2007 RESOLUTIONS THAT CAN REVOLUTIONIZE
It's time again for those New Year's resolutions - and not just the ones about getting to the gym more often, cutting back on carbs or finishing those home improvements. Many Americans also make vows about improving their lives in the workplace - getting that raise or promotion, doing a better job of networking, acing that report.

To help you along, we're offering you five workplace resolutions to consider. They're all based on the best advice from our twenty-four Your Workplace articles of 2006. And all are designed to help you surf the big waves or navigate the dangerous shoals of your work environment. Here's wishing you a good ride in 2007.

Resolution #1: Be Smart about Office Romances

Many offices have had their share of workplace romances. While conventional wisdom tends to frown on the phenomenon, in fact, 44 percent of workplace romances end with a marriage and many others end in long-term commitments. Of course, there is also a real downside. An office romance puts not only your heart, but possibly your job on the line. It can end in charges of sexual harassment or damage to your reputation. So, if you still feel the risks are worth it, there here's some advice: Go slowly and be discreet. Never pester the object of your affections. Keep the romance completely out of the office. If things work out, great. But if they don't, never gossip about your former love interest. Feeding the rumor mill will only make you look tacky.

Resolution #2: Give Women a Chance

While women in business have a lot to offer in the upper echelons of power, given typical cultural corporate politics, they can have a tough time breaking through that glass ceiling. So, if you're a male executive, help mentor a woman with leadership potential by offering her valuable advice and support. Show her how to network and encourage her to seek the limelight. If you're a woman, use your natural communication skills to get to know people who can help your career. Show off your management skills, not just your particular expertise.

Resolution #3: Listen Up

Studies show that only about 10% of us listen properly. Yet, listening well can head off mistakes in a busy office, like missed appointments, misunderstood directions or misinterpreted suggestions. So try to become aware of your own problems with listening and then consciously try to overcome them. Among the biggest errors we all make is interrupting and finishing a speaker's sentence. Instead, give the speaker the sense that you have plenty of time to hear him out (looking at your watch while they're talking is a big no-no). Let him or her finish not only with their initial statements, but any additional statements. Ultimately, the respect you show your staff or coworkers by truly listening to them will create greater harmony in your workplace and inspire their loyalty.

Resolution #4: Help Employees Achieve a Good Work/Life Balance

The Department of Labor estimates that companies lose $4 billion every year because of absenteeism due to child care problems. At worst, it can end up being the final factor that drives a valuable employee out the company door. So, consider some creative perks that can help employees achieve a good work/life balance, including:

• Job Sharing and Back up Child Care to help prevent work projects from falling through cracks due to child care falling through.

• Locating Services such as before-or-after school programs, affordable, reliable child care and in-home care.

• Half-day Fridays. Encourage employees to finish their 40-hour work week earlier in the week so they can leave by noon on Fridays and spend an extended weekend with family.

Resolution #5: Become a Better Mediator

Disputes can arise between employees, business partners, or a company and a client. And if such issues are not settled, good people can quit, profitable relationships can dissolve and great companies can go under. So, whether you manage clients or employees, try your hand at mediating. You don't have to be an expert. You just need to practice the fine art of paying attention, and offer yourself up as a neutral party who just wants to resolve the problem. A good mediator will: let people tell their story so that they really feel listened to; come in with a reality check when people are nitpicking and missing the bigger picture; and pace negotiations so that neither side feels rushed into a decision. Ideally, both sides will come away feeling that the issue has been thoroughly explored and that they can really buy into the solution.