Workplace gurus tell us to embrace change, but human nature tells us to fear it. Those are the sorts of mixed emotions I’m wrestling with as I write my first workplace column of 2005 — and the last workplace column of my career.I have gotten a fresh set of duties at the San Francisco Chronicle, and that means I have to give up doing a workplace column after more than seven years. So here are the five best pieces of career a...

There’s a nice exchange from NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” a reality show about obese people trying to lose weight — and succeeding. Contestant Ryan, who has lost 80 pounds, was thanking his team’s trainer, Jillian, for helping him discover the kind of person he could be.She gently corrected him. The type of person you already are, she said.A lot of her comment was certainly in recognition for what Ryan had accomplished, but i...

Writing a workplace column during the Christmas season can make you feel as out of place as an Amish TV critic. There’s no line in “The Night Before Christmas” that says “visions of resumes danced in their heads,” and even the pre-repentant Ebenezer Scrooge reluctantly gave Bob Cratchit the day off on Christmas.But for those who happen to take a pause from their sugarplum orgy, but don’t want to move too far away from the h...

When you’re stuck working during the Christmas holidays, you have to take your lumps — coal or otherwise.Even if you don’t do much for Christmas or ignore it completely, the holidays can be harrowing. Co-workers and friends are often stressed out, your children might need extra care because they’re off school, you might feel obligated to attend holiday parties (work-related or not) and your workload might increase because s...

One anecdote from Carol Channing in the recent PBS special “Broadway: The American Musical” described how legendary star Al Jolson used to run water backstage so he didn’t have to hear the applause that other performers were receiving. He couldn’t stand the audience recognizing someone else.Workers’ and managers’ insecurities manifest themselves in all sorts of ways, but jealousy and resentment over a colleague’s success se...

In an episode of “The West Wing,” magicians Penn & Teller apparently burned an American flag in the White House. It was a magic trick in a fictional show, of course, but the characters’ reaction was pretty typical: Many were alarmed and appalled, and the only attention paid to Penn & Teller’s show came because of that one trick.And that’s the thing about flag-burning: It stirs such emotions that everything else gets lost. P...

If you are struggling to find some fresh workplace ideas, here are items from three recently published books that might help:— Making yourself stand out: In “The 7 Keys to a Dream Job” (iUniverse), author Dilip G. Saraf includes an anecdote from a woman named Carolyn who had experience working in marketing communications, but decided she wanted to shift into interior decorating, even though she had little formal training.In...

In many instances, a job interview can be like a fencing match with Nerf swords. The interviewer tosses up a softball question, then the candidate comes back with a rehearsed answer. This babble-a-babble continues until both people get so numb that they begin slamming their heads against the desk.If they slam their heads in unison, the applicant gets a job offer. If not, hasta la vista, baby.OK, maybe it is a little more so...

The Bowl Championship Series polling almost always manages to infuriate some college football fans. Coaches are playing favorites or sportswriters don’t know what they’re talking about or those computer-generated ratings are just plain goofy.What’s really happening, though, is that a bunch of people are trying to be as fair as possible in a system where there is really no one right answer. It’s a lot like how companies hire...

The "Desperate Housewives" spoof involving Nicolette Sheridan and Philadelphia Eagles star Terrell Owens at the start of a "Monday Night Football" telecast has generated all sorts of controversy — and all sorts of publicity for ABC. The biggest criticism came because Sheridan dropped her towel in her attempt to seduce Owens, which offended some parents — even though their kids probably can see as much skin from the Dalla...