#Leadership : 5 Ways The Fear Of Rejection Holds You Back…Getting Turned Down or Passed Up isn’t the End of the World. Learning to Tolerate the Distress Associated with Rejection can Actually Build your Confidence.

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The Fear of Rejection Often Serves as the Single Greatest Obstacle that Stands Between a Capable Individual & Enormous Success. Its Powerful Grip can Prevent You from Reaching your Greatest Potential.

Fear

Everyone fears rejection at one time or another. Maybe you decided not to ask someone out on a date because you were afraid the object of your affection would decline. Or perhaps you didn’t apply for that job because you worried you wouldn’t get it. Either way, you may have missed out on your big break.

The fear of rejection often serves as the single greatest obstacle that stands between a capable individual and enormous success. Its powerful grip can prevent you from reaching your greatest potential. Here are five ways the fear of rejection can hold you back:

1. You Avoid New Opportunities

You’re hard wired to avoid things that cause you to feel afraid. Fear is meant to keep you safe from danger. So while running away from a hungry lion makes sense, refusing to ask for a raise because you fear rejection isn’t exactly logical.

Eliminating any possible risk of rejection from your life will prevent you from exploring new opportunities. After all, there’s no guarantee that the audience will appreciate your presentation or that your friends will support your ideas. But unless you’re willing to put yourself out there and risk a rejection or two, you’re not likely to receive many rewards.

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2. You Try to Please Everyone

One way to reduce the chances of being rejected is by trying to please everyone. Saying yes to every invite, and agreeing to do things you don’t want to do, may make others like you – at least temporarily.

But being a people-pleaser is likely to backfire in the long-run. In reality, it’s impossible to make everyone happy and you’re certainly not responsible for other people’s emotions. People-pleasing can lead to a long list of problems, including burnout and exhaustion, and it can also cause you to lose sight of your values.

3. You Maintain a Disingenuous Public Performance

The fear of rejection can lead you to put on a public persona aimed at disguising ‘the real you.’ Plastering on a fake smile and trying really hard to fit in with everyone around you may reduce your fear of being seen for who you really are. And while that public mask may help you in certain situations, people will see right through you if you lay it on too thick.

Vulnerability is key to living an authentic life. But of course, being vulnerable requires you to risk being hurt. If your fear of rejection prevents you from being genuine, you’ll struggle to form sincere relationships.

4. You Don’t Speak Up

Rather than close the deal, saying, “Call me if you decide it’s something you want,” can reduce your anxiety. This passive technique will preserve your self-worth – at least temporarily – because you won’t have to hear someone reject your offer.

Declining to express your opinion, refusing to stand up for yourself, and shying away from asking for what you want equals poor communication. It’s unlikely people are going to hand you what you want in life, unless you ask for it.

5. You Behave Passive-Aggressively

Instead of calling a friend to ask, “Can you help me move?” saying, “My family is so selfish. They’re not even going to help me move!” may be an attempt to trick your friend into volunteering. But such attempts to avoid rejection are downright manipulative.

Rejection doesn’t sting so much when you aren’t faced with it head-on. Hinting, complaining, or giving back-handed compliments are just a few of the ways people with a fear of rejection avoid direct confrontation. But ultimately, this roundabout way of doing business only causes more friction.

Short-Term Pleasure, Long-Term Problems

Rejection hurts and dodging it is one way to avoid the short-term pain. But taking steps to avoid all types of rejection only leads to long-term problems.

Getting turned down or passed up isn’t the end of the world. Learning to tolerate the distress associated with rejection can actually build your confidence. Once you see that it isn’t as catastrophic as you predict, you’ll learn to take on the attitude of, “nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

Amy Morin is a psychotherapist, keynote speaker, and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do, a bestselling book that is being published in more than 20 languages.

 

Forbes.com | August 11, 2015 | Amy Morin

 

#Leadership : 8 Powerful Ways To Mold Your Children Into Leaders…As Parents & Caretakers of Children, their Path to Leadership is in Our Hands.

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The Road to Success is Paved with Failure. When you try to Shield your Children from Failure in Order to Boost their Self-Esteem, they have Trouble Tolerating the Failure Required to Succeed as a Leader.

Mother

We all want our children to become leaders.  Whether they spend the bulk of their days in the mailroom or the corner office, we want our children to grow to be courageous, passionate and authentic. We want their actions to inspire other people to be their best, to get more out of life than they ever thought possible.

As parents and caretakers of children, their path to leadership is in our hands.

We can model and teach the skills that will equip them to lead themselves and others in this hyper-competitive world, or we can allow them to fall victim to the kind of thinking that makes them slaves to the status quo.

It’s a big responsibility—but when isn’t being a parent a massive responsibility?  The beauty of building children into leaders is that it’s the little things we do every day that mold them into the people they’ll become.

Focus on The 8 Actions Below, and you’ll build leadership in your children and yourself.

1- Model Emotional Intelligence (EQ)

Emotional intelligence is that “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible; it affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.

