#Leadership : What I Learned Working At The Pentagon In The Days After 9/11…Brett Eaton Took some Missteps as a Young PR Hand Managing the Media’s First Look at the Pentagon Crash Site. This is What it Taught Him.

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We tend to think of strong leaders as people with tremendous resolve, singular focus, maybe even stubborn to a fault. But this view diminishes leaders who excel because they strive to learn, improve, and grow alongside their teams. They roll with the punches. They’re fluid.

pentagon-after-9-11

On September 11, 2001, I was working a low-level contract job at the Pentagon. In the aftermath of the attack that killed 184 people, I found myself thrust into a leadership position for which I was unprepared. Looking back 15 years later, here’s what that experience taught me.

OCTOBER 5, 2001

It was early in my career, and I was helping run public relations for the architecture and engineering firm that was managing the Pentagon’s the first-ever major renovation. On 9/11, American Airlines Flight 77 struck the area of the building we’d just finished renovating, with the damage extending into the wing where new work was just beginning. The impact, explosion, fire, smoke, and water damaged nearly 2 million square feet of space—twice the size of the U.S. Capitol Building. From the exterior of the Pentagon, though, you’d never know just how bad it was.

That’s where my team came in. In the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks, security was a top priority. As a result, very few members of the news media had been allowed inside the damaged areas as FBI gathered evidence. But on the day the FBI turned control of the crash site over to the Department of Defense, I was responsible for organizing the first press briefing of the area, which would let the media see for the first time the true scope of the mess before demolition and reconstruction work got underway.

So on the afternoon of October 5, 2001, the Pentagon Police opened the gates to the crash site. I waited in a small clearing that allowed a good view of the airplane’s point of impact. I was accompanied by Lee Evey, the Pentagon Renovation Program Manager. We’d put together a few presentation boards to help tell our story—but nothing else. No riser, no microphone, no prepared statement. After all, this wasn’t a press conference, just a photoshoot for maybe a dozen reporters in the Pentagon press corps.

That’s what I thought, anyway, until the news media machine stormed through the gates.

I estimated there were at least 50 reporters, camera operators, and photographers, but it was impossible to get a clear headcount as they pushed and shoved each other, fighting for the best position close to Lee. After a few moments of chaos, he put his fingers between his teeth and silenced the horde with an ear-piercing whistle.

At around the 0:35 mark of the C-SPAN video from that day, Lee says, “Normally when a group comes up here, we give them a little briefing. That may not be what you want to do. What is it you’re expecting here?”

They expected a briefing. They expected a tour. They expected a voice of leadership in a time of fear. I’d failed to prepare Lee for this opportunity, but he rolled into his pitch, taking a pen from his pocket to point to the presentation board. He was knowledgeable, personable, and in charge. He answered questions and we took the group—still pushing and shoving—inside the Pentagon with a warning to watch their step and look out for falling debris. We finished the day with no significant injuries and positive media coverage of the work we were about to undertake.

From my perspective, it was a disaster. I had unintentionally set my boss up to be embarrassed on national television. Lee shined in the spotlight anyway—despite my fumbling the ball PR-wise, not because of it. I thought this might be my first and last press conference. I waited for Lee to come down on me.

Instead, he said, “Next time, prepare as if you’re in charge.”

1. “PREPARE AS IF YOU’RE IN CHARGE”

I know now that to prepare as if you’re in charge is different than to pretendas if you’re in charge, which suggests you just start telling people what to do. It’s also different than simply over-preparing, like you’re cramming for a final exam. To prepare as if you’re in charge requires anticipating risks and opportunities as though you’re the only person accountable for what happens.

It would be years later before I understood all of this deeply, but I internalized at least the gist of Lee’s advice right away. So the next time I was asked to prepare a media opportunity, I prepared as if I would deliver it myself. I confirmed the data and understood it well enough to defend the figures. I rehearsed what I would say to make sure the timing was on point. I asked questions of colleagues to understand the benefits of design-build contracting.

I prepared as if I myself were Lee Evey, about to stand in front of reporters, and I made sure I knew who they were and what they expected. And sure enough, just few weeks later, I was the one in front of the cameras. This time, I was ready to be.

 

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2. IF YOU’RE GIVEN A CHANCE TO LEAD, EMBRACE IT

At the time, I assumed Lee simply had more important matters demanding his attention than hiring someone to replace me. Only years later did I realize that by empowering me, he’d pushed me knowingly into a leadership role.

Soon enough, I was empowered to represent the Pentagon Renovation Program as the keynote speaker at national conferences, and to give briefings and tours of construction activity to members of Congress, foreign ministers of defense, and celebrities on USO tours. The enormity of my responsibility was never lost on me.

I learned that people who are already inclined to lead still benefit from the explicit permission to do so—even if they aren’t 100% prepared for it at first. If you’re given that opportunity, embrace it.

3. ADAPT, ADAPT, ADAPT

Bruce Lee famously said, “Be water, my friend.” Lee Evey said, “What is it you’re expecting here?” Both understood the power—and necessity—of adapting.

We tend to think of strong leaders as people with tremendous resolve, singular focus, maybe even stubborn to a fault. But this view diminishes leaders who excel because they strive to learn, improve, and grow alongside their teams. They roll with the punches. They’re fluid.

