take 5

No one likes bad news—neither the giver nor the receiver—but there is a way to make it a little easier on everyone involved. While words matter, your tone has a bigger influence on the way the information is received, according to a new study from Saarland University in Germany.

Researchers reviewed 400,000 employment tribunal cases, half of which were layoff-related, and found that employees were far more likely to react in a confrontational manner when managers used an aggressive tone instead of taking time to explain the situation and its underlying causes.

You did it again.

The staff is annoyed because you missed a meeting or didn’t send out the reminder email about the investors visiting the office that day. Yes, it’s a bit embarrassing, but there’s no need to apologize. Stuff happens, as they say. Yet there are times when you should apologize for something you did or said, because it’s a sign of great leadership. It builds a bridge back to the employee you offended or hurt, and it creates a more positive work environment. Here’s when you should own up to a mistake.

Every morning, you sit down at your computer with the best intentions. Coffee in one hand and your to-do list in the other, you’re feeling geared up and ready for a productive day. It's the day you're finally going to dig into those grand ideas you've been rolling around in your brain.

But then real life intervenes. Your phone rings—and won’t stop ringing. You’re pulled into 10-minute meeting after 10-minute meeting. You keep getting distracted by the barrage of "urgent" emails arriving in your inbox. And you wind up deciding that those big projects you didn't so much as touch today will have to wait for another spare morning soon—whenever that is.