Landing your next promotion, surviving painful office small talk, and more top insights

What’s happening in the world of work: The Saturday edition of the Daily Rundown highlights the business trends, perspectives, and hot topics you need to know to work smarter. Read on and join the conversation. 

Competing for a promotion? Befriend your rivals: A growing share of companies are vying to elevate leaders who know how to play nicely with others, writes The Wall Street Journal’s Joann Lublin. As more employers publicly espouse the benefits of collaboration and inclusion, they are looking for those same qualities in the people they promote. How can rivals pull this off? Some make it a point to play fair and praise competitors in public. Others agree behind-the-scenes to work well together. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

A survival guide for office small talk: Chit chat doesn’t come naturally to all of us. But, as Lindsay Mannering writes in The New York Times, building rapport through casual conversation is key to thriving at work. It’s what helps our coworkers see us as the wonderful humans we are, and it inclines them to cut us some slack when we need it. To make small talk less awkward, though, remember you’re more likeable than you think. We are prone to judge our gabbing skills more harshly than our conversation partners. And it never hurts to prepare: Have a few small talk topics at the ready, so you’re not caught flat-footed when opportunity arises. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

You Asked:  “I’ve caught myself making the same but opposite mistakes in almost all of my interviews: Someone asks a question about my accomplishments. When I answer, I am either too humble and underplay my contributions or I am way too proud and come off as arrogant. What is your advice on finding the middle ground?” — Brian K., Katy, Texas ? Join the conversation. 

• “What is arrogant to one hiring manager is confidence to the next! Not knowing the culture or background of the interviewer, it can be hard to strike the right balance. Your best strategy is to identify examples that align with the job responsibilities and make you feel great. Genuine excitement doesn’t come off as arrogant. Second, when describing your accomplishments be specific on how you achieved them by stating the situation, explaining your actions to accomplish the goal and end with the result. Specifying your activities will show the hiring manager that you are not just bragging but bring the skills to get the job done.” — Valerie Sutton, director of career services at Harvard Graduate School of Education (Read Valerie Sutton’s full response.)

Looking for career advice from the pros? Submit your questions in the comments with #YouAsked and we’ll take care of the rest.

For companies, doing good pays: Firms that embrace missions that go beyond generating a profit can attract more, and better quality, job applicants, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research. The researchers, who launched a real company and recruited workers via Craigslist in 12 U.S. cities, found that they received a 25% boost in applicants by simply taking on a do-gooder image. More than that, the employees they hired were more productive and were even willing to work for lower pay than those brought on without such messaging. ? Here’s what people are saying.

The case against blending in at work: Instead of matching the behaviors and preferences of those at the top, members of cultural and racial minorities stand to benefit by letting their differences shine, according to research published in the journal Organisation Science. The researchers found in interviews with successful professionals of color that those who “mobilised their identity” to introduce new ideas felt creatively empowered and were rewarded for their contributions. One key element? Support from colleagues and managers is critical to such efforts. ? Here’s what  people are saying. 

One last idea:  Many business leaders often find themselves swept up in the quest for short-term gains. Former Unilever CEO Paul Polman recently explained to The New York Times’ David Gelles why he tried to steer the consumer goods giant away from that mentality. ? Here’s what people are saying.

“You cannot solve issues like poverty or climate change or food security with the myopic focus on quarterly reporting. Some people think greed is good. But over and over it’s proven that ultimately generosity is better.”

What's your take? Join the conversations on today's stories in the comments.

— Scott Olster