Children learn emotional intelligence from their parents, plain and simple. As your children watch you every day, they absorb your behavior like a sponge. Children are particularly attuned to your awareness of emotions, the behavior you demonstrate in response to strong emotions and how you react and respond to their emotions.

EQ is one of the biggest drivers of success in leadership positions. TalentSmart has tested more than a million people and found that EQ is responsible for 58% of a leader’s job performance. Likewise, 90% of top-performing leaders have high EQs.

Most people do very little to develop their EQ growing up. Just 36% of the people we tested are able to accurately identify their emotions as they happen. Children who develop a high level of EQ carry these skills into adulthood, and this gives them a leg up in leadership and in life.

 

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2- Don’t Obsess About Achievement

Parents get sucked into obsessing about achievement because they believe that this will make their children into high-achievers. Instead, fixating on achievement creates all sorts of problems for kids. This is especially true when it comes to leadership, where focusing on individual achievement gives kids the wrong idea about how work gets done.

Simply put, the best leaders surround themselves with great people because they know they can’t do it alone. Achievement-obsessed children are so focused on awards and outcomes that they never fully understand this. All they can see is the player who’s handed the MVP trophy and the celebrity CEO who makes the news—they assume it’s all about the individual. It’s a rude awakening once they discover how real life works.

3- Don’t Praise Too Much

Children need praise to build a healthy sense of self-esteem. Unfortunately, piling on the praise doesn’t give them extra self-esteem. Children need to believe in themselves and to develop the self-confidence required to become successful leaders, but if you gush every time they put pen to paper or kick a ball (the “everyone gets a trophy” mentality), this creates confusion and false confidence. Always show your children how proud you are of their passion and effort; just don’t paint them as superstars when you know it isn’t true.

4- Allow Them To Experience Risk And Failure

Success in business and in life is driven by risk. When parents go overboard protecting their children, they don’t allow them to take risks and reap the consequences. When you aren’t allowed to fail, you don’t understand risk. A leader can’t take appropriate risks until he or she knows the bitter taste of failure that comes with risking it all and coming up short.

The road to success is paved with failure. When you try to shield your children from failure in order to boost their self-esteem, they have trouble tolerating the failure required to succeed as a leader. Don’t rub their face in it either. Children need your support when they fail. They need to know you care. They need to know that you know how much failure stings. Your support allows them to embrace the intensity of the experience and to know that they’ll make it through it all right. That, right there, is solid character building for future leaders.

5- Say No

Overindulging children is a surefire way to limit their development as leaders. To succeed as a leader, one must be able to delay gratification and work hard for things that are really important. Children need to develop this patience. They need to set goals and experience the joy that comes with working diligently towards them. Saying no to your children will disappoint them momentarily, but they’ll get over that. They’ll never get over being spoiled.

6- Let Children Solve Their Own Problems

There’s a certain self-sufficiency that comes with being a leader. When you’re the one making the calls, you should also be the one who needs to stay behind and clean up the mess these create. When parents constantly solve their children’s problems for them, children never develop the critical ability to stand on their own two feet. Children who always have someone swooping in to rescue them and clean up their mess spend their whole lives waiting for this to happen. Leaders take action. They take charge. They’re responsible and accountable. Make certain your children are as well.

7- Walk Your Talk

Authentic leaders are transparent and forthcoming. They aren’t perfect, but they earn people’s respect by walking their talk. Your children can develop this quality naturally, but only if it’s something they see you demonstrate. To be authentic, you must be honest in all things, not just in what you say and do but also in who you are. When you walk your talk, your words and actions will align with who you claim to be. Your children will see this and aspire to do the same.

8- Show You’re Human

No matter how indignant and defiant your children are at any moment, you’re still their hero and their model for the future. This can make you want to hide your past mistakes for fear that they’ll be enticed to repeat them. The opposite is true. When you don’t show any vulnerability, your children develop intense guilt about every failure because they believe that they’re the only ones to make such terrible mistakes.

To develop as leaders, children need to know that the people they look up to aren’t infallible. Leaders must be able to process their mistakes, learn from them, and move forward to be better people. Children can’t do this when they’re overcome by guilt. They need someone—a real, vulnerable person—to teach them how to process mistakes and to learn from them. When you show them how you’ve done this in the past, you’re doing just that.

Bringing It All Together

We can mold our children into leaders, but only if we work at it. Few things in life are as worth your time and effort as this.

How are you molding your children into leaders? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

Mother

Forbes.com | August 11, 2015 | Travis Bradberry

#Leadership : How You Manage Conflict Can Make Or Break Your Leadership Career…Successfully Resolving #Conflict is a Key Role of #Management. As Difficult as that May Sometimes Be.

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One of the Most Valuable Skills any Manager at Any Level can Have is the Ability to Handle Conflict Effectively. It’s Crucial. As anyone who’s managed a day or more likely knows, conflict abounds in the workplace. It can be about anything: budgets, personalities, competition for limited resources, competition with other leaders. It can be with those above you or below you. Often it simply involves, for whatever reasons, human beings just not getting along with each other.

