There’s no such thing as a career without conflict. In fact, the more ambitious and successful you are, the more you’ll find yourself negotiating with colleagues who have a different point of view (or at least, different goals and needs).
The key is to learn how to navigate conflict so that it’s a positive experience for all involved, and that means learning how to have difficult conversations. In this week’s roundup, we look at expert advice on how to do that, plus tips on building a better to-do list and finding a side gig that pays.
Emma Seppälä at her blog: 11 Keys to Mastering Difficult Conversations
Want to give critical feedback in a way that can be heard? Seppälä advises focusing on the other person’s strengths:
Traditionally, we tend to focus on giving employees critical feedback. However, by focusing on their weaknesses, we only create competence. By focusing on their strengths, we create excellence. Be as specific about positive feedback as you are about negative feedback. We usually gloss over the strengths, mentioning them briefly, but then focus in much greater detail on the critical feedback. Remember to add examples and details to your positive feedback.
For more tips on having tough conversations, see this post.
Gretchen Rubin at her blog: The Surprising Truth About Why Your To-Do List May Be Failing You
“The most important thing I’ve learned about happiness, habits, and human nature?” Rubin writes. “There’s no one magic, one-size-fits-all solution that works for everyone.”
For example, she says, the traditional to-do list doesn’t work for everyone. You might be better off with a could-do list, a ta-da list, or a to-day list. (To find out what those are, and to find a new way to organize your list, go here.)
Alison Doyle at The Balance: 17 New Gigs to Earn Side Income
Raises at many organizations hover around 3 percent, which means that workers can find themselves strapped for cash when unexpected expenses arise. (Or even when the holidays roll around and it’s time to buy presents and book travel.)
Side gigs can be a way to boost income in years when your regular earnings don’t quite meet requirements.
Doyle writes:
There are more opportunities, both online and offline, than you might think — and more hours in the day than you might realize. Many jobs that were traditionally available only in an office or other on-site workplace are now available as side gigs for freelancers or part-timers.
By getting up an hour earlier or limiting your time watching television or browsing social media, you can buy yourself time to pursue a new source of side income.
However, finding legit gigs (and ones that actually pay off) can be a challenge. These tips will help.
Tell Us What You Think
What’s the best career advice you’ve read this week? We want to hear from you. Share your tips in the comments or join the conversation on Twitter.
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