Leadership: Cubicles Are the Root of So Many Problems at Your Company…That’s Why it’s Important for Leadership to Have ‘Big Ears’ & Be in a Constant Listening Mode to Keep a Pulse on Our Workforce

/in /by

Employees remain extremely unsatisfied with their careers, which impacts their performance and productivity.

office space cubicle milton

A January Gallup poll reported that only 31.5% of workers in the U.S. were engaged in their jobs in 2014, a slight increase from 29.6% in 2013. A majority of employees (51%) were still “not engaged,” and 17.5% were “actively disengaged” in 2014. The current level of 31.5% is the highest level of employee engagement since Gallup began the measurement in 2000.

Engaged employees as ones who are involved in, enthusiastic about and committed to their work and workplace, Gallup said. The group with the highest proportion of engaged employees is managers and executives at 38.4% while employees who work in manufacturing or production jobs recorded the lowest levels of engagement (23%).

Millennials reported they are the least engaged group at 28.9% and the dissatisfaction might be the result of not working at the jobs they had expected after graduation from college, the report said.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

Employees might be more engaged now than compared to 2000 because of improvements to the economy, unemployment and job market, the Gallup report said. The levels of engagement started to decline in 2008 during the financial demise, continued to fall in 2009 and did not improve until 2011.

Many employees are not engaged at work, because they feel a lack of a connection while their bosses continue to ask them to spend more time and energy at the office, said Gretchen Spreitzer, a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

“It’s not about pay and benefits, but to thrive, a connection is critical,” she said.

Connection occurs when employees feel connected to the work and to colleagues, clients or customers, Spreitzer said.

Employees who are thriving believe their work has a purpose. They not only care about it, but the work has meaning in some way, she said.

“People matter and are often the source of meaning at work,” Spreitzer said. “If employees believe that they have strong relationships with at least some colleagues at work, colleagues who they care about and who care about them, then they are more likely to thrive. Caring colleagues create a safe space for employees to take risks, have courage and grow.”

Once employees stop feeling engaged in the work they do, a “negative domino effect starts,” said Phillip Wilson, president of Labor Relations Institute, a Broken Arrow, Okla. employee relations consulting firm. If you are not satisfied at work, you don’t make as much effort and your work quality may start to slide. Your manager notices, and you start receiving negative feedback; in turn, your engagement starts to decline even more.

Effective bosses can stop this domino effect from going too far by creating an environment where employees feel comfortable bringing up concerns because the leaders are approachable, he said.

As employees are growing increasingly unfulfilled at their jobs, many bosses are taking notice to prevent additional turnover and headaches.

Managers should focus on developing the strengths of their employees and watch as their internal motivation grows, Wilson said.

Employees remain unhappy, because too many of them remain tethered to constant work email, are forced to work more because of a leaner workforce and possess an inability to focus on what one does best, said Cheryl Palmer, a career coach based in Silver Springs, Md.

Bosses can find solutions to these issues easily by giving employees an opportunity to recharge at work and create boundaries for when they are expected to respond to email, she said.

“Doing something as simple as allowing employees to take a break every so often without fear of reprisal can help employees stay engaged,” Palmer said. “Employees also will not feel as though they are always at work, because their personal boundaries are respected.”

Even though employers may not be able to always give people a position that aligns with their talents, “they can make an effort to find out what those talents are and try to assign them as much of that work as possible,” which will boost their productivity and engagement, she said.

What it often boils down to is what type of leadership exists at the company since there is no indication that the current level of employee dissatisfaction will improve, said Kevin Berchelmann, president of Triangle Performance, a Houston-based management consultancy.

“Engagement can’t be bought,” he said. “There is hope, and it’s not paying more money for benefits or compensation.”

Employees who receive genuine recognition for their work tend to thrive.

“I don’t mean a pat on the back with the perfunctory ‘good job,’” Berchelmann said. “I mean a face-to-face or phone call, explaining what they did in detail and how it improved the business. Be specific.”

Giving feedback is paramount. Many managers neglect to provide feedback often, and employees don’t know where they stand.

“Feedback is sorely missed by employees today, so find a way to make it happen,” he said. “Give frequent, relevant feedback to everyone you come across, even the high performers. They know they do a good job; they just don’t know if you know it.”

Employees want to know where the status of their performance, and a review of their work should occur more than once a year.

