When the cast of “Friends” was set but the show was just getting started, veteran Director James Burrows took the six stars to Las Vegas, simply to celebrate and let them get to know one another. At the time, the actors were relative unknowns without a lot of money, so the trip to Vegas was a big reward.But Burrows and NBC got a huge reward, too. The trip helped the “Friends” to become friends. They made it a true ensemble...

The first commandment of career success certainly has to be “Thou shalt network.” But it gets broken even more often than the real Ten Commandments do. A lot of people are introverts, which means that the stereotype of networking makes their skin crawl. They think it’s for salespeople and entrepreneurs and desperate job hunters — people who don’t get the heebie-jeebies at the idea of going to mixers, and don’t break into...

A micromanager can drive people crazy, but you don’t have to be one of the victims. Sure, you can always quit, but try these less drastic steps first:Be patient. Even good bosses might micromanage until they get to know you. Try to get into the boss' head. Understand her goals. Take in everything she says. Don't fight her simply because she has a different style from your previous boss. Understand why. If you get micromanag...

Lots of companies hope they have a culture of ideas. But for many of them, it’s more like a culture of bacteria.Egos get in the way, or the ideas get buried in bureaucracy, making workers think that offering a suggestion will be more frustrating than rewarding. And even when companies do reward ideas, the system often backfires, said Alan Robinson, co-author of “Ideas Are Free: How the Idea Revolution is Liberating People a...

One televised game that is soaring in popularity is poker — specifically hold ’em, in which each player is dealt two cards, then five other cards are gradually dealt face up for everyone to share. Watch and you’ll get some career lessons, even if you don’t know a royal flush from a hot flash.Here are four things to deal with (read ’em and don’t weep):— Consider what competition is best. Players who start with two great card...

When Jennifer Hudson got voted off “American Idol” recently, there was a mild uproar. Hudson and two other black women seemed to be the favorites, based on the judges’ comments and earlier public votes, but this time they were the bottom three among seven candidates.“American Idol” is always a popularity contest, of course, and sometimes the most talented people aren’t the ones chosen. Which makes it similar to most compani...

It made for some nice headlines when the U.S. economy added 308,000 jobs in March, but the long-term growth of the job market is likely to hinge on three factors: venture capital, small businesses and optimism. It isn’t time to declare victory over the long-departed recession, but at least there are mildly encouraging signs in all three areas: — Venture capital funding has gone up by more than 5 percent in recent months, sa...

If you’re a boss, you have a great excuse to check out Comedy Central’s list of the 100 greatest standup comedians of all time. Consider 10 who landed among the top 20 in the cable TV station’s list: Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen, Chris Rock, Steve Martin, Rodney Dangerfield, Bill Cosby, Roseanne Barr, Robin Williams, Don Rickles and Sam Kinison.Now try to form a mental picture of Bruce performing with a fake arrow in his head,...

The most universal piece of career advice is to be constantly learning, adding skills so you can do your job better or give yourself more alternatives, whether you want to get a promotion or change careers. But suppose the lessons seem particularly hard, or you get frustrated when you’re trying to teach subordinates and they just don’t get it. What then? You might not be having a problem of substance, but of style. Pe...

In many cases, unfair or not, the quality of your job interview makes all the difference between landing on your feet and landing on the street. Here’s how to have a safe landing: Be meticulous. Dress appropriately for your prospective job. Get to the interview a couple of minutes early. Bring your resume, even if you’ve already sent one in. Take a breath mint. Don't give the employer an excuse to dismiss you before the int...