A promotion. A salary offer. A flexible work arrangement. The simplest way to get these things is to ask- and be prepared to negotiate. Negotiating is a handy and practical skill, not just for work, but in all aspects of your life. Not everyone is comfortable with negotiating and most of us probably accept whatever is offered to us in the first place. The biggest reason why we are not asking for more? Fear. Fear of losing the deal or concerned with how the other party might

As much as we would like to reach an agreement in a negotiation , there may be times that we find ourselves stuck in an impasse. Here are the 5 fundamentals about managing impasse that you didn't learn in school: Click here to access the module: https://www.noodlefactory.com.sg/course/how-to-manage-an-impasse-during-negotiations 1. Take a break When tempers flare, negotiations can go downhill quickly. A good strategy is to introduce a caucus or take a break. It may be an hour

In traditional win-lose position based negotiations , negotiators employ several manipulative tactics to maximise their interests while disregarding the other party’s interests. Learn how to recognize these tactics, avoid these tactics and neutralize them to keep negotiation on the principled track. Have a look at the ultimate cheat sheet you need on dealing with competitive tactics: https://www.noodlefactory.com.sg/course/how-to-deal-with-competitive-tactics  1.  Good guy/Ba

It is 6pm at a technology trends conference. The attendees are a mix of entrepreneurs, service providers, recruiters and techies who have come to source for clients and hunt for jobs. Hannah is there to network. How does she do it in 10 steps? Here is a face to face networking survival guide: Click here to access our module:  https://www.noodlefactory.com.sg/course/a-face-to-face-networking-survival-guide 1. Don’t go in cold A week before the event, Hannah researches the eve

Are you truly managing your career or leaving it to chance?   Careers need to be managed as much as people do. As a manager, you will need to take a pro-active approach and make career opportunities for yourself. Career management begins with you and not your employer. It involves looking at what is working in your career development strategy and what’s not. Learn to manage your career with these 10 quick tips:  1. Know your boss’s expectations of you Agree on SMART goals so

Is it me or is it them? Maintaining control in today’s hectic workplace is a challenge- everything is lean, mean and competitive. With the onset of technology, most of us were not prepared to manage our time or information. We had no idea how overwhelmed we would be with the amount of information we receive on a daily basis. How do you feel less trapped and more in charge? There are a lot of competing demands on our time. How do we become effective at work? Managing our time

As a new manager, it is a good idea to expand your network  both inside and outside the organisation. But some of us are inhibited by fears of networking. It is more practical to confront these fears and develop strategies to overcome them. Here are our tips for how to tackle common fears of networking:         1. Fear of rejection Rejection happens everyday. It happens when you ask a peer out for lunch but she has made plans already or when your boss disagrees with you on ho

Ever since the scandal involving Hollywood media mogul Harvey Weinstein broke out, more women are starting to speak up against sexual harassment at the workplace. Whether we realise it or not, most women (including myself) have faced some form of discrimination at work or been on the receiving end of sexist remarks. These statements undermine women and also perpetuates typecast gender roles.   Here are the 8 things you should never say to female colleagues or bosses, ever: “C

Being a woman today is a major balancing act. We are nurturers, caregivers, as well as thinkers, do-ers and bread-winners. We are also mothers, sisters, friends, wives, daughters, bosses, and employees. All these responsibilities mean that women play multi-faceted roles in their daily lives with tremendous conflicts. Unfortunately, many companies do not have policies in place to cater to the needs of working mothers and many well-educated women end up making hard choices abou

In celebration of International Women's Day, we interviewed 4 amazing women who inspire us with their success stories. In this post, we sat down with Sofia Howard to find out how she balances kids and life as a busy career woman.       Sofia Howard Senior Leader in Financial Institution, Mother, Runner, Book Nerd Describe your typical day. SH: Normally, depending on if I train in the morning or not, I will, if I do sometimes I'm gone before my girls wake up. I have 2 daughter

“Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” – Andrew Carnegie, business magnate. In today’s world, effective team building is top on the list for C-suite executives when they are looking for up-and-coming leaders. The people at the top management are recognizing that the best business results come from

“Whether women are better than men, I cannot say – but I can say they are certainly no worse.” – Golda Meir The first observance of Women’s Day was in 1909 in New York, but it was not until 1975 that the United Nations celebrated International Women's Day on 8 March and it became widely celebrated after 1977. Since then, there has been a lot more awareness and focus on ensuring gender equality and non-discrimination against women. However, to think that women had been weak an

Sheryl Sandberg. Oprah Winfrey. Jacinda Ardern. What do these women have in common? They are female leaders. A new breed of leaders is emerging and that breed is female. Women are rising in the ranks of dozens of industries not traditionally welcoming or supporting women. These industries include telecommunications, banking, information technology and construction. These powerful women are noted for their abilities to blend feminine qualities of leadership with classic male t

"You only have 5 seconds to make a first impression, so you have to make it count"While it is essential to do a good job at work, how you dress at work is equally important as everyone gets judged based on first impressions. What we wear shouldn’t affect how we feel or perform at work. But the reality is that our appearance and image not only affects how others perceive us, but how we view ourselves. Whether you like it or not, the way you dress plays a role in your success

In honour of International Women's Day, we interviewed 4 amazing women who inspire us with their success stories. In this post, we speak to Sher-Li Torrey, Founder of Mums@ Work to find out how she balances a business catered for mothers and her family! Sher-Li Torrey Founder of Mums@Work,  Author, Speaker, Trainer, Gender-Equality Advocator 1. With children, there must not be a ‘usual day’. But how does your schedule typically look like on the weekdays and weekends? Sherli-

Did you know that a study found that 50% of companies with revenue greater than $500 million don’t have a proper CEO succession plan in place?  This statistic is shocking, considering that succession plans are integral to maintaining and growing a healthy organisation. Succession planning is a strategic approach to ensure that talent and relevant skills will be available when needed and essential knowledge and expertise will be retained when employees in critical positions le

Assertiveness is confidence translated into action. Developing an assertive image is not easy. It is not about bullying or brow-beating, but simply allowing your conviction in carrying out a conversation. Constant practice is necessary. Those who are assertive are comfortable with themselves and others are likely to be comfortable with them too. A healthy self-respect grows between assertive managers and their staff. How do you develop an assertive image?   Here are 5 super

Effective collaboration in the workplace means getting things done faster and better. Leaders all around the world realise that the silo mentality and knowledge-hoarding behaviours are barriers to reaching shared goals and higher productivity in their organisations. Research  shows that 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration for workplace failures. In the workplace, employees look for cues from higher-ups and mimic their behaviours, both consciously and un

Here are 7 practical body language tips you need to know before your next presentation . To project confidence Practice good posture. Roll your shoulders up and backwards, pulling your elbows back so that you will push your chest forward. This position allows you to breathe better and project a confident image of you as a presenter. To connect with your audience Smile. A genuine smile breaks the ice with the audience and shows that you are confident and comfortable in front o

"Every act of communication is, in some way, an act of translation” Renowned translator, Gregory Rabassa Most people find the prospect of giving a presentation daunting. There is an equal number of people who dread sitting through presentations because of past experiences with dull and boring presentations that left them none the wiser. But presentations are a huge part of working professionals’ lives-- Whether it is pitching for a potential client, delivering the bad news  o