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One thing I did learn in my management days: The ability to resolve conflict quickly, diplomatically and effectively is the hallmark of a successful executive. If not resolved (or not resolved satisfactorily), conflicts fester. They become lingering distractions, ongoing problems, drains on productivity. I’d go so far as to say that how you manage conflict can make or break your leadership career.

Since the causes of conflicts are so variable, it’s hard to concisely summarize how they’re usually resolved, except to say that good leaders exercise diplomacy, collaboration and authority when needed – and try to end up with solutions that leave all involved parties feeling at least OK about the situation. But what’s easier to isolate is approaches that don’t work. These are the kind of approaches that if used too often will derail the careers of even very promising and knowledgeable executives. I’d divide the issues into two basic categories.

“My way or the highway” – This occurs when leaders persistently drive too hard for a unilateral solution. The typical sequence of events is: Frustration boils over, rank is pulled and the person highest on the management food chain imposes his or her will. The problem is, this sort of behavior may win in the short term but likely not in the long. Over the long term, people don’t like being on the receiving of this kind of treatment. With too much “my way or the highway,” the highway is what many talented employees will be hitting. And too much turnover, too much burnout, is never good for an organization – or for executive careers.

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“Avoidance at all costs” – At the other end of the conflict spectrum is an approach that’s equally problematic, but for very different reasons. Avoiding conflict is a natural tendency – after all, conflict is hard and unpleasant. Often emotionally charged. It’s tempting to just put one’s head in the sand and hope it will go away. The trouble is, it won’t. And when leaders consistently duck conflict, it gets noticed – by those above and below. The net effect? Respect is lost. And no one in management, at any level, wants to be thought of as “weak.” If that becomes your reputation, there’s a good chance you won’t be in management too much longer.

As with much in management, a sustainable approach to conflict involves balance: An approach that looks it in the eye and neither ducks it nor steamrolls it – but deals with it fairly, firmly and thoughtfully.

Successfully resolving conflict is a key role of management. As difficult as that may sometimes be.

Victor is author of  The Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World (Prentice Hall Press).

Forbes.com | August 11, 2015 | Victor Lipman

 

Your #Career : How To Get Ahead Instead Of Just Getting By…Sometimes Small, Mundane “Check-the-Box” Tasks Have to Get Done. However If you Spend All your Time on the Small Stuff, You’ll get By, but Not get Ahead.

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Here are 6 Reasons you’re Not Getting Anything Important Done at Work — Even When you Have the Time — and What to Do About Them:

First Sun Success Series

Sometimes small, mundane “check-the-box” tasks have to get done. For most people, it’s a problem if they never respond to email or fill out administrative reports (unsubmitted expenses, anyone?). However if you spend all your time on the small stuff, you’ll get by, but not get ahead.

I believe that there’s more for you in your life and career, so I wanted to share some insights gleaned from my own experience as the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Training as well as an interview I did with Alexander Schultz, CEO of Complete Labs on what keeps us addicted to small tasks and how to get the big stuff done.

Here are 6 reasons you’re not getting anything important done at work — even when you have the time — and what to do about them:

1- “Cotton Candy” Wins

“We want a sense of achievement and accomplishment,” says Schultz. “When we get a lot of things done, it feels good. But just knocking to-do items off my checklist is not the progress I want to have.” Only doing small tasks is the equivalent of only eating cotton candy. You may end up with a quick sugar high but will soon crash and need more sugar to get you back up again. Your larger projects are like meat and vegetables: they take longer to chew and digest but leave you with a lasting sense of satisfaction.

To make it easier to make progress on these items, cut them up into as small of tasks as possible. That could mean listing out activities like sending an email to someone or editing the document after writing it. By dividing a big win into small celebrations, you’re still getting something of substance completed and making it easier to make progress.

 

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2- Mistrust of Your Memory

Another reason that you jump on little items immediately is because you fear you’ll forget to do them if they aren’t done now. Most likely you blame this on having a bad memory, but in reality it doesn’t matter how good or bad your memory is if you have the right systems in place. When you have a powerful to-do list, calendar system and email processing system, you know that you’ll get the right prompts at the right times to move items forward. By developing the right structure, even if it’s as simple as a notepad where you write down and review all your current to-do items, you can relax and focus on the bigger items at hand.

3- No Idea Where to Start

If you arrive at work, take a glance at your calendar, open your email and then just start bouncing through the day like a ping-pong ball hoping that you’ll land in the right place at the right time, you’re not alone. Many people take this sort of reactive approach to their work. When you aren’t aware of your priorities nor are you clear on when they need to get done, it’s incredibly hard to justify not taking care of the small stuff all the time.

To overcome this reactive tendency, I recommend that you review your projects and tasks lists on at least a weekly basis so that you can know what’s most important now. Then, if possible, slot in time to get the key items done on your calendar. Schultz also recommends writing your goals at the top of your to-do list and asking yourself, “Is this task aligned with what I want to accomplish and who I want to be?”

