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Expect to Deal With
Ambiguous Situations
Everyday
You need to handle ambiguous situations
constantly.
It is a challenge to figure out what to do and
how to do it in a way that advances your career.
As frustrating as this reality may seem, it is
just part of the nature of being a successful
professional in a rapidly changing work world.
You must continuously understand the nature and scope
of your responsibilities, interact effectively with
others, get things done, decide how much risk to take,
or know when and how to leave your job.
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Make Yourself Accessible
Everyone gets into a bad mood sometimes. Make sure
that you don’t take your mood out on anyone else.
It is not necessary to paste a fake smile on
your face when you walk through the door.
Demonstrate common courtesy by saying hello in a
friendly tone of voice, smiling a little, and making eye
contact.
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Put What Motivates You in Your Job
What motivates you directly affects your ability to work
smart.
Both your values and circumstances determine what
motivates you on the job.
Your circumstances also motivate you.
Financial hardships.
Pressure from you family.
Whatever motivates you-and this is likely to change over
time-you need to understand and prioritize both your values
and needs Carefully.
This may mean that you must temporarily choose between
two important values and needs, or among several of your
top values and needs.
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Blend Your Decision-Making
Approach With Those of
Others
Every day you make so many decisions in both your
professional and personal life that you may not even
realize how you go about the decision making.
Some tend to make snap decisions, either based on a black
and white view of the world, or on pure gut instinct.
Others may take as much time as possible to make
decisions, thoroughly considering every possible angle and
outcome.
Many do not approach decision making strictly one way or
another.
It is very important to recognize your favorite approach
and to be aware of how it matches or clashes with others,
especially your manager’s.
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Define Your Perceived and
Real Images
What image do you project at work? Why?
The best way to figure out how you’re coming across to
others is to ask.
You may discover that others don’t perceive you in the
same way that you perceive Yourself.
It is important for your success that you find out why
your imagined and real images are different at work.
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Return Messages Promptly
Phone calls, E-Mail, Faxes.
It is critical that you respond to them as quickly
as Possible.
Returning messages should be a priority,
regardless of how busy you get.
It will make your work environment more
pleasant, since everyone appreciates it when you
respect them enough to take their messages
seriously.
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8
Manage Your Time By Tuning
In to Clients’ Needs
To prevent phone, e-mail, and fax messages
from taking up all of your time, is to make
your responses as considerate and productive
as possible.
Focus on finding out what the other person
really needs or is concerned about.
Remember, people have different
communication styles.
Try to accommodate the requester’s style as
much as possible.
Redirect the conversation back to the issue at
hand as quickly as possible.
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Act and Follow Up Quickly
and Consistently
Work with the person to determine what kind of
solution will best meet their needs.
Let them know what action you plan to take to resolve
the problem (and by when).
Follow-up afterwards to determine that the outcome
was successful.
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10
Handle Conflicts Before
They Handle You
Conflicts will arise between you and someone else (Boss,
employee, client, etc.).
It is tempting to ignore these tensions and hope they resolve
themselves.
It is not worth the risk-they could grow rather than diminish.
Don’t point fingers and throw blame around.
Address the problems directly, immediately, and
constructively.
Focus on the problem by sticking to the facts and focusing on
how the other person’s specific behaviors (words and actions)
affected you without being accusatory.
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Cont…
Cont…
Listen carefully to the other person’s point of view
without interrupting or judging what they are saying.
Try to understand the situation from their Perspective.
Be prepared to respectfully disagree.
You can then get past the situation and Proceed.
12. 08/19/25
12
Act Enthusiastic
and Positive
Nobody likes working with a pessimist.
But you do not have to emulate the Energizer Bunny.
Show that you are an upbeat person who seeks to enjoy
your job and do the best you Can.
Take the time to foster positive interactions with your
coworkers.
A friendly smile and occasional small talk about the
weather, sports, vacations will go a long way towards
building comfortable working relationships.
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13
Cont…
Cont…
When people feel that they know a little bit about you,
it strengthens your ability to work better together.
