No. 1: Racially Biased Comments - Of executives surveyed, 72% said racially biased comments are a major blunder for men and 70% said the same for women. This is the top offense for good reason. These remarks easily offend or insult, reflect poor judgment and reveal low emotional intelligence, according to the researchers.
1) Prepare yourself for any negotiation by doing your homework. - Get a clear picture of what you want, and write down your objectives. You must define your low points and high points of what you want and bring notes if you need them.
2) Stay calm and non-reactive. - Your tone of voice is very important. You can be assertive AND calm. Make sure that you are confident and dress properly. Say what you need to say with authority.
Tip #1: Dress to impress - For women in business, it’s important to be taken seriously. So remember to keep those necklines high, those hemlines low and stick with neutrals and pastels (blind your employers with your work ethic, not your wardrobe!). Also remember that some people have allergies, so go easy on the perfume. And as for accessories, keep it simple: a wristwatch, a string of pearls or diamond studs should do the trick.
1. Forget About Multi-Tasking - While it is possible to engage in several activities at once, it’s also clear that accuracy and performance drops off quickly for both men and women. There have been lots of articles written about how women can multi-task better than men, but there is very little science to back up this assertion.
1. Buying into Your Socialization - The “nice girl” attitude you may have learned growing up doesn’t work in business, and customers and clients may have a tendency to doubt your abilities or, worse yet, try to take advantage of you. It’s important to identify and be clear about your business goals in order to successfully achieve what you want.
1. Lead by Example. - If you want to build trust within your team, then lead by example, and show your people that you trust others. This means trusting your team, your colleagues, and your boss. Never forget that your team members are always watching and taking cues from you take the opportunity to show them what trust in others really looks like.