4- False Guilt

Yes, there’s a time and place to help your colleagues. But in almost every position, there’s also a time and place to focus on getting the work done that you need to do for yourself. Problems arise when external requests come at a faster rate or quantity than you can handle and you start to squeeze out the other work that you need to complete. This can lead to some people — especially people pleasers — feeling guilty for taking time to do their own work before everyone else is taken care of. But the truth is that if you don’t wrap up the projects only you can do, you’re not providing the most value for your company.

The key to overcoming this challenge is to pace the workflow. This means setting aside some time each week to drive your key projects forward, which then allows for work for others to fit into the remaining time slots available. This may mean that you don’t move ahead as quickly on other people’s projects, but in the larger picture that’s typically OK if you’re moving ahead on the most important goals.

5- Shame at Missed Deadlines

When you haven’t done something for a long time that you know you should do, even thinking about the task can trigger shame. So instead of making a dent in that big project, you answer another email.

To overcome this cycle, it’s important to recognize that everyone makes mistakes and has items they struggle to complete. It’s also helpful to talk about what’s going on with someone you trust since shame thrives in isolation. When you notice yourself avoiding a project and going into numbing behaviors, such as randomly checking social media, try to stop and recognize the root cause of these behaviors. This could mean sitting quietly and taking some deep breaths, journaling, or going on a walk and talking with a friend. The counterintuitive truth is that when you focus on your emotions and process them, you have the opportunity to release them and they’ll in turn have less impact on your behavior than if you just try to avoid them.

6- High Fives Required

Getting affirmation for your work feels good for most people. Depending on your personality type, it can be almost essential for getting things done. If you’re one of those people, don’t fight that tendency — work with it. You can do so by using online tools where you can post your activities and have others comment on them, work with a coach, or set up a buddy system with a friend to make progress on your bigger goals. That way you can get “Yahoo YHOO +1.28%!”s for each step along the way, even when the bigger project is far from complete.

If you are ready to really move forward in your career, stop letting the small stuff squelch your success.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time coach, the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Training , and the author of How to Invest Your Time Like Money and The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success With Less Stress.

Forbes.com | August 11, 2015 | YEC Women

Your #Career : How To Get Ahead Instead Of Just Getting By…Sometimes small, Mundane “Check-the-Box” Tasks Have to et done.

/in /by

Sometimes small, mundane “check-the-box” tasks have to get done. For most people, it’s a problem if they never respond to email or fill out administrative reports (unsubmitted expenses, anyone?). However if you spend all your time on the small stuff, you’ll get by, but not get ahead.

I believe that there’s more for you in your life and career, so I wanted to share some insights gleaned from my own experience as the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Training as well as an interview I did with Alexander Schultz, CEO of Complete Labs on what keeps us addicted to small tasks and how to get the big stuff done.

Here are 6 reasons you’re not getting anything important done at work — even when you have the time — and what to do about them:

1- “Cotton Candy” Wins

“We want a sense of achievement and accomplishment,” says Schultz. “When we get a lot of things done, it feels good. But just knocking to-do items off my checklist is not the progress I want to have.” Only doing small tasks is the equivalent of only eating cotton candy. You may end up with a quick sugar high but will soon crash and need more sugar to get you back up again. Your larger projects are like meat and vegetables: they take longer to chew and digest but leave you with a lasting sense of satisfaction.

To make it easier to make progress on these items, cut them up into as small of tasks as possible. That could mean listing out activities like sending an email to someone or editing the document after writing it. By dividing a big win into small celebrations, you’re still getting something of substance completed and making it easier to make progress.

2- Mistrust of Your Memory

Another reason that you jump on little items immediately is because you fear you’ll forget to do them if they aren’t done now. Most likely you blame this on having a bad memory, but in reality it doesn’t matter how good or bad your memory is if you have the right systems in place. When you have a powerful to-do list, calendar system and email processing system, you know that you’ll get the right prompts at the right times to move items forward. By developing the right structure, even if it’s as simple as a notepad where you write down and review all your current to-do items, you can relax and focus on the bigger items at hand.

3- No Idea Where to Start

If you arrive at work, take a glance at your calendar, open your email and then just start bouncing through the day like a ping-pong ball hoping that you’ll land in the right place at the right time, you’re not alone. Many people take this sort of reactive approach to their work. When you aren’t aware of your priorities nor are you clear on when they need to get done, it’s incredibly hard to justify not taking care of the small stuff all the time.

To overcome this reactive tendency, I recommend that you review your projects and tasks lists on at least a weekly basis so that you can know what’s most important now. Then, if possible, slot in time to get the key items done on your calendar. Schultz also recommends writing your goals at the top of your to-do list and asking yourself, “Is this task aligned with what I want to accomplish and who I want to be?”