It is really important that you find ways that are
genuine and easy to project a positive attitude on the
job
They don’t have to be big ways, just effective ones.
14. 08/19/25
14
Think Like an Owner
or Top Dog
Approach your work as if you own your Organization.
You should consistently generate initiatives that will help
your organization achieve its Mission.
If you believe that you have as much to lose and gain as
the CEO you will notice both details and big-picture
trends that you never saw before.
You will make an ongoing, significant contribution by
paying attention to things like cutting cost without
sacrificing quality, developing new programs, designing on
target marketing strategies, and selecting staff who are
a good fit with the organization.
This mindset will enable you to show that you are
invested in your organization.
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15
Find Solutions to Problems
Your willingness to be a trouble-shooter is a key part
of your attitude.
You need to find creative, cost-effective solutions to
these problem.
First consider all of your options.
Ask yourself if it is the most realistic solution before
you present it.
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Cont…
Cont…
There are four criteria to determine if your idea will
Fly…..
1. Timing: Is it timely, given your organization’s other
priorities.
2. Cost: Is it cost-effective, given what it adds to or
save from the bottom line.
3. Politics: will it be well received, given the politics of
the situation; Who should you present it?
4. Culture: At what pace are you proposing to implement
this change? How radical a change are you proposing?
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Do Grunt Work With a
Smile
You have to demonstrate that you are willing to do
grunt work.
Rising to the challenge of big, highly visible projects will
help establish your competency.
Every job involves some small mundane tasks.
If you take on these responsibilities without
grumbling, you will come across as a team player
instead of as an egomaniac or a
snob.
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Admit Your Mistakes and
Limits
Part of teamwork requires that you admit
your mistakes and take responsibility.
Many people are afraid that if they point out
their errors, they’ll get into more trouble than
if they hide them.
In most cases, buried mistakes surface at a
later time.
Hiding mistakes may trigger other problems.
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Cont…
Cont…
Everyone makes mistakes.
Depending on the severity of an error, this may be an
uncomfortable thing to do.
Pretending a problem doesn’t exist will probably make you worry
about being Discovered.
Conserve your resources by admitting mistakes, learning from
them, and avoid repeating them.
Most common causes of mistakes is people’s attempts to hide
their limits.
Instead of admitting when they don’t know how to do something,
or need help, some people just plow ahead stubbornly.
Everyone has limits.
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Take Calculated Risks
Take smart risks from time to time.
There is no guarantee that such risks will work out, but
they will pay off in terms of letting others know that
you are someone who takes initiative.
It will help you to exceed, not just meet, your job
requirements.
You can’t do everything perfectly, so focus on
calculated risks that match your manager’s Priorities.
21. 08/19/25
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Identify Yourself and
Your Purpose Up Front
When Calling
When you place a call, make sure you identify yourself
by name and affiliation up front, if Necessary.
This prevents the caller from having to guess your
identity and saves them from feeling embarrassed or
aggravated.
State the purpose for the call.
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Monitor Your Tone of
Voice
Sounding spacey or tense isn’t the way to talk
on the phone.
Take a deep breath to clear your head and
speak in a calm, directed tone.
Record yourself.
23. 08/19/25
23
Pace Yourself During a
Phone Call
The speed of your speech may vary depending
on your personality or mood.
Speaking too quickly is particularly common.
Regional speech patterns vary greatly and you
need to adjust to them-by talking faster or
slower-without sounding patronizing.
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Leave a Specific Phone
Message
Make it as specific a message as possible.
You may save both you and the caller an extra
phone call.
25. 08/19/25
25
Time E-Mails Right
Don’t count on your e-mails being read soon
after you send them.
If a message is really important, but off
schedule, consider sending it another way.
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Tune E-Mails Up
It is easy to write e-mails in a more casual
style than you would write a memo or other
Document.
Be careful about using abbreviations.
No cutesy symbols.
Run spell check.
27. 08/19/25
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Send E-Mails Carefully
Sending e-mail to the wrong address can be a
disaster.
If e-mails are highly confidential, be very
careful how you send them if at all.
