Q: I was recently promoted to a managerial position that I'd had my sights on for a long time, but now I'm not sure I'm cut out for this job. It seems that everything I say or do results in a misunderstanding between my fellow managers and me. Any advice?

A: Misunderstandings are unpleasant under any circumstances, but especially so in the workplace, which is often already stressful. Add the pressure of learning a new leadership role, and it's no wonder you're discouraged. But don't give up just yet! Learning new responsibilities and building good working relationships both take time, so be patient. In the meantime, here are a few tips that should help.

1. One thing at a time. Give the business at hand and those you are talking with your undivided attention.

2. Listen. Hear your colleagues out before expressing your own thoughts and opinions, and never interrupt. This will not only help you benefit from their experience, but it is a way of showing respect, which wins respect.

3. Ask for more information or a clarification, if necessary. A lot of communication problems stem from people being too proud to say they need more background information or don't understand the point someone else is trying to make.

4. Think things through. Know what you want to get across before you start to speak. This will help you be clearer, more specific, and more direct in your presentation, and therefore less likely to be misunderstood.

5. Don't over-communicate. As John Kotter, a professor at the Harvard Business School and author of the international bestseller Leading Change, put it, "Good communication does not mean that you have to speak in perfectly formed sentences and paragraphs. It isn't about slickness. Simple and clear go a long way."

6. Acknowledge your limitations. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know."

7. Watch your unspoken communications. Nearly everything you do communicates something to others. Punctuality communicates. Attentiveness communicates. Body language communicates. Your facial expression communicates. Your tone of voice communicates. Even silence communicates. Positive signals open lines of communication; negative signals hinder.

8. Be sympathetic. To understand others, try to put yourself in their position. Why do they think or act the way they do? Be careful not to misread others' body language. If you're not sure, ask.

9. Strive for unity. It's easier to work with people than it is to work when at odds with them. Avoid conflicts and personality clashes by looking for common ground and admirable qualities in those you work with.

10. Be positive. Build team spirit by dwelling on jobs well done and progress being made toward your united goals. Focus on problems from the angle of "how can we fix this" rather than "who's to blame."

Lily Neve

About two years ago it dawned on me that I was seriously out of shape. My work had become more sedentary, and I hadn't made up for that. I enjoyed exercise, but never seemed to find the time or motivation to stick with it, day after day. Part of the problem, I realize now, was that I put accomplishments in my work ahead of my health.

Then I read a newspaper article about the local annual marathon. Perfect! There was a goal to strive for, a reason to exercise. I'd train hard and enter next year's marathon.

My "training program" consisted of running as hard as I could, till I was completely breathless, walking till I caught my breath, and then running as hard as I could again. Over and over. After about 40 minutes of that, I would go home and collapse. It felt good to finally be getting some exercise, but after a while I noticed that I wasn't making any progress.

I figured I needed some professional help, so I got online and found a few websites dedicated to running. Some were informative, some overwhelming. Most encouraged me to invest in things that were out of my reach, such as expensive gear and gadgets or a personal trainer.

One day I tossed my excuses out the window. I would just take it slow and easy, and see how far I got.

Even more daunting was the concept of consistent, long-term training. Expert after expert wrote, "Start slowly, build up slowly, but do something every day." I'm more of a go-for-quick-results person. Long-term projects—argh!—those drove me nuts. Witnessing my own reaction to this approach to exercise helped me realize how that attitude affected other areas of my life. Important things were going undone because they required small steps repeated over time. Meanwhile, the only people who really ran marathons or became fit or reached their life goals were those who worked up to it slowly, day after day, over time. I determined to make that change, starting with my exercise. I began slow, tried to pace myself, and told that ugly "What good will this little bit do?" voice in my mind to shut up.

At first it was at a slower pace and not for as long as I would have liked, but I tried to do it every day. Each day I could run a little farther in the allotted time, and I began to really enjoy it. I also found that I had more energy.

At one point a flu knocked me for a loop. Even after the fever left, the fatigue remained for several weeks. When I was finally strong enough to resume my daily runs, I figured that the level of fitness I had worked up to in the previous months had been undone completely. All that time and effort lost! I didn't even want to try, and kept procrastinating. Maybe tomorrow.

One day I tossed my excuses out the window. I would just take it slow and easy, and see how far I got. To my surprise, I was at about 75% compared to what I had been able to do before my illness. All my hard work hadn't been in vain. What's more, as I ran, I started to feel better. Breathing deeply, running through fields and beautiful places surrounding my home, was invigorating. I think that was the day I realized I loved running. Fitness was a worthwhile goal, and the thought of running in a marathon had given me the incentive to get started, but the day-to-day doing was great fun in itself.

As I ran, I thought about other things that I'd been putting off because they required the same planning and pacing, plugging away day by day. The joy was in the running, in doing what I could each day to keep fit and healthy, to stay connected with family and loved ones, and to make progress in my work.

I may never run that marathon, but toward the end of each day, you'll find me running.

Christina Andreassen

I went to see a friend the other day. I passed through two sets of polished doors and ascended the building in a gleaming elevator to get to his office. A receptionist offered me a cup of gourmet coffee before ushering me into a spacious conference room, where personal mementos, souvenirs from world travels, and numerous awards competed for space on teak shelves.

It is no use to grumble and complain;
It's just as cheap and easy to rejoice;
When God sorts out the weather and sends rain
Why, rain's my choice.
– James Whitcomb Riley (1849 – 1916)

Peter Amsterdam

Faced with a major project or challenge? You probably have a general idea of where you want to go, but you'll need a strategy, a plan of steps to take in order to reach that objective.

Planning is an investment. To plan wisely and well takes time, effort, patience‚ good research, and counsel—and for those of us who include a spiritual dimension, time in prayer. But a well-formed plan will pay for itself many times over.

'Tis easy enough to be pleasant,
When life flows like a song.
But the man worthwhile
Is the one who will smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
– Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850-1919)

Elisabeth Sichrovsky

Almost anyone's list of "People Who Have Influenced My Life" includes at least one teacher. What kind of teachers are these?—The kind who use their talents to help develop their students' talents, the kind who strive to shape not just the mind but the heart. For me, it was a teacher we students came to affectionately call Auntie Marina.

Mila Govorukha

I was awakened early by a choir of birds. Singing, chirping, chanting, chiming, and conversing, their melodies were loud, joyful, and everywhere—nature's own surround sound. Some friends and I were camping in a wooded area near Mostar, the 600-year-old city that was often in the news during the Yugoslav Wars of the early 1990s.

Compiled by Abi F. May

How can you maintain peace of mind in today's fast-paced world without falling behind or getting run over by the pack?

Here are some ideas.

Maria Fontaine

Appreciation is a human need. It's not just something that's nice to have when possible, but something that each person needs in order to be happy and to thrive. That's true in every setting, but it's perhaps nowhere more evident than in the workplace.

As Seen Through the Eyes of Children

A group of social scientists asked this question to a group of children: "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think.

Misty Kay

My husband Daniel and I live with our four children on the 13th floor of an apartment building in Taichung City, Taiwan. Needless to say, the elevator is a part of our daily lives.