4- False Guilt

Yes, there’s a time and place to help your colleagues. But in almost every position, there’s also a time and place to focus on getting the work done that you need to do for yourself. Problems arise when external requests come at a faster rate or quantity than you can handle and you start to squeeze out the other work that you need to complete. This can lead to some people — especially people pleasers — feeling guilty for taking time to do their own work before everyone else is taken care of. But the truth is that if you don’t wrap up the projects only you can do, you’re not providing the most value for your company.

The key to overcoming this challenge is to pace the workflow. This means setting aside some time each week to drive your key projects forward, which then allows for work for others to fit into the remaining time slots available. This may mean that you don’t move ahead as quickly on other people’s projects, but in the larger picture that’s typically OK if you’re moving ahead on the most important goals.

5- Shame at Missed Deadlines

When you haven’t done something for a long time that you know you should do, even thinking about the task can trigger shame. So instead of making a dent in that big project, you answer another email.

To overcome this cycle, it’s important to recognize that everyone makes mistakes and has items they struggle to complete. It’s also helpful to talk about what’s going on with someone you trust since shame thrives in isolation. When you notice yourself avoiding a project and going into numbing behaviors, such as randomly checking social media, try to stop and recognize the root cause of these behaviors. This could mean sitting quietly and taking some deep breaths, journaling, or going on a walk and talking with a friend. The counterintuitive truth is that when you focus on your emotions and process them, you have the opportunity to release them and they’ll in turn have less impact on your behavior than if you just try to avoid them.

6- High Fives Required

Getting affirmation for your work feels good for most people. Depending on your personality type, it can be almost essential for getting things done. If you’re one of those people, don’t fight that tendency — work with it. You can do so by using online tools where you can post your activities and have others comment on them, work with a coach, or set up a buddy system with a friend to make progress on your bigger goals. That way you can get “Yahoo YHOO +1.28%!”s for each step along the way, even when the bigger project is far from complete.

If you are ready to really move forward in your career, stop letting the small stuff squelch your success.

Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time coach, the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Training , and the author of How to Invest Your Time Like Money and The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment: How to Achieve More Success With Less Stress.

Forbes.com | August 11, 2015 | YEC Women

 

#Leadership : How To Be A #Boss: 7 Tips For Hiring — And Firing — A Friend…The Really Hard Part was, & Has, Been Deciding Whether or Not to Hire Friends at All.

/in /by

There are Still some Rules-of-Thumb for Managers/Founders Who are Considering Hiring Folks they Have a Relationship With.

When I first became a boss, one really tough thing was supervising my former co-workers and friends.  Kind of makes sense – right? You have to be a jerk sometimes and your erstwhile pals don’t take kindly to it. The bad: I lost a lot of party invitations. The good: the pay was better.

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It's important to realize that you don't actually need to like an employee's personality.

Whether to Hire a Friend or Not ?

But the really hard part was, and has, been deciding whether or not to hire friends at all. A lot of managers/entrepreneurs, for instance, do this during the startup phase. I did it at larger organizations, but still…it wasn’t a great when things went wrong. (Even when things didn’t go wrong,  you were always worried that things would go wrong – and how it would reflect on you.)

You don’t quite have that problem – you run the whole business after-all. But there are still some rules-of-thumb for managers/founders who are considering hiring folks they have a relationship with.

1. If you have to hire a friend, only Hire “A” players. That means folks at the top of their game. Yeah, I know. You do that all the time. But you tend to cut your friends some slack. That’s life. But it only creates a lot of problems. Your better employees resent cleaning up after your talentless buddies – and may look elsewhere for work. Customers will be annoyed. Even if the “A” player is a jerk, at least he or she is a talented jerk.

 

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2. Don’t Supervise Friends. If your “A” friend really has the chops, let your co- founder or a trusted employee run them. It isn’t always convenient, but it gets pretty uncomfortable directly supervising friends. And someone will always think you’re cutting them slack or paying them more or both.

3. Keep Your Door Open. I hired a friend to help me run a small magazine. He eventually left. When he did, a stream of folks came into my office to describe unspeakable stories of management malfeasance. I asked: “Why didn’t you tell me?” They replied, all of them: “Because he was your friend.” Jeez. The solution? Make sure all your employees know they can come to you if they have a problem.

4. Avoid the “Favor Syndrome.” Here’s how it goes. A friend will call you asking if you could give their friend, who “is really good,” some work. I have to tell you: This never, ever turns out well. If someone is calling you, that means their pal has been having trouble finding work. And you know what that means? More often than not often, that means they’re not very good.

5. Test Drives: See the “favor syndrome.” It doesn’t hurt to dole out a tryout assignment. If it doesn’t work, you may have to ghost your friend for a while. But it’s a lot better than friend-divorce. And speaking of which….

6. No Hard Feelings. I love this one. You tell your friend they have to agree that that the working relationship might not end well. And if it doesn’t, they have to leave and still like you. Well, it won’t work out just that way. But talking about it upfront helps.

7. Fire Fast. Yup, fire your friend if things aren’t working out. If you let problems linger, you’ll look bad to your co-founders, your employees, and your customers. You’ll lose your friend in the process, but so be it.