After the Pentagon was rebuilt and the renovation was back on schedule, I was asked to create a new communications function for the Director of Administration and Management for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a position colloquially known as “The Mayor of the Pentagon.” Since I was starting from scratch, the opportunity required adapting as I went along.

That October morning, Lee Evey showed me what adaptation looks like. It was in the weeks, months, and years afterward that I learned how to do it myself.

Brett Eaton is the Associate Vice President for Communications and External Relations at Wake Forest University. Follow him on Twitter at @bretteaton.

FastCompany.com | BRETT EATON | 09.11.16 5:00 AM

 

#Life : 17 Minor Habits that are Making your Life More Difficult Without you Realizing It…Our Habits are What Ultimately Build Who we Are.

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If we build positive daily habits, we create ourselves in a positive and thoughtful direction. If we build negative daily habits, we find wake up in deep holes while at the same time wondering how we got there in the first place.

young green plant in soil for agriculture, business growth or environment concepts (isolated on white background)

The key, then, is to understand how these habits come to be — and having the awareness to spot those that prohibit larger, more positive growth.

Here are some of the most common “bad habits” that tend to sneak under the radar and cause more harm than good.

1. You don’t follow through

Yes, this is a habit. Whether you’re promising to take out the trash or you’re promising to get the merger deal signed and delivered by Friday end-of-day, both are a function of the same habit — you have to follow through.

And what you don’t realize is that in not following through, you end up creating more work for yourself on the back end.

2. You ride instead of run

A metaphor and a literal translation of one’s work ethic, “riding” the bus is a very different experience than running alongside it. Be the runner, not the rider.

Contrary to popular belief, you will feel much more alive when you are part of the experience and the collaboration rather than just tagging along. If you’re tagging along, you’ll feel groggy and disposable. Get involved.

 

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3. You don’t make time to sleep

This whole “I work more and sleep less than you” competition is pretty much a charade. Humans have to sleep. We all have to sleep.

You’ll fall asleep sometime, regardless. So make it a schedule, make it a daily priority, find your rhythm, and leave it at that.

Being a Negative Nancy does nothing but suck the energy out of everyone — including you. Find the positive and focus on that.

5. You “have to be right”

There’s nothing quite like an endless argument.

6. You forget to breathe

I mean this in the most literal way — if you don’t make time to get back in your body and actually feel yourself breathe, then you aren’t just busy. You’re coping. Get back in touch with your core self, ASAP.

7. You check your email every three seconds

Nobody is going anywhere. No one is dying. Relax.

8. You eat lots of sugar carbs

Health lesson here: Sugar carbs spike your insulin. If your breakfast is a fruit bowl, that might explain why for the first hour you feel great and the second hour you feel like you want to take a nap. Eat less sugar.

9. You drink too much coffee

The gray area between moderation and addiction lies somewhere between a Grande dark roast and a Venti black eye.

10. You only work and never play

Especially if you’re in a creative industry, you have to make time for input, not just output.

11. Your circle of friends is one dimensional

This can be exceedingly exhausting. Come on, branch out a bit and surround yourself with people who will make you think differently.

12. You don’t exercise

Again, it’s contrary to popular belief, but standing still doesn’t make you feel energized and alive. The body wants to be pushed, challenged, torn apart, and rebuilt again. Give it that freedom.

 

13. You don’t study your craft

Energy is earned. We have more energy about the things we feel good about. And you can’t feel good about something unless you work at it. Put in the work, and you’ll feel energized.

14. You try to do too much at once

It is an art learning how to take on just enough so that you’re comfortably busy, but not so much that you’re constantly drowning.

15. You don’t practice appreciation

Living a happy life has far less to do with what you achieve or earn, and far more with how much you can appreciate. It is a practice, and deserves attention every single day.

16. You don’t listen

By not taking the time to listen to others, you make them feel disrespected. In turn, they react negatively toward you, and on and on the cycle goes. Take the extra minute and lend an ear.

17. You aren’t doing what you love

The ultimate energy-suck is not doing what you are completely and utterly obsessed with. Do what you love, and you’ll have more energy than you know what to do with.

Read the original article on Inc.. Copyright 2016. Follow Inc. on Twitter.

Businessinsider.com | September 10, 2016 | Nicolas Cole, Inc.

#Leadership : 10 Things You Can Do to Boost Self-Confidence…Take Charge of your Feelings, and Start Overcoming Obstacles.

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Nobody is born with limitless self-confidence. If someone seems to have incredible self-confidence, it’s because he or she has worked on building it for years. Self-confidence is something that you learn to build up because the challenging world of business, and life in general, can deflate it.

Free- Women walking on Narrow Bridge

“Low self-esteem is like driving through life with your hand brake on.” — Maxwell Maltz

An online negative review, a request for a refund from a customer or a flat rejection from investors can all cause our self-confidence to dwindle. Well-meaning but sometimes unkind comments from those closest to us can also hit us hard.

On top of this, we have to deal with our inner critic of self-doubt that constantly tells us that we are not good enough. When bombarded by so many elements that threaten our self-confidence, we need to take charge of building it up for ourselves.