You never know who can read e-mails sent and
received
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Keep Your Professional
Guard
Up in E-Mails
Since e-mail systems are the property of an
organization, your confidentiality isn’t
Guaranteed.
Managers and computer support people have
access to your files.
So don’t gossip, complain, belittle, or conduct
personal business through your work e-mail
Account.
29. 08/19/25
29
Start Preparing
Presentations
ASAP
Occasionally, you’ll only have a day or a few
hours to prepare for a presentation, especially
if it is a recycled one.
But if it is a new one, give yourself as much
led time as you can, to ensure that you end
up with a high-quality presentation.
30. 08/19/25
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Establish the Why and the
What of Presentations
First you need to get clear about why you are
doing the presentation and the scope of the
material you should cover.
If you go ahead with only a vague idea in your
mind, it will be difficult to complete and to
broad in nature.
Ask the why and what of your presentation.
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Identify Each
Presentation’s Audience
Knowing your audience will further enable you
to target the format and content of your
presentation
Two audiences need different amounts of
information and should be presented in
different ways
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Arrange the Right Place
for
Presentations
Where you give your presentation matters as
much as its quality.
Gear your location toward the size of your
Audience.
Make sure that the space you choose can accommodate
the format of the program.
Any special equipment is another Consideration.
Make sure everything works ahead of time.
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Practice Presentations
Before You Speak
Familiarize yourself with/without your
material (Practice).
Review what you want to say and make notes
with key phrases on cue cards or slides.
While you speak, scan the audience.
You don’t want to break the record as the
fastest or as the slowest speaker.
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Practice Presentations
Before You Speak
Speak clearly by projecting your voice to an
appropriate level and enunciating your words.
You don’t have to fill every silence.
Pausing for air, for emphasis, or to let a point
sink in is acceptable.
No “umm’s” or “uhh’s” It is annoying.
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Plan Your Appearance for
Presentations
Match your outfit to the occasion.
Since you are the presenter, you probably
need to dress one level up from what everyone
else is wearing.
Right before the presentation, double check
your appearance-Fix hair, check your teeth,
straighten your clothes.
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Tie Up Loose Ends Before
Presentations
Arrive at your presentation site early to make
sure it’s set up properly.
See if everything is in place and working,
including: chairs, tables, microphones,
audiovisual equipment, lights, temperature,
refreshments, paper, and pencils.
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Be Ready for
Anything at Meetings
Regardless of where and why you are
meeting, it is important to prepare
beforehand.
Bring any necessary materials and information
you need to fully participate.
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Sit in the Right Spot at
Meetings
Arrive a few minutes early so you can settle in
and get a handle on the layout of the room.
Sit across or in direct line of vision of the
facilitator.
Be aware of who you sit next to on either
side.
Try to position yourself next to others with
good reputations.
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Listen and Think,
Then Speak at Meetings
Strike a balance between speaking and
listening during a meeting.
It is more important to make thoughtful,
concise contributions than to speak excessively
without saying anything substantial.
When you do speak, try to tie in what you are
saying with what others have said.
40. 08/19/25
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Cont…
Cont…
Think before you speak; during a particularly
volatile meeting.
Some people will react impulsively and say
things that they later wish they could take
back :
o Think before you speak
o Think before you speak
o Think before you speak
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Stay Focused on
Each Meeting’s Agenda
Consider whether what you have to say is
relevant and help to steer the conversation
when it gets wildly off topic.
Ask the group to clarify the meeting’s goal, or
politely suggest that you get back to the
agenda.
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Monitor Your Body
Language at Meetings
Your body language will also help you get
your points across during meetings.
Regardless of how courteous your words and
tone of voice are, the signals that you send
by how you hold your body need to match:
Tapping your foot, drumming your fingers,
biting your nails, frowning, staring up at the
ceiling, doodling.
43. 08/19/25
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Dress for the Occasion
You have to adjust your clothes to fit the
occasion.
Always pay attention to what’s the right thing
to do at your workplace.
Taking the extra step to look good will help
you feel confident as well as enhance your
reputation as a team player and committed
employee.