Your business, you know, is your only real friend.

Forbes.com | August 11, 2015 | Hank Gilman 

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#Strategy : 3 #Productivity Tips for Night Owls That Will Make you More #Successful…“The Early Bird Catches the Worm”. But What If your Brain is Just Programmed to Work at Night?

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Whether it’s the Midnight Moonlight or the Hush that Falls Over the House when Everyone’s Asleep, Working After-Hours can Equal some Serious Productivity.

working laptop night

Working at night just feels right for some people.

“The early bird catches the worm” is a phrase that we’ve all heard since the days of elementary school (I know my mom used to say that as she packed my lunch!).  But what if your brain is just programmed to work at night?

Whether it’s the midnight moonlight or the hush that falls over the house when everyone’s asleep, working after-hours can equal some serious productivity.

So, we spoke with a group of Millennial night owls to find out how they best burn the midnight oil:

1. Turn off the gadgets.

“I turn my phone off because most people are feeling social after 7 p.m., but that’s when I do my best work. Also, being aware that WiFi networks seem to be busiest between 8 and 10 p.m., I try not to schedule long-distance video calls or work on something that requires streaming video at that time.” — Nic Chapa, 27, mobile UX/UI designer

Related: 9 Things Successful People Do Right Before Bed

 

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2. Sleep in when you can.

“I do my best work when I can focus without interruptions, so I generally tackle tasks that require deep concentration at night when the activity of the day slows down and others are asleep. Then, I try to structure my calendar to have few responsibilities before 10 a.m. Of course, this is not always possible, but when it is, I push major obligations to the late morning and afternoon so that I have time to recover from the previous night’s work.” — Candace Jones, 27, senior manager, business operations

3. Take small breaks.

“With medical school, work, and my new puppy, I don’t sleep very much. But the nighttime is when I do my best studying. My tip would be to take breaks. Whenever I start to feel sleepy or my focus is off, I just put everything down and listen to music. The music energizes me and gets me motivated for another round of studying. To wake up in the morning, I take a hot shower.” — Cameron Henry, 25, medical student

Read the original article on Levo League. Copyright 2015. Follow Levo League on Twitter.

http://www.businessinsider.com/3-productivity-tips-for-night-owls-that-will-make-you-more-successful-2015-7#ixzz3iSQkeFWW

Your #Career : A 3-Step Process To Ensure You Keep #Networking Even After You Land The #Job…We All Know People Who Only Reach Out When They Need Something. You Don’t Want to be THAT person. Adopt this Simple 3 Step Process so You can Effortlessly Build in Networking Day-to-Day.

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The best time to network is when you don’t need anything. But the reality is that it’s easy to forget about networking until you need something. (No communication is one of the five big networking mistakes I’ve pointed out before.) If your job is in jeopardy or you just can’t stand your employer any longer, you overcome the inertia, the awkwardness, and the busyness and put networking into your schedule. But what happens after you land that next job? How do you continue to network and not once again lapse into only networking at the next emergency?

networking

Here is a three-step process to ensure you keep networking even after you land the job:

1- Pick a topic – you do have something to say

The biggest obstacle I hear regarding networking day-to-day is what to talk about. I don’t want to seem like I’m stalking. People are busy; I don’t want to interrupt them. I don’t have anything to say. Yes, you do have something to say. First of all, you probably have news to share: you landed a job; started a new project; or hit a personal milestone (e.g., moved to a new part of town, took an interesting trip). Certainly if you landed a new job, you need to circle back to everyone who even remotely helped you to thank them! Secondly, you can reach out about a general topic: a business initiative; management issue; professional development challenge; personal hobby; volunteer or community issue. Depending on what you decide is your topic, reach out to reconnect over the issue and invite but don’t presume a dialogue:

Hi Jane, I recently moved uptown, so lots going on by me. It occurred to me that we haven’t spoken in a while. How are you? Hope you’re well!

Hi Jane, I recently took over a new client in the energy field. I recall that you used to (still do?) work a lot with energy folks, so it made me think of you. How are you? Hope you’re well!

Hi Jane, I recently saw this recipe for vegetable samosas. It made me think of you. Are you still into Indian cooking? Hope you’re well!

Whether you choose a personal interest of the other person, personal news about yourself or even a professional topic, you can easily craft a short email that is personalized and friendly and doesn’t ask anything of them.

 

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2- Select your contact – you already know the right people

Another common networking obstacle I hear is keeping up with the “right” people – senior, powerful, or otherwise influential. The best networking is genuine and unassuming, so if you’re only doing it to attract people you think can help you, then it’s going to seem forced. Instead, focus on maintaining a diverse network with both quality and quantity – quality people you genuinely like and trust; and enough quantity of people so that your network doesn’t become too insular. Don’t assume that your network needs to change.