As we teach at Skill Incubator, building a successful business requires a thick skin and unshakable confidence in your ability to overcome obstacles. Here are 10 things you can do to build up your self-confidence.

1. Visualize yourself as you want to be.

“What the mind can conceive and believe it can achieve.” — Napoleon Hill

Visualization is the technique of seeing an image of yourself that you are proud of, in your own mind. When we struggle with low self-confidence, we have a poor perception of ourselves that is often inaccurate. Practice visualizing a fantastic version of yourself, achieving your goals.

 

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2. Affirm yourself.

“Affirmations are a powerful tool to deliberately install desired beliefs about yourself.” — Nikki Carnevale 

We tend to behave in accordance with our own self-image. The trick to making lasting change is to change how you view yourself.

Affirmations are positive and uplifting statements that we say to ourselves. These are normally more effective if said out loud so that you can hear yourself say it. We tend to believe whatever we tell ourselves constantly. For example, if you hate your own physical appearance, practice saying something that you appreciate or like about yourself when you next look in the mirror.

To get your brain to accept your positive statements more quickly, phrase your affirmations as questions like, “Why am I so good in making deals?” instead of “I am so good at making deals.” Our brains are biologically wired to seek answers to questions, without analyzing whether the question is valid or not.

3. Do one thing that scares you every day.

“If you are insecure, guess what? The rest of the world is too. Do not overestimate the competition and underestimate yourself. You are better than you think.” — T. Harv Eker

The best way to overcome fear is to face it head-on. By doing something that scares you every day and gaining confidence from every experience, you will see your self-confidence soar. So, get out of your comfort zone and face your fears!

4. Question your inner critic.

“You have been criticizing yourself for years, and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” — Louise L. Hay

Some of the harshest comments that we get come from ourselves, via the “voice of the inner critic.” If you struggle with low self-confidence, there is a possibility that your inner critic has become overactive and inaccurate.

Strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy help you to question your inner critic, and look for evidence to support or deny the things that your inner critic is saying to you. For example, if you think that you are a failure, ask yourself, “What evidence is there to support the thought that I am a failure?” and “What evidence is there that doesn’t support the thought that I am a failure?”

Find opportunities to congratulate, compliment and reward yourself, even for the smallest successes. As Mark Twain said, “[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][A] man cannot be comfortable without his own approval.”

Related: 9 Movie Clips (With Songs!) to Keep You Inspired

5. Take the 100 days of rejection challenge.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Jia Jiang has become famous for recording his experience of “busting fear” by purposefully making crazy requests of people in order to be rejected over 100 days. His purpose was to desensitize himself to rejection, after he became more upset than he expected over rejection from a potential investor. Busting fear isn’t easy to do, but if you want to have fun while building up your self-confidence, this is a powerful way to do it.

6. Set yourself up to win.

“To establish true self-confidence, we must concentrate on our successes and forget about the failures and the negatives in our lives.” — Denis Waitley

Too many people are discouraged about their abilities because they set themselves goals that are too difficult to achieve. Start by setting yourself small goals that you can win easily.

Once you have built a stream of successes that make you feel good about yourself, you can then move on to harder goals. Make sure that you also keep a list of all your achievements, both large and small, to remind yourself of the times that you have done well.

Instead of focusing only on “to-do” lists, I like to spend time reflecting on “did-it” lists. Reflecting on the major milestones, projects and goals you’ve achieved is a great way to reinforce confidence in your skills.

7. Help someone else.

Helping someone else often enables us to forget about ourselves and to feel grateful for what we have. It also feels good when you are able to make a difference for someone else.

Instead of focusing on your own weaknesses, volunteer to mentor, practically assist or teach another, and you’ll see your self-confidence grow automatically in the process.

8. Care for yourself.

“Self-care is never a selfish act — it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.” — Parker Palmer

Self-confidence depends on a combination of good physical health, emotional health and social health. It is hard to feel good about yourself if you hate your physique or constantly have low energy.

Make time to cultivate great exercise, eating and sleep habits. In addition, dress the way you want to feel. You have heard the saying that “clothes make the man.” Build your self-confidence by making the effort to look after your own needs.

9. Create personal boundaries.

“Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one’s definition of your life, but define yourself.”– Harvey Fierstein

Learn to say no. Teach others to respect your personal boundaries. If necessary, take classes on how to be more assertive and learn to ask for what you want. The more control and say that you have over your own life, the greater will be your self-confidence.

Related: 5 Ways to Train Your Brain and Boost Your Self-Esteem

10. Shift to an equality mentality.

“Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are.” — Marilyn Monroe

People with low self-confidence see others as better or more deserving than themselves. Instead of carrying this perception, see yourself as being equal to everyone. They are no better or more deserving than you. Make a mental shift to an equality mentality and you will automatically see an improvement in your self-confidence.

 

Entrepreneur.com  | September 7, 2016 | Chris W. Dunn

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Your #Career : 5 New Jobs Skills Employers Are Looking For in 2016…So, What are Employers Looking For, and What Skills Do you Need to Make Yourself an Attractive Candidate? Read on to Find Out.

