Using vacation days to catch up on work, our expense reports reveal more than we realize, 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. 

Our expense reports, ourselves: You can tell a lot about a person by taking a gander at their company expense reports, argues The Wall Street Journal’s Sue Shellenbarger. There are those who avoid filing for reimbursement at all, out of fear of awkward conversations or a sense of duty. And, of course, you have what Shellenbarger calls the “grifters” and “payback artists,” who treat the corporate card as a weapon to exact what they feel is due to them. 56% of CFOs say they have seen an uptick in such questionable expense reports, according to a survey by Robert Half. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

When you take off from work… just to get work done: 63% of firms in the UK report that their employees are taking days off from work just so they can catch up on their workload, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Such workplace “leavism” is on the rise, and it’s liable to lead to burnout and diminished productivity in the long run, BBC Worklife reports. What can managers do? Make sure staffers know it’s okay to say they have too much on their plate, for starters, and go from there. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

You Asked: “I graduated from college two months ago and moved across the country last month to start a new job. It seems like people aren’t understanding why I’m still making mistakes, and they expect me to get everything right. Any advice?” —Elizabeth H., Boise, Idaho-based journalist

• “Congratulations on your new job! It can be hard for experienced professionals to remember what it was like to start out. My suggestion is for you to proactively demonstrate to people that you are learning and improving every day. One way to do that is to carry a notebook and pen at all times. When someone explains something or corrects a mistake, thank them for the feedback and then write down what they said. This will save you from making the same mistake twice and also will visibly show people that you are doing your best to learn and grow. As a bonus, you can pay it forward with the next new employee and give him or her your notebook as a gift. Soon you won’t need it anymore!” — Lindsey Pollak, author of "The Remix: How to Lead and Succeed in the Multigenerational Workplace"
• “Congrats on the new job, and at two months in, of course you’re still making mistakes. Here’s the challenge—you’re walking in ‘halfway through the movie’ and everyone around you is assuming that you’ve been there since the opening credits. The responsibility is yours, however, to make sure that you get the guidance, help and feedback you need along the way to hit it out of the park on your assignments. Three concrete steps: when you’re given an assignment, be sure to 1. Be enthusiastic: ‘Thanks, that sounds great!’ 2. Be transparent: ‘I’ve never done that before.’; and 3. Take initiative to ask for the resources and guidance you need: ‘Do you have a recent example I could take a look at or someone I can speak with who’s done something similar before?’ If your manager can’t (or won’t) give you any upfront help, then shift to plan B, which means accepting the work gladly but asking for feedback along the way. For example, “Thanks, that sounds like a great opportunity, I’d like to take some time to put my thoughts down on paper and come back to you with an outline to make sure I’m moving in the right direction...” Don’t spend days (or weeks!) spinning your wheels, make sure your manager stays involved in the process.” — Jodi Glickman, CEO at Great on The Job

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

Go ahead, change your mind: Many professionals feel that they need to stick to their guns at all costs, out of fear of appearing weak. But those willing to shift gears in front of others are likely to be viewed as more intelligent by others, according to research from Harvard Business School and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. And in work situations where intellectual firepower is prized, going out on a limb in this way can yield dividends. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

Looking to break a habit? Start small: While quitting an undesirable habit cold turkey may sound liberating, author Nir Eyal argues that we’re better off shifting ingrained behaviors one nibble at a time. Eyal call this approach “progressive extremism,” where, for example, instead of giving up on our most favorite snack of all, we choose to ditch a treat that we consider simply nice. Such incremental, mostly painless behavior shifts allow us to ease into big changes, hopefully giving these changes more staying power. ? Here’s what people are saying. 

One last idea:  In the world of work, outsize ambition and willpower is often the subject of admiration, and for many good reasons. But author Carl Richards reminds us that we shouldn’t discount the value of “good enough.”  

“If you can’t find a way to be satisfied with enough, you may never be satisfied with anything. There will always be someone else ahead of you, even if the only person ahead of you is the future self you are constantly killing yourself to become.”

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

— Scott Olster