The two sides of office politics: Know the difference

In the workplace, politics in is both a useful skill and a nasty set of behaviors. Practice the good one, but beware the other... more

Managerial authority is overrated -- here's why

Authority means the power to tell and make it stick. Managers who have to do this very often just might be telling people to do something that makes no sense.... more

Transfer pricing: Behind the numbers

Transfer pricing, aka charge-backs, may look good in PowerPoint presentations, but as applied to real enterprises, it rarely makes sense... more

How to deal with incompetent coworkers

Your actions will depend on your relationship with your manager, but you can turn this situation into a win... more

You won't fix the problem by blaming the employee

If an employee isn't performing well, the manager needs to understand why before taking action... more

What to do when you inherit a low-energy IT team

Quarantine the sources of low-energy contagion and bring in sources of high energy to replace them... more

How to save an IT project after a change in leadership

An IT manager must know how to keep a project on track -- and how to take the right corrective action if plans go awry... more

Managing an employee who is not 'executive material'

It's tough to manage an employee whose personal goals are unrealistic, but it's even harder when style rather than substance limits those aspirations... more

Programming guidelines: Best practices or basic professionalism?

Whether the subject is programming guidelines or nearly anything else, there's a difference between documenting and prescribing. Be clear on the task before you start... more

Looking for a new job in a different location? Improve your odds

Despite all the tools at the modern job-seeker's disposal, there's nothing easy or risk-free about finding a job in a new locale -- but it can be done... more