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In a rapidly changing world economy, it’s a question that’s consistently at the top of everyone’s mind: what job skills do I need, and which will get me a job? Hunting for a job requires not only a specific set of strategies and techniques, but also a strong sense of confidence in your abilities. But it’s those abilities – which abilities, specifically – that hang up a lot of jobseekers.

Elegant business partners holding blank papers on green background

We’ve dug into this very topic before, and provided some insight into which job skills will get you hired this year. As the economy is constantly shifting and evolving, and churning undercurrents of consumer behavior call for different types of workers creating and supplying different products and services, it can be really difficult to know what employers want. We’re here to be a compass of sorts, and outline a handful of skills that employers are really scouring the labor market for in 2016, which should give you a leg-up in your job search.

While there will always be a need (until the robot take-over, that is) for menial, low-wage work, if you’re truly looking to give your career a shot in the arm, you’re going to need to put in some time on the side. Investing in yourself by learning new skills can lead you to new, unanticipated opportunities, and ultimately put a lot more money in your pocket. If you want to get serious about improving your earnings potential, this is the place to start.

So, what are employers looking for, and what skills do you need to make yourself an attractive candidate? Read on to find out.

1. Social skills

As we covered a little while back, social skills are becoming increasingly important in more and more organizations. At one time, this set of skills was overlooked – even seen as a hindrance to productivity. But as time marches on, managers and team leaders are recognizing the importance of social skills, and how they can shape a workplace. The main reason? Human interaction is hard to automate, and almost impossible for a computer to mimic. As automation kicks in, and social connections become more scarce, they’ll naturally increase in value.

 

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2. Industry-related programs

If you know what specific job or industry you’re gunning for, then you’re going to want to have a tool chest full of skills tailored for it. And in a world in which knowledge and software skills are as important as ever, figuring out which programs and skills you’ll need is paramount to getting hired. We put together a recent list of which programs are on employers’ wish lists for this year, so take a look and see which are relevant to your career track. Knowing these programs intimately will give you a big leg-up during the hiring process.

3. Development

These days, the word “developer” means so much more than someone who builds condos. And developers of all stripes are in high demand. In our case, we’re referring specifically to software and web developers, both of which possess skill sets that are highly sought-after by many big, flourishing companies. If this is a career track you’re interested in pursuing, go back to the previous item on our list, and figure out which software programs you need to be well-versed in to start getting successful interviews behind you.

4. Design

In the same way that developers are a hot commodity, so are designers. Designers possibly come in more stripes than developers, as there are graphic designers, software designers, game designers – hell, even fashion companies and automotive manufacturers need designers. Needless to say, the world needs designers. If you want to get specific, the world needs web designers, and algorithm designers. These are skills that will not only land you a job, but likely a pretty high salary.

5. Information security

We don’t often go a week or so without hearing about some giant data breach, which typically puts the personal information for millions of people at risk. It’s happened to big corporations like Target, and it’s even happened to government agencies. Because data is so valuable – and because so many people are out there trying to steal it – information security is something that every organization is quickly trying to beef up. That means there’s a need for information security professionals, leaving an opportunity to learn the skills and get hired.

There are a lot of problems to solve, so don’t hesitate to learn and start applying right away.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter @SliceOfGinger

 

CheatSheet.com | September 4, 2016 | Sam Elliott

Your #Career : The 5 Best Ways to Network While You’re Still in College… When to Start Looking for a Career/Job? Today, IF you start your Junior Year, your Late!

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Thinking about the real world can be intimidating as a college student (I’ve been there!)… So it’s no surprise that our team gets questions from hundreds of students each month about how to network effectively in preparation for a career.

College Graduate

The connections I made in college have been instrumental in my post-grad life, including in starting my own company, WayUp. Below are five ways I suggest networking as a college student. Anyone can and should use them to build an effective set of relationships that will support you throughout your career.

Armed with these strategies, you should walk away feeling excited about the network, and future, that you’re building.

1. Use part-time jobs and internships to your advantage

Warren Buffett started as a paperboy, Madonna as a Dunkin Donuts worker, and Oprah worked at a grocery store. Working during school is the perfect way to gain experience, figure out what you love / don’t love, and make money. But regardless of what you choose to do, you’ll likely meet people who will go on to do bigger and better things, and you never know how they’ll be able to help you.

Today’s barista is tomorrow high-powered ad executive, so don’t discount anybody along the way. Use your time at work to get to know people and ask questions. Stay in touch after you leave a job or internship, even if it’s just a quick email update every couple of months.

 

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2. Cold email people you admire

I love cold emailing people (“cold emailing” means reaching out to someone you don’t know). Every college student should take advantage of how easy it can be!

Students are often intimidated to message someone to whom they have no connection, but in my experience, most people in the world really want to help others, and it’s even more special when a person gets to help a college student. So be sure to cold email people you admire, or even people at your own school who you just haven’t been able to meet.

Cold-emailing helped me plenty in college. I got one internship through it (back then, we didn’t have WayUp!), and I even relied on a cold email to a role model so I could get their advice on which career path to take after graduation. Here’s a video (at 49-seconds) of me telling that story:

A couple big tips here: always be respectful and genuine when cold emailing, definitely make sure that you show that you respect their time, and most of all, be sure to use the “I’m a college student” opening while you still can!