You already regularly connect with people in your department; you also want to connect with people in your company in other departments (people who may not be around you day-to-day so you have to actively reach out). You probably know people doing a similar job to you or in the same industry; you also want to know people in other jobs and other industries. When you think networking, you probably think of your professional life, but don’t forget people in your general contact list – from your alma mater, personal interests, community groups. Finally, your networking target list should also include people you don’t yet know but would like to meet – people you’ve read about; speakers you heard at a recent conference; names mentioned to you by common contacts.

3- Build in the time

Now that you have possible topics to discuss and a list of connections to rekindle, step 3 is to build in the time. You have a lot of options to fit networking into your schedule but also to mix and match when and how you reconnect:

Use your lunch hour – even if you meet people just once per week, that’s 50 connections over the year. You might focus on people in your company for ease of scheduling or specifically reserve your lunches for people outside (e.g., other jobs, other industries, personal contacts, new contacts)

Make a habit of sending a few daily emails, targeting people you haven’t connected with in the last month. Pick names at random out of your phone or use LinkedIn updates as a prompt (if someone pops up as changing their profile or having an anniversary, send them a message). Use the quick email samples I share above as a template
Reserve specific times each week or each month for a networking activity. This can be to do more emails or to add breakfasts or dinners to the mix. Or you could attend a professional association event or take a class in a personal interest (expanding your network over a shared hobby rather than professionally).

Set a reminder in your calendar to reconnect quarterly. For people you want to build a stronger relationship with, you want to connect more regularly. If you set a reminder for each quarter, you can use that prompt to circle back to key contacts additional times. Quarterly is frequent enough that you can build off previous contacts but not so frequent that it’s disruptive to you and them.

At the very least, consider an annual mailing, such as a holiday mailing, to ensure you get in touch at least once per year.

We all know people who only reach out when they need something. You don’t want to be THAT person. Adopt this simple three-step process so you can effortlessly build in networking day-to-day.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart®career coaching. She has worked with executives from American Express, Citigroup, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. She’s also a stand-up comic, so she’s not your typical coach. Connect with Caroline on Google+.

 

Forbes.com | August 9, 2015 | Caroline Ceniza-Levine

#Leadership : 3 Steps That Make A Real Difference In #Training Your #Team…Your Company’s Training Process Doesn’t Have to be Highly Structured or Complicated. Instead, try Creating a Framework that Evolves Organically from your Culture & is Flexible enough to Work with Any New Addition to your Team.

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For any growing business, hiring is always a process that must remain top-of-mind. There’s no doubt that hiring the right person from the onset is immensely important, but many overlook the impact that training has on the long-term success of any new employee.

job-seeker-3

Training is one of those things most managers/entrepreneurs don’t pay much attention to during the early days of the business. After all, you and your key team members are too busy creating a product, process and culture on the fly to institute a formal training program. It’s only after your hard work begins to pay off and the business begins to scale that the need for a formalized approach to training all of your new hires becomes acute. I experienced this firsthand earlier this year, when it became clear that our team needed to expand significantly to keep up with increasing customer demand.

Initially, my team and I dove right into the process of getting new hires up to speed on our immediate needs. Often, very little attention was paid to helping the new team members understand the larger initiatives at play. Naturally, this approach led to problems. Our new hires were confused about the bigger purpose behind their work, and the established executive team grew frustrated with projects misaligned to their needs and expectations.

We had to change to successfully navigate this period of rapid growth. We needed a framework that was flexible, robust and quickly implemented. To solve for this, my team and I developed a 3 step process for onboarding and training new hires.

Start with culture.

The level of skill that someone brings to the table is incredibly important, but it isn’t necessarily what makes someone successful. Specific skills can be learned and honed over time, but the need to mesh with a company’s culture comes up almost immediately. That’s why we spend the first few weeks on the job helping them acclimate to the culture that make our company unique. Rather than force someone to sit through a presentation about mission and values, we try and have new hires experience them firsthand. They spend time with our customers, partners and founding team. During this time, we reinforce the idea that we want to work with people we trust, respect and admire — setting the stage for long-term success.

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Assign a mentor.

Team members get a mentor who is tasked with making them successful. This way, we’re able to foster strong relationships across the organization and create an environment where people are invested in each other’s success. Mentors are responsible for not only tactical training, but also long-term career development.

When it comes to assigning a mentor, we often try to pair up employees who have had minor conflicts in the past. It seems somewhat counterintuitive, but I’ve found that if a leader has a problem with another team member, the best thing is to create a situation where each person is forced to make the other successful. More often than not, this structure resolves any existing conflict and forms a much stronger bond over time. This process of setting aside issues and moving forward positively help to create a much more balanced, open, and successful team across all levels.

Follow up early and often.

Finally, we follow up with new additions to the team early on and continue meeting on a frequent basis thereafter. This high-touch approach ensures that no one ever gets too far off course at any point in time. I personally set aside a scheduled time each week for an open conversation with each of my direct reports and require them to do the same with theirs. These follow-up sessions don’t have to be time-consuming. Often, they happen while making a coffee run or over lunch. The important thing is that problems and questions are never allowed to fester. By being insanely proactive in this manner, we’re able to make sure people receive the feedback and support they need, exactly when they need it.

