Have colleagues resorted to nicknaming you “the late John Smith,” even though you’re very much alive? Do the clocks at work always seem to be running 15 minutes fast, except when it’s time for you to go home? If you were the star of “High Noon,” would the producers change the title to “12:30ish”? Being late all the time can cost your company money — and you your reputation. It’s a habit that isn’t as easy to break as peo...

Trail, a British hiking magazine, led readers way too far off the beaten track in its February edition: If you had followed Trail’s directions for descending Scotland’s Ben Nevis, you’d find yourself plunging off the north face.There was no evil intent; Trail simply had a wrong bearing. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland has published a warning about the error on its Web site, and no one has died from the magazine’s adv...

If you find yourself becoming more cynical and pessimistic about the alleged recovery in the country’s job market, you’re not alone.The last Gallup Poll Tuesday Briefing for January reported that 42 percent of Americans now believe unemployment will increase in the next six months, while only 36 percent think it will go down. That 6 percentage-point gap compares to only a 1 percent gap in each of the previous two months — a...

NBC has backed off on a promo it ran just once — one that described “Friends” as the “best comedy ever.” That might rank as the funniest joke of this television season.Nothing against “Friends” — it has been a good show for 10 years — but one of the surest ways to wipe out your credibility is to overhype your credentials. Most people wouldn’t even describe “Friends” as the best Thursday night NBC comedy over the last 20 yea...

The three most complicated words in the English language are “I love you.” But the two most complicated just might be “I quit.” Getting those words wrong won’t break your heart, but it sure could bruise your wallet. Here’s how to leave with your wallet - and your credibility - intact. Serve notice. Two weeks' notice is still the basic minimum career requirement. If you can stand it, give more. In an ideal world, throw...

I would bet big bucks that Pete Rose would be in baseball’s Hall of Fame by now if he had mastered one basic skill that many workers fail to grasp: how to apologize effectively.After years of denials, Rose has finally admitted that he bet on baseball, including games involving the Cincinnati Reds when he was their manager. But his admission is foul by a mile.Fifteen years ago, then-Commissioner Bart Giamatti left open the p...

There’s a classic courtroom scene in “A Few Good Men,” when Tom Cruise yells, “I want the truth,” and commanding officer Jack Nicholson snarls back at him, “You can’t handle the truth.” When it comes to communicating with workers, a lot of employers feel that way — or at least that’s how it comes across to employees.A new study released by human resources consultant Towers Perrin reports that 55 percent of workers at large...

What’s the most common and costly mistake a manager makes? Probably hiring the wrong person. One blunder can cost thousands of dollars - and that doesn’t include your Excedrin bills. Here’s how to hire away: Minimize the interview. Job interviews are wonderful ways to measure chemistry and communication skills, which is great if you’re trying to hire a glib chemist. Otherwise, though, you’re giving poise more weight than it...

One of the newest shows on television is bound to offer lessons for job hunters and employees, thanks to a very rich man and the guy who produced “Survivor.”Mark Burnett’s latest production involves the corporate jungle instead of the Amazon, with grand poobah Donald Trump as the one who gets to vote people off in “The Apprentice,” a new show on NBC.It started with 16 people, chosen from a huge list of applicants, and each...

When Fortune magazine announced its list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” the winner was jelly-maker J.M. Smucker — the perfect choice in an era when so many businesses are in ethical jams.The irony doesn’t get any more delicious than that.“Employees don’t get any razzle-dazzle perks — no pet insurance, no subsidized feng-shui consulting, none of that,” Fortune writes in its Jan. 12 issue. “It’s a 107-year-old, fami...