3. Take advantage of professional networking groups and clubs on campus

Many colleges have groups, clubs, and associations that you can join to expand your opportunities and meet amazing people, both on and off-campus. There’s never going to be another time quite like college where you’re surrounded by thousands of amazingly smart and interesting people, so get to know the people you think will change the world someday.

At college, you’re exposed to some of the most brilliant academic minds in the world, so why wouldn’t you take advantage of that? If there’s a subject area you’re interested in, don’t be afraid to go to professors in that field; they love talking about their work and meeting young people who are just as interested.

You never know which professor will end up being the professor who changes your life trajectory. For example, the professor who taught my “Entrepreneurship” class helped me work on a business plan that ended up being the inspiration for WayUp!

5. Reach out to everyone you know in your personal network

The best way to figure out what you might be interested in is to talk to absolutely everyone about your interests. You’d be surprised at how many people your friends and family know.

Pro-tip: don’t forget to take advantage of winter and spring break. It’s the perfect opportunity to reach out to folks at home about connections they may have that are relevant to your interests!

No matter where you attend school or what you choose to study, building a network now will make life so much easier after graduation. Good luck!

Liz Wessel,    CONTRIBUTOR – I write about how to level up your career while in college

Forbes.com | September 7, 2016

#Leadership : 8 Bad Mistakes That Make Good Employees Leave…Managers Tend to Blame their Turnover Problems on Everything Under the Sun while Ignoring the Crux of the Matter: People Don’t Leave Jobs; They Leave Managers.

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It’s tough to hold on to good employees, but it shouldn’t be. Most of the mistakes that companies make are easily avoided. When you do make mistakes, your best employees are the first to go, because they have the most options.Free- Bubble on the Bubble

If you can’t keep your best employees engaged, you can’t keep your best employees. While this should be common sense, it isn’t common enough. A survey by CEB found that one-third of star employees feel disengaged from their employer and are already looking for a new job.

When you lose good employees, they don’t disengage all at once. Instead, their interest in their jobs slowly dissipates. Michael Kibler, who has spent much of his career studying this phenomenon, refers to it as brownout. Like dying stars, star employees slowly lose their fire for their jobs.

“Brownout is different from burnout because workers afflicted by it are not in obvious crisis,”Kibler said. “They seem to be performing fine: putting in massive hours, grinding out work while contributing to teams, and saying all the right things in meetings. However, they are operating in a silent state of continual overwhelm, and the predictable consequence is disengagement.”

In order to prevent brownout and to retain top talent, companies and managers must understand what they’re doing that contributes to this slow fade. The following practices are the worst offenders, and they must be abolished if you’re going to hang on to good employees.

1. They make a lot of stupid rules.

Companies need to have rules—that’s a given—but they don’t have to be shortsighted and lazy attempts at creating order. Whether it’s an overzealous attendance policy or taking employees’ frequent flier miles, even a couple of unnecessary rules can drive people crazy. When good employees feel like big brother is watching, they’ll find someplace else to work.

 

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2. They treat everyone equally.

While this tactic works with school children, the workplace ought to function differently. Treating everyone equally shows your top performers that no matter how high they perform (and, typically, top performers are work horses), they will be treated the same as the bozo who does nothing more than punch the clock.

3. They tolerate poor performance.

It’s said that in jazz bands, the band is only as good as the worst player; no matter how great some members may be, everyone hears the worst player. The same goes for a company. When you permit weak links to exist without consequence, they drag everyone else down, especially your top performers.

4. They don’t recognize accomplishments.

It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back, especially with top performers who are intrinsically motivated. Everyone likes kudos, none more so than those who work hard and give their all. Rewarding individual accomplishments shows that you’re paying attention. Managers need to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good (for some, it’s a raise; for others, it’s public recognition) and then to reward them for a job well done. With top performers, this will happen often if you’re doing it right.

5. They don’t care about people.

More than half the people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss. Smart companies make certain that their managers know how to balance being professional with being human. These are the bosses who celebrate their employees’ successes, empathize with those going through hard times, and challenge them, even when it hurts. Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It’s impossible to work for someone for eight-plus hours a day when they aren’t personally involved and don’t care about anything other than your output.

6. They don’t show people the big picture.

It may seem efficient to simply send employees assignments and move on, but leaving out the big picture is a deal breaker for star performers. Star performers shoulder heavier loads because they genuinely care about their work, so their work must have a purpose. When they don’t know what that is, they feel alienated and aimless. When they aren’t given a purpose, they find one elsewhere.

7. They don’t let people pursue their passions.

Google mandates that employees spend at least 20% of their time doing “what they believe will benefit Google most.” While these passion projects make major contributions to marquis Google products, such as Gmail and AdSense, their biggest impact is in creating highly engaged Googlers. Talented employees are passionate. Providing opportunities for them to pursue their passions improves their productivity and job satisfaction, but many managers want people to work within a little box. These managers fear that productivity will decline if they let people expand their focus and pursue their passions. This fear is unfounded. Studies have shown that people who are able to pursue their passions at work experience flow, a euphoric state of mind that is five times more productive than the norm.

