

How to make allergies more bearable at work Monica Torres

For those of us afflicted with seasonal allergies, springtime not only gifts us with rain showers and bright flowers but also with presents that we would rather return to sender. We may be walking around the office with itchy eyes, runny noses, and stuffy lungs that are distracting us from getting any work done. Read More

This is what it will look like when the robots come for your job Ladders Contributor

A recent survey of American parents found that roughly three-quarters were concerned that robots might take their kids’ jobs. Well, parents of new grads: Be more worried. This robot can run and jump on its own. Terrifying. Read More

Top dog on a tightrope: The delicate art of being perfectly assertive Bob Sutton

One area where self-awareness is particularly hard to gain has to do with one’s level of assertiveness. Bosses often can’t tell when they’re pushing people too hard versus not challenging, questioning, and coaching them intensely enough. Read More

One tough mother: How being a mom can boost your job performance Holly Caplan

Becoming a mother made me better at my job and career. It made me more assertive and decisive. It made me more strategic and thoughtful in my work. You are forced to improve these skill sets and begin functioning at a higher level previous to children. Read More

Must Reads

What jobs can you get with a business degree?

We’ve rounded up 11 different types of jobs you can get with a business degree to give you an idea of just how versatile that particular bachelor’s degree is.

The 21 jobs that are MOST likely to lead to divorce

Some jobs have a higher divorce rate than others.

The 12 best people to pick as job references

You want to pick people who have worked alongside you and think highly enough of you to sing your praises to a hiring manager.

I did 8 rounds of interviews and still didn’t get the job

“I’ve interviewed with Google twice now, and when people ask me why I don’t work there, I respond, ‘I can never seem to get past the eighth interview,’” says Steve Silberberg, who is now the founder of Fatpacking, a weight-loss backpacking company.

Myth busted: 5 ageism stereotypes that need to be broken

In the last few months, older social media personalities have been gaining traction on sites like Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tock. They’re called Grandfluencers, and they’re here to debunk pervasive ageism myths….and make a little cash doing it.

The simple eye contact trick you should use in every conversation

“When two people are having a conversation, eye contact signals that shared attention is high —that they are in peak synchrony with one another.”

How to deal with ‘The Great Resignation’ when you are a manager

Managers are worried about maintaining the talent required to keep the doors open, but they are not asking the right questions.

The flu shot may protect you from severe COVID-19 infection

New research found that the flu vaccine may provide vital protection against COVID-19, reducing the risk of suffering severe infection, like stroke, sepsis, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The best exercises for flabby arms — workouts you’ve never heard of

You can tone your arms with these five workouts, and we have video to show you the right form.

7 things you should never ask your boss

There are some things you should just not ask your boss — these 7 questions are things you should stay clear from in conversation.