Your company’s training process doesn’t have to be highly structured or complicated. Instead, try creating a framework that evolves organically from your culture and is flexible enough to work with any new addition to your team. If you ensure that your new hires understand the company’s culture, are partnered with mentors who are deeply invested in their success and have frequent opportunities for feedback, you’ll find that you’ll develop a more balanced and successful team.

Chris Myers is the Cofounder and CEO of BodeTree, a web application designed to help small businesses manage their finances.

Forbes.com | August 8, 2015 | Chris Myers

Your #Career : 7 Reasons Why Recruiters Aren’t Calling You…Even If you Don’t Want another Job, #Recruiter Relationships are Helpful. You get Market News, #Compensation Guidelines, & the Flattery that Comes with Being Pursued.

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Recruiter Calls are a Sign That you are Marketable & Visible. You Want to Get Recruiter Calls. If you Aren’t, Which of the 7 Mistakes are you Guilty Of?

Fear

You have probably heard this lucky scenario: a gainfully employed professional is busily doing his/her job when he/she is contacted by a recruiter hiring for a great opportunity. Sometimes this results in a hire – just like that, a new job without all the job search effort. At the very least, the professional hears market news, gets a real-time snapshot of his/her market value, and gets a confidence boost that a recruiter would think to call. Has this happened to you? Are recruiters calling you? If you’re not getting these opportunistic calls, here are seven possible reasons:

You are invisible online.

So much of candidate research is done online using social media, particularly LinkedIn. In my recruiting activity, I searched LinkedIn using keywords reflecting target skills, companies or types of experience. Would your profile show up if a recruiter were searching? Does your online profile comprehensively describe your skills and experience? Don’t assume that a well-written resume is enough because you may not get approached and even have a chance to send a resume.

 

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You are inactive online.

Sometimes I would hear about a candidate, but not much besides a name, and I would check LinkedIn for more detail…only to find a blank profile with one connection. Not only do I have no information to move forward, but I don’t have any way to contact you even if I wanted to – the fact that you have few connections means you’re not active, and you probably wouldn’t respond to my message. Some recruiters may even take your inactivity as a sign that you’re not up to date on social media and therefore not up to date in general.
Your role doesn’t correspond to obvious keywords.

It’s true that some candidates are easier to target passively than others. If your role uses a specific skill set (e.g., programming in a certain language) or can be described very specifically (e.g., fundraising) then keywords will more easily point to you. If your role is in general management or strategy or something more generic, then it’s harder to get swept up in a keyword search. However, you can increase your odds by putting the keywords that are relevant. Your title may be a generic one (e.g., Marketing Manager) but the description of your role can include specific types of marketing (e.g., digital/online, direct mail, customer segmentation) that are searchable.

Your current employer isn’t branded, leading or trending.

Another popular search item is company names. If you work for a household name, a market leader or the hot start-up covered by lots of media, then you have an advantage because a recruiter will search on those companies and find you in the process. But even if you work for a small mom and pop, you can improve your chances by including brand names where you can. Perhaps your clients are Fortune 500 companies and you can mention a few sample names. Perhaps your company routinely beats out a brand name and you can include a mention of this when you describe your employer. Your alma mater or previous employers may also be brand names, which is another reason why a comprehensive, detailed profile is critical.

You’re not in the public domain.

Beyond social media, recruiters also search more broadly – conferences, trade publications, professional associations. If you have appeared on a conference panel, posted a guest blog or opinion letter for your industry rag, or a current member of your professional group, then your name is more likely to surface in the places recruiters typically research. The more you’re out there, the more likely you’ll be found.

You don’t come recommended.

The most relied-upon source of candidates for recruiters is word-of-mouth. In all of my searches, but especially my executive-level searches, hearing your name from other executives guarantees that you’ll hear from me. Make your name the one that your network remembers. First of all, you need to know enough people. Secondly, they need know what you do. Finally, you need to keep in touch so you stay front-of-mind if a recruiter calls them.

You didn’t respond.

Maybe you are great about managing your online profile, your public persona and your network, and recruiters do call you…but you don’t respond. Did you set your LinkedIn profile to deliver messages? Have you updated your email address on all social profiles to an address you actually check? If you get a call, do you return it in a timely fashion? Even if you aren’t looking and are too busy to bother, missing a phone call now may mean you won’t be contacted again.

Even if you don’t want another job, recruiter relationships are helpful. You get market news, compensation guidelines, and the flattery that comes with being pursued. Recruiter calls are also a sign that you are marketable and visible. You want to get recruiter calls. If you aren’t, which of the seven mistakes are you guilty of?

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart® career coaching. She has worked with executives from American Express, Citigroup, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. She’s also a stand-up comic, so she’s not your typical coach. Connect with Caroline on Google+.

 

Forbes.com | August 1, 2015 | Caroline Ceniza-Levine