8. They don’t make things fun.

If people aren’t having fun at work, then you’re doing it wrong. People don’t give their all if they aren’t having fun, and fun is a major protector against brownout. The best companies to work for know the importance of letting employees loosen up a little. Google, for example, does just about everything it can to make work fun—free meals, bowling allies, and fitness classes, to name a few. The idea is simple: if work is fun, you’ll not only perform better, but you’ll stick around for longer hours and an even longer career.

Bringing It All Together

Managers tend to blame their turnover problems on everything under the sun while ignoring the crux of the matter: people don’t leave jobs; they leave managers.

What other mistakes cause great employees to leave? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

Travis co-wrote the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and co-foundedTalentSmart.

Forbes.com | September 7, 2016 | Travis Bradberry 

#Leadership : The Short, Online Course In Gratitude That Can Make You A Better Boss…When Managers Exercise Positive Psychology, Employees and Organizations Benefit.

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Every weekday, Cory Ludens starts his morning by writing out three “gratitudes”—each specific, and never repeated. Over the last four years, he has named roughly 400. “It’s just a part of my life,” says Ludens, vice president of culture and events at Mattress Firm, a Texas-based retailer. “It helps me to create a mind-set that I’m going to approach whatever challenges I’m faced with that day in a positive way.”

Free- Stones stacked on each other

Taking a few minutes to be intentional about gratitude may sound like a minor change in routine, but research suggests that “happiness habits” like the one that Ludens has adopted can have a positive impact on not just life satisfaction but also workplace engagement and productivity.

Employers like Accenture, eager to take advantage of that potential upside to such mindful practices as Luden’s gratitude exercise, have started sponsoring online courses like Arianna Huffington’s Thrive, developed by the Oprah Winfrey Network. More broadly, 60% of job seekers care most about whether the staff at a prospective employer feel appreciated versus 5% who care most about getting promoted fast, according to a recent survey from cloud consultancy Appirio. Happiness and vocation, it would seem, are intertwined.

Now, a new online learning program aims to turn those individual practices into management strategy. The Employee Engagement Bootcamp, developed by the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in collaboration with digital training provider CorpU, helps managers foster a “mindful” work environment. Over the course of three months, managers earn a certificate by completing modules on happiness at work, positive leadership, and talent management. Mattress Firm has been a CorpU customer for years, and many of its employees have completed versions of courses that evolved into this new bootcamp.

STEP ONE: KNOW THYSELF

“How do I call on my best self?” asks Melanie Barnett, chief executive education officer at Ross. “This isn’t a strength-finder exercise necessarily,” she explains, “it’s more about the complex and integrated picture of you when you’re doing well.” Barnett says it’s different for everyone and every situation. “It’s an art as much as a science,” she adds.

From there, the bootcamp layers in exercises and personal reflections based on research conducted by Harvard professor Shawn Achor, an expert on happiness at work, as well as Michigan professors Kim Cameron and Dave Ulrich, experts on positive leadership and finding purpose. By resetting your “awareness of events and potentialities within an environment,” to use Achor’s definition of mindfulness, you can “rewire” your brain.

Aside from the “three gratitudes” exercise, the bootcamp suggests that managers try a variety of mindfulness practices. For example, they can try meditating at their desk, journaling about a meaningful experience, or sending words of encouragement to friends or family.

“This is where you make it real,” says Alan Todd, CorpU CEO. “What does this mean to me, and what am I going to do differently at work tomorrow?”

 

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STEP TWO: EXERCISING ENGAGEMENT

Over time, researchers say, managers who exhibit behaviors associated with greater mindfulness are more likely to find ways to engage with their employees. And when employees are engaged, they are more productive and less likely to quit.

Of course, engagement can prompt difficult conversations. Encouraging employees to feel a greater sense of purpose may lead to questions about a company’s core values or how it operates. “This is for companies that are comfortable with the discomfort that comes from honest, open dialogue,” Todd says. “If the company culture is closed or afraid, you’re not going to get much out of this.”

But Todd also argues that in our current era, where “software is eating the world,”companies that want to succeed have no choice but to make themselves uncomfortable. “We’re trying to help organizations go faster,” Todd says. “Honest, open conversation is crucial because we don’t have time to do it the old way.”

As for Ludens, he says that the idea of happiness as a competitive advantage is now embedded in how Mattress Firm operates. “We start all of our meetings with verbal affirmations before we jump into the agenda,” he says. In addition, Ludens tries to send one note of thanks to a team member every day. “We believe that if we can give people a purpose and a reason to love what they do, then they’ll stay happy, engaged, motivated, and be productive at work.”

The collective outcome of all that gratitude: an overall culture of collaboration and support, which has become essential as the company has grown through mergers and acquisitions. Plus, Ludens says, employees are more eager to learn in general, no matter how dry the topic.

If mindfulness and gratitude can make accounting exciting, the sky’s the limit.

 

FastCompany.com | AINSLEY O’CONNELL 09.01.16 5:00 AM

 

#Leadership : From Old-School To-Do Lists To How Google Hires: August’s Top Read Leadership Stories…August’s Top Leadership Stories May Get you to Take your To-Do List Analog and Help you Get Noticed by a Google Recruiter.