“They want to know where they stand, how they are doing, and they want to know what they can do to improve,” Berchelmann said.

Even something that appears insignificant such as knowing the employees’ first names can make a difference, said Wayne Bolio, a senior vice president, law and human resources for Nautilus, the Vancouver, Wash. exercise equipment manufacturer.

“Even with a company of over 300 employees, everyone is on a first-name basis as a result of our internal communications programs that keep us connected,” he said. “We know that in order to be successful, it’s critical to create a company culture where people are motivated and where collaboration is fostered and healthy lifestyles are encouraged.”

Nautilus has a low turnover rate, which is an indicator that regular meetings and two-way communication encourage employees to bring up issues or problems and or provide input for solutions, Bolio said.

“While voluntary turnover can be a by-product of disengaged employees, we also see an equal or greater risk in disengaged employees remaining employed,” he said. “Nothing can be more harmful than having a significant portion of your workforce actively disengaged and not fully committed. That’s why it’s important for leadership to have ‘big ears’ and be in a constant listening mode to keep a pulse on our workforce listen and solicit feedback in a non-threatening way.”

This article originally appeared at MainStreet. Copyright 2015. Follow MainStreet on Twitter.

http://www.mainstreet.com/article/why-working-in-a-cubicle-is-so-demoralizing-and-workers-are-demanding-more#ixzz3RLU0WwRU

 

#BestofFSCBlog : #JobSearch -Five Things Your Recruiter Won’t Tell You. When You’re Working with a Recruiter, you Have to Ask a Lot of Questions.

/in /by
If you work in business or the professional world, it will be helpful to you to have a relationship with a third-party recruiter, sometimes called a search professional or recruiter. Not every job-seeker has a recruiter-friendly resume, but many job-seekers do.

Some bosses inspire to be your best self, both professionally and in your everyday life. Others make every day seem tense, dreary and frustrating. Learning how to deal with a bad boss is an important step to career happiness. (image credit: William (Tactum Macula) Walsh on Flickr)

What’s a recruiter-friendly resume? It’s a resume that looks like what the hiring manager expects to see, or as we say at Human Workplace, ‘a resume that makes you look like you were born and raised in a petri dish to do this job.’

Recruiters are paid by employers to find them candidates they can’t find on their own, so if your resume is less conventional, or if it’s off-beat or quirky, you might not be a recruiter-friendly candidate. If not, that’s okay! There are plenty of other job search channels still available to you. 

 

Like this Article?  Share It!    You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award-Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-g-laughter-b46389198/

Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

Best Daily Choice: Follow the Best of FSC Career Articles/Blogs @

https://twitter.com/search?q=bestoffscblog&src=typeahead_click

Question: Want the ‘the best/current articles/blogs on the web’ on Job Search, Resume, Advancing/Changing your Career, or simply Managing People?

Answer: Simply go to our FSC Career Blog below & Type(#Jobsearch, #Resume, or #Networking) in Blog Search:  https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/

What Skill Sets Do You have to be ‘Sharpened’ ?

Article continued …

A well-established, credible and human recruiter in your corner is an incredible asset. That’s not only true for job-seekers. It’s true for hiring managers and HR leaders, too! When I was an HR leader, I relied on my search partners to fill jobs we couldn’t have filled on our own. They were an extension of our team.

In every field you’ll find solid and upright folks and people who have no business handing out business cards. We hear from job-seekers way too often who have horror stories to tell about unscrupulous or not-ready-for-prime-time recruiters who wasted their time, steered them wrong and crushed their mojo — but only temporarily!

When you’re working with a recruiter, you have to ask a lot of questions. You can’t blindly follow your recruiter’s advice. You have to determine whether your recruiter is a credible advocate for you, first.Here are questions to ask a recruiter when you’re contemplating allowing him or her to represent you in your job search.

Here are five things your recruiter may not tell you unless you ask, ask, and ask again. Don’t take ‘no answer’ for an answer!

1- They Won’t Tell You Their Client Has a Toxic Workplace 

One Monday morning I saw a new job opening posted in my news feed. “This is a great company!” said the recruiter who posted the ad. I had heard his name before. I wrote back to him right away. “I might have the perfect candidate for this job,” I said in my message. “What is it that makes this a great company, in your opinion?” The recruiter wrote back. “Are you kidding or serious?” he asked in his message. “It’s a job opening. It pays you money that you use to buy things.”

