You got the job! But should you take it, decline it, or attempt to renegotiate the offer? Writing in The Harvard Business Review, Rebecca Knight, journalist and lecturer at Wesleyan University, offers a compendium of expert advice:
 

• Shift Your Mindset: John Lees, a UK-based career strategist and author of The Success Code, points out that getting an offer marks a new phase in your relationship with a potential employer. Stay enthusiastic but remember that you now have more leverage.
• Be Methodical: “Think about what matters to you in both your professional and private life and then assess the offer,” says Jeff Weiss, president of Lesley University and author of The HBR Guide to Negotiating. “Think…in terms of your development, your quality of life, and the variety of the work you want to do.”
• Consider Trade-Offs: No job offer is perfect, Weiss adds, so know your priorities—be they salary, flexibility, cultural fit, or job content.

 
Not every job offer is right. Don't neglect any red flags you see, and don't forget to consider your walkaway alternatives (Tweet it!). If you do say no, be respectful. You never know when your paths will cross again.
 
Have you ever successfully renegotiated a job offer, or turned one down after much deliberation? What advice do you have to offer? To join the conversation, click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.

Senior managers and team leaders are increasingly frustrated by conflicts arising from multi-teaming—having their people assigned to multiple projects simultaneously. Multi-teaming can create efficiencies and limit downtime, but the continual churning of members can weaken group cohesion and identity, making it harder to build trust and resolve issues (Tweet it!). Moreover, individuals may experience stress, fatigue, and burnout as they struggle to manage time and engagement across projects. 

Managers must stay on top of the situation in order to mitigate downsides. Writing in The Harvard Business Review, Heidi Gardner, faculty chair of the Accelerated Leadership Program at Harvard Law School, and Mark Mortensen, chair of the Organizational Behavior Area at INSEAD, suggest best practices based on their 15-year study of team collaboration:

·      Launch each team well to establish trust and familiarity
·      Map everyone’s skills
·      Manage time across teams
·      Create a learning environment
·      Boost motivation
The authors write, “A sense of fairness drives many behaviors. If people feel they are pulling their weight while others slack off, they quickly become demotivated. When team members are tugged in many directions, it’s often difficult for each one to recognize and appreciate how hard the others are working. As the leader, keep publicly acknowledging various members’ contributions…”

Have you worked across multiple teams or shared your team members with others?  What best practices do you suggest; what caveats can you offer? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.

We’ve all had job interviews that seemed to go well but led nowhere. Why didn’t the phone ring? (Tweet it!) Writing in The New York Times Christopher Mele gathered some top tips on how to improve interview performance next time:
 

• Blow Your Own Horn, but Humbly: John Malloy, president of the recruiting firm Sanford Rose Associates in Santee, S.C., said job candidates should be able to quickly and precisely answer questions about their accomplishments.

• Be Authentic: Dan Cable, a professor at London Business School, says you can promote trust by also revealing vulnerabilities or discussing times when things did not go well.
• Know the Company Culture: Contact people in your network to learn more about what makes the organization tick, said Blair Decembreie, a career expert at LinkedIn.
• Practice Screen Presence: Some companies, e.g. start-ups, conduct first interviews via Skype. Preparing for them is crucial, says etiquette blogger April Masini. Practice in front of a mirror, choose a secure location to avoid having unexpected visitors—and be intentional about your background.
• Be Inquisitive: Ask about the company, the customers, the employees – but not about vacation time or benefits.

Above all, aim to develop rapport. Your goal in the initial interview is to give the interviewer no reason to exclude you from a second one.
 
Have you ever felt good about a first interview that did not pan out?  What do you think you could have done differently? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion

We continually hear how polarized we are as a nation. But if polarization is so bad, why are we so drawn to it? (Tweet it!) Sharon Schuman, author of the book Freedom and Dialogue in a Polarized World, asked that question and came up with these answers:
 

• Taking refuge among the like-minded builds self-esteem.
• Disdaining those who disagree builds a sense of community.
• It’s fun to feel superior.
• Polarization is the path of least resistance.
• A well-defined enemy makes it easier to gather power.
• Polarization makes us feel freer to speak out and act.

 
Trying to fathom why an intelligent person of good will might disagree with us takes effort, but the truth is that disagreements are inevitable. Says Schuman: “Our real problem is that we are torn between the seductions of polarizing short cuts to self-esteem and community, and the hard work of trying to see from the perspectives of others with whom we may never agree.”
 
Do you think you get any sort of satisfaction from feeling polarized? What might you do to bridge the gap between you and those on the other side? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to read more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our book: Be Quiet, Be Heard: The Paradox of Persuasion.