Did you hear what I said?

Wow, two interesting articles about communication between doctors and patients on the same day. First up, a study that shows that doctors and their patients who smoke have a serious disconnect about what happens in the patient's visit to the doctor's office. Though 66% of doctors say they've discussed various methods of quitting with their smoking patients, only 33% of the smokers say they've gotten this advice. It's particularly important because studies have shown that getting this advice from a health professional increases the smoker's likelihood of success when he or she tries to quit. Seems like both doctors and patients need to practice active listening skills. Second, an article showing that miscommunications between doctors and patients can cause harm to the patients, including death. Part of the problem seems to be related to medical jargon, and part is cultural differences. So, choose your doctor carefully...good communication may be just as important as good medical knowledge.

Helpful albeit sarcastic job search advice

OK, perhaps this HR professional has had to read a few too many resumes. This post is his or her revenge for all the bad resumes that have crossed the desk in the last few weeks or months. It's a great "what not to do" list to consult while you are working on your own resume. It makes for amusing reading, if you don't mind the tone.

Sample:
Objective: To obtain full-time or part-time permanent employment with a stable business."

Very tailored to our company. I hear McDonald's is hiring, too.

Management by Walking Around

I once worked with a personnel director who seemed to spend a lot of time walking around the large company where we both worked. He had friends at every level of the organization, and he seemed to know what was going on all over the company. At the time, I had some idea that he was not just a friendly person, but it took me several years to appreciate that he was working in all of these casual conversations. The style is called Management by Walking Around and this article gives a nice summary of how to accomplish it. By the way, he was one of the best personnel directors I've ever worked with.