I wrote back. “I’m serious,” I said. “Do you just put ‘It’s a great company?’ in all your job ads, automatically?” The recruiter wrote back again. “Grow up,” he said. “Everyone knows that is filler.”

Imagine being so cynical that you’d add “Great company!” to every job ad, call it ‘filler’ and expect everyone to know that it’s not true? You deserve to work with people who deserve your talents.

Ask your recruiter to tell you why you should consider taking any job s/he’s proposing to you. What makes the company great? Ask for specifics! As my friend Marla says, “Whenever a company’s recruiting literature drones on about trust, that means there’s no trust. When they have it, they don’t need to talk about it.”

Let’s remember how recruiters get paid. They get paid to fill job openings. They get paid when you accept the job offer. You only have to stay for ninety days. If you bail within ninety days, the recruiter has to find someone else. Are they going to tell you it’s a toxic work environment? Not if they want you to take the job, they won’t!

The recruiter will not have to sit in your chair and do your job. That will be your burden, if you walk into the wrong place. Ask a lot of questions about culture. Ask about turnover. Ask the recruiter why the job is open, and don’t get all your research from your recruiter! Check out the organization’s Glassdoor reviews as well.

2- They Won’t Tell You If The Company’s In Trouble

We had a client years ago who went on a job interview and was surprised to walk through row after row of empty cubicles when she got there. The cubicles weren’t the sort of empty cubicles that scream “We’re trying to find people to fill these cubicles!” They were the kind of cubicles that say “Don’t work here! Three-quarters of the staff has already been laid off, and no one has taken the time to get rid of all these empty cubicles!”

Our client asked some pointed questions about the company’s future. The in-house recruiter was huffy. When our client got home, she called the third-party recruiter who had sent her to the interview. “Well, they’re going through a restructuring, and you’ll help them turn the corner,” her recruiter said.

Our client got suspicious. She started digging around and found the employer on every analyst’s list of companies most likely to declare bankruptcy. She cut her interview process short. The last thing the headhunter said to her was “You’re making a big mistake.”

The company went out of business a few months later. You can’t blindly go on a job interview assuming that because someone is hiring, they must be doing well. Organizations hire for a lot of different reasons. They sometimes hire new people to wind up the business and turn out the lights. That’s fine if it’s a consulting job at a healthy hourly rate.

Nobody wants a full-time job that’s not only going to end in a few months but also that’s going to elicit the question from every interviewer you ever meet in your life going forward, “Why did you go to work for those guys just as they were tanking?” Good question!

3- They Won’t Tell You It’s a Dead-End Job

When my youngest was a baby, I had a regular babysitter, Emily, who was a student at our local university. She moved to Chicago and got a job right away when she graduated. One day Emily got a call at work from a headhunter. She called me to tell me. “So exciting!” she said. “He told me about a better job at a company in downtown Chicago.”

“What makes it a better job than the one you have?” I asked her.

“He asked me some questions about my current job and said this new opportunity is a better job,” Emily said.

“Oh dear!” I said. “He will say that to get you to go to the interview. That’s how he gets paid. It may be a better job, or it may not. Most jobs don’t have six weeks vacation and free grad-school tuition at a top university the way your current job does.”

“I didn’t think of that,” said Emily. “The headhunter said one thing that was odd, I thought.”

“What was that?” I asked, my maternal instincts going on full alert.

“He told me not to mention the words ‘career path’ at the interview,” said Emily. “Evidently at this company they don’t like to have their job applicants ask about the career path.”

“What!?” I snorted. “That means there is no career path. That means it’s a dead-end job. They want you to take the job and come to work at the same desk for the next fifty years. Maybe you should go on the interview just for the learning experience. If you do, I have one suggestion. Make sure and use the term ‘career path’ at least once in every sentence, just to see what happens.”

Emily did just that. She said the interviewer nearly fell out of her chair. Emily never heard from the company or the headhunter again, but she got a tremendous job with a consulting firm soon after.

4- They Won’t Tell You When The Employer’s Requests Become Unreasonable 

Remember how third-party recruiters get paid. They don’t get a dime unless you accept the employer’s offer. An unscrupulous recruiter will encourage you (or even browbeat you) to stay in a broken and mojo-crushing recruiting pipeline. If you drop out, they lose.