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This month we learned how Patagonia recoups 91% of the cost of onsite child care, why an Industrial Age to-do list hack still has life in it, and why Google is thinking more creatively about hiring engineers than it used to.

These are the stories you loved in Leadership in August 2016:

1. I HIRE ENGINEERS AT GOOGLE—HERE’S WHAT I LOOK FOR (AND WHY)

Google recruiter Keawe Block says the company’s methods for hiring tech talent have been getting more holistic. That’s by design: “We’re as interested in English or philosophy majors as we are in computer science degree holders. We don’t really care if you have a 4.0 GPA, and we’re not interested in whether you can figure out how many golf balls fit inside a 747.”

2. THIS 100-YEAR-OLD TO-DO LIST HACK WORKS LIKE A CHARM

Long before that nifty task-management app on your smartphone, an industrialist paid a hefty sum for this stupidly simple productivity method. A century later, it’s still as useful as ever. Here’s why and how it works.

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3. PATAGONIA’S CEO EXPLAINS HOW TO MAKE ONSITE CHILD CARE PAY FOR ITSELF

Most corporate execs barely give a second thought to the idea of offering onsite child care to employees, imagining that it would be ludicrously expensive. But Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario points out that not only has the company been doing just that—sustainably—for years, it actually recoups more than 90% of the costs. This month she showed us the math.

4. 6 THINGS YOU’RE DOING THAT YOU’LL SERIOUSLY REGRET IN 10 YEARS

One recent survey by a major insurance company found that nearly one-third of American adults regret at least one big decision in their lives. And harboring regrets, some experts say, may have long-term consequences. Here’s a look at the some of the most common sources of regret and what to do about them.

5. SIX BRAIN HACKS TO LEARN ANYTHING FASTER

Picking up new skills is crucial to your career but often takes time you don’t have. But psychologists and brain scientists are understanding more about how we learn. This month we picked up a few research-backed tips for optimizing that process.

6. THIS IS YOUR BRAIN’S DEFAULT SETTING—HERE’S HOW AND WHEN TO CHANGE IT

Is overconfidence always a bad thing? Scientifically speaking, it depends. There may be more than one psychological source of overconfidence, which researchers suspect may be our brains’ way of saving us mental energy. This week we learned how to hack that system when we need to.

7. THE RESULTS ARE IN: SPORTS REPORTING IS AS SEXIST AS YOU’VE ALWAYS SUSPECTED

According to Cambridge University researchers, sports reporters are more likely to call women athletes “girls” than to refer to their male counterparts as “boys.” That may not surprise you, but it doesn’t end there. Here’s a close look at how gender bias pervades the vocabulary of sportscasts—including at the Rio Olympics.

8. THIS IS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO WORK FOR A MARIJUANA STARTUP

Feeling like it’s high time to quit your day job and get into the (legal) weed business? This month some leaders in the budding industry offer a stone-cold-sober look at life in cannabis tech.

9. HIRING LESSONS FROM THE GUY WHO RECRUITED 9,000 PAID STAFFERS FOR THE OLYMPICS

From sheer volume and tight deadlines to local hiring quotas and diversity goals, Paul Modley had his work cut out for him when it came to staffing the 2012 London Olympics—work that began a full five years prior. Here’s how he pulled it off and what he learned in the process.

10. DO FEMALE ATHLETES GET STIFFED BY THE SPORTS INDUSTRY?

The Rio Olympics offered a brief moment of equality for women’s athletics, which on average draw far less coverage and, subsequently, fewer fans and sponsorship dollars than men’s teams do. Here’s a look at the vicious industry circle in which the world’s top female athletes are caught.

FAST COMPANY STAFF 09.02.16 5:00 AM

Your #Career : 9 Mistakes that Will get your Résumé Thrown in the Trash…Having a Résumé riddled with Errors is like Shooting Yourself in the Foot before the Race even Starts. There are Minor Problems that Hiring Managers Might Overlook or Forgive.

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And then there are the mistakes that’ll get your application thrown out faster than you can say, “It was a mistake to put my CV in Comic Sans font.”

ResumeInHole

Here are several devastating résumé errors that’ll get you immediately tossed into the rejection pile:

Vivian Giang contributed to an earlier version of this article.

Distracting typos and grammatical errors

An abundance typos and grammatical errors tell the hiring manager one thing — you didn’t care enough to take two seconds to double check your résumé. So why should they take the time to read it?

Lies

Don’t lie on your résumé. You’ll get caught — immediately or eventually — and it’ll be super awkward for everyone involved. If you’re really concerned that you have no experience relative to the role, it’s better to just be honest and hope for the best.

Salary information

“Some people include past hourly rates for jobs they held in college,” Nicolai says. This information is completely unnecessary and may send the wrong message.

Amy Hoover, president of Talent Zoo, says you also shouldn’t address your desired salary in a résumé. “This document is intended to showcase your professional experience and skills. Salary comes later in the interview process.”

Ridiculous fonts

Don’t get fancy with your font choices.

