Jo McDermott

Communication

  • You Talk. Do They Listen?

    I got reminded again today that just because I say it doesn’t mean they hear it.  I had been telling a colleague for several days, maybe even for a couple of weeks, that I had a report that gave her… Continue reading

    You Talk. Do They Listen?

  • A Note To Executives: You DON’T Know What Is Going On In Your Organization

    Dear Executives: I know you think you know what is going on in your organization.  I know you think you know who the super performers are and who the “C” players are.  I know you think you know the processes… Continue reading

  • My Boss Is Young Enough To Be My Child!

    Younger Bosses It happens to all of us–no matter how successful we are–if you stay in the workforce long enough, you’re going to have a boss younger than you.  Why does this matter?  Why do you care?  Yeah, yeah, it… Continue reading

  • Should Your Subordinates Like You?

    Should you be liked OR respected? This post is a follow on to my last post, Underground Relationships.  One of my readers said that he had a boss tell him that people working for you shouldn’t like you, just respect you.  He… Continue reading

  • Undercover Relationships

    Undercover Boss One of my guilty pleasures is the TV show Undercover Boss.  I know it is probably orchestrated and you only get to see the powerful parts, but I love watching it.  I am constantly amazed at how amazed… Continue reading

  • Dealing With Crisis At Work

    We go to work every day expecting the day to be like yesterday.  We’ll do the same kinds of things, have meetings with our colleagues, solve the same kinds of problems, finish our day by cleaning off our desk, putting… Continue reading

  • Recruiters Are Prejudiced

    Recruiters Are People I know lots of recruiters.  I like lots of recruiters. In fact, maybe I like all the recruiters I know.  Recruiters are regular people.  And like regular people (yes, that means you too), recruiters are prejudiced.  We… Continue reading

  • Update Your LinkedIn Profile. Seriously.

    Why Do You Need To Fix Your Profile? I had a friend ask me recently if I knew someone to fill three positions that he had open in his department.  I was sure that I did.  I knew a lot… Continue reading

  • Are You Incompetent? Unreliable? Probably.

    Competence and reliability and trustworthiness are in the eye of the beholder.  You know how hard you work.  You know how much you are stretched across many deliverables for many people.  You know that you’re doing the best you can… Continue reading

  • Brand Schmand. Defining Who You Are.

    Branding When you think of Coca Cola what comes to mind?  The iconic bottle?  The taste?  What about Apple?  Or Amazon?  Or Chanel?  If products are well-branded then when you think of them, you think of the product, the name,… Continue reading