Curly-tailed fonts are also a turn off according to J.T. O’Donnell, a career and workplace expert, founder of career-advice site WorkItDaily.com, and author of “Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career “People try to make their résumé look classier with a fancy font, but studies show they are harder to read and the recruiter absorbs less about you.”

Less is more when it comes to the font you use on your résumé.

No mention of required skills or experience

This one’s pretty basic, but if you don’t meet any of the minimum qualifications, your résumé’s probably going to get tossed (especially for management-level positions). Hiring managers don’t have all day to pore over CVs that don’t meet their criteria.

You don’t even have to be unqualified! Your résumé might just be so bad it fails highlight any of your actual strengths and experiences, leaving the hiring manager feeling like you’re not a good fit.

 

Telling the hiring manager what you can’t do

In Business Insider’s previous roundup of disastrous résumés, one applicant revealed that they didn’t want to deal with angry customers in the future.

The résumé is only the beginning of the application process. Don’t start off with such a negative tone.

Nonsensical formatting

There’s no reason to get creative with your formatting (unless you’re in a design-based industry and you really know what you’re doing). Everyone else, use a standard template. Anything too complicated will just annoy the reader.

Complete lack of relevant experience

How does that waiting job you had in high school apply to the financial internship you’re applying for?

Clogging up your résumé with useless tidbits is a surefire way of landing in the “no” pile.

 

Businessinsider.com | September 2, 2016 | Jacquelyn Smith, Rachel Gillett and Áine Cain

#Life : 3 Powerful Ways to Keep Your Past From Dictating Your Future…Share your Story, create Connections on a Deeper Level and However you Started Life will Become your Launch Pad Instead of your Burden.

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Growing up, I was a pretty unlikely candidate for the life I’m leading today, at least that’s what it looked like from the outside. I was raised in a rougher part of the Newark, N.J. area, and I stumbled into drugs and gang-related stuff pretty early. I got deep into alcohol, marijuana and even almost arrested on drug charges.

Free- Blowing a DandiLion

I don’t share a lot of these details publicly, usually, but it’s important to me to honor where I came from and how my experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. As the Millennial Mentor, I connect with a lot of young people. I’m also really proud to have brought a start-up incubator to Newark, called Fownders, where I’m investing all of my energy into elevating the next wave of young creators who think a future like mine seems impossible.

I’ve heard a lot of stories.

And, we all have stories. We’ve done things we’re not proud of, we’ve overcome insane adversities, we are each a testament to the power of the human spirit in our own ways. It’s not what happens to us that matters — it’s the way we deal with it.

Something that needs to be emphasized is that your past doesn’t dictate your future. And while this phrase may get thrown around a lot in motivational circles, I’ve really lived myself into the truth of that. I’ve heard many very talented young people voice their concerns about being held back by where they’ve come from and what they’ve done.

From violence to homelessness, you name it, sometimes we don’t get handed the easiest spread of cards to work with. With that said, the best stories are always the ones of the underdog rising to the top, making it against all odds, and putting in the necessary faith and hard work to overcome their experiences and beliefs.

We all appreciate our successes much more when we really value the evolution of them. There are a few key things to remember when moving forward and feeling held back by something in your past:

1. It’s not the negative experience.

It’s never the experience that creates the pain or adversity for us, it’s the way we think about it. Sometimes this is a tough message to swallow, but the truth is that no matter what happens, if you believe you can transcend it, you will. The mind is very powerful, and it does create our experience of the world around us in a big way. So if you believe you can’t or that you’re trapped in a bad situation forever, your reality will reflect that. If you believe you are capable, that you are supported [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][or will find support] and that your presence is needed in the world — that’s what your experience will be like.

Related: A Strong Personal Brand Will Enhance Your Life, No Matter What You Do for a Living

 

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2. Everyone has a story.

Fear of judgment is a big thing. Many people argue that the fear of not being liked is one of the greatest human fears. I’d agree with this, because the larger of a presence you become, and the more visibility you become willing to show up for, the more you are apt to deal with people projecting their own pains and insecurities onto you. In other words, haters and judgment. You have to become rock solid in knowing that when other people judge you or where you’ve been, it’s really not about you. They have their own stories. It can take time and effort, but if you can look at everyone in this light, you become a lot less phased by the prospect of being judged.

3. Use your story as your motivation.

It would be really easy to stay stuck where you are or where you’ve been – but it would also be no way to live. If you have a desire to create or be something, then it’s imperative that you create or be that something, and with every ounce of belief that you can. When I look back on my experiences, they make me really excited to support other millennials, because I can resonate with a whole variety of different backgrounds and stories. From rock bottom to mega-success, I’ve been there. It keeps me humble, and that’s the most important thing you can be on your way to where you’re going — other than insanely faithful to your own worth. The two can go hand-in-hand, and they need to.

Related: Busting 7 of the Most Common Personal Branding Myths

The Bottom Line is that no matter what your past looks like, there are tons of other people who have been there. When you share your story, it also allows people to connect with you on a deep level, which builds a lot of respect and loyalty from your community. While it’s hard to let go of the fear of being judged and it’s a constant process, the more you focus on what you have to give rather than being defined by where you’ve been, the easier it is to keep moving forward.

 

Entrepreneur.com | September 2, 2016 | Gerard Adams

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