They’ll tell you to do whatever the employer asks you to, down to creating free work for the employer and interviewing four, five or six times with different people. They’ll tell you to take endless online tests and putting up with delays and weeks of radio silence. They’ll tell you ignore red flags that scream “Believe me, you don’t want to work here!”

Know before you get into any recruiting pipeline how many interviews are reasonable (three visits to one employer is the limit we suggest — if they can’t make a decision in three visits, they’re too wimpy to be mentors who can help you) and what you will and won’t do before you see an offer letter.

I don’t want you to perform work for free. A good rule of thumb is this: one request for one one-hour project to see how you operate is reasonable during a hiring process. That could be the creation of a writing sample or some lines of code. After that, you can meet any additional requests for free work with the soft reply “I’d be happy to complete that project on a consulting basis. Shall I fill you in on my hourly rates?”

5- They Won’t Tell You To Refuse A Lowball Offer

Last on our list, a skeevy recruiter who’s trying to shove you into a new sardine can won’t tell you when a job offer is below market. They’ll tell you just the opposite. They want you to accept the job, so they’ll tell you the offer looks great. Way back in 1979 when I first hit Chicago as a nineteen-year-old punk rocker, I went looking for an office job.

I didn’t realize when I moved to Chicago that the drinking age there was 21. In New York the drinking age was 18, so I could work in good restaurants that served alcohol. I made great money waiting tables. I did the same thing when I got to Chicago, but when the outdoor cafe where I worked closed up for the winter, I needed a new job.

That’s when I got the bad news: I couldn’t work in any restaurant with a liquor license. I had to go indoors to type and answer the phone.

I walked into an employment agency and filled out some forms. Right away they sent me to interviews — one miserable environment after another. They said “It will be wonderful if you can get four dollars an hour” even though I saw tons of jobs in the Chicago Tribune advertised for five dollars an hour or more.

“Why are you diminishing my experience?” I asked my employment counselor. “Is it to prepare me to take the first offer I get, whatever that offer is?”

She nearly fainted in front of me.

Remember how recruiters get paid. If you don’t take the offer, they don’t get a penny. There are recruiters who will tell you that you have nothing of value to offer and that they’ll have a hard time placing you. Walk away from anybody who insults you or denigrates your background.

They will tell you that your skills are a dime a dozen. Don’t believe them! The first person who has to believe in you, is you.

Whether we’re talking about employers or recruiters, you have to remember that only the people who get you, deserve you. Take a huge grain of salt with everything you hear from a person whose financial interests lie in getting you hired into a new job, and keep your B.S. meter close at hand!

 

 Forbes.com | February 6, 2015  |  Liz Ryan 

 

Leadership: Half Of Your Company Is Looking To Leave: Four Retention Strategies To Keep Your Best…50% See their Current Job as a Placeholder

/in /by

Jobvite, a recruiting platform, just released its 2015 Job Seeker Nation Study, and results point to a renewed interest by the gainfully employed to look around for new opportunities. Jobvite’s survey of over 2,000 employed adults revealed:

45% of job seekers are satisfied in their job, but looking for a new one; 50% see their current job as a placeholder; and 60% are equally or more optimistic about job prospects this year compared to last year.

 

 

ChineseArmy
I interviewed Dan Finnigan, CEO of Jobvite, about his reaction to the findings, advice for both employers and job seekers, and his story on how he became CEO of Jobvite. You can hear the 15-minute interview with Dan Finnigan HERE. In the meantime, if you are a manager and don’t want half of your team to leave, here are four retention strategies to keep your best:

Involvement

I once coached a rising star who was managing a team of managers for the first time. She was great at ensuring her direct reports knew their performance goals but she didn’t involve them in the broader vision and goals of the company so that they could then galvanize their own teams. Not only did she have to manage her team’s individual contributions (which she did well) but she needed to support them as managers and leaders in their own right. How enrolled is your team in the goals of their department and the overall company? Do they understand how their individual activities contribute directly or ripple through? Are they galvanized and informed enough to involve and enroll others? Employees who are involved in the bigger picture will be more invested in staying.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

Autonomy

This same manager was so strong technically that she knew her approaches were most efficient and shared that loud and clear. While she could do everyone else’s job more efficiently and effectively than they could, it wasn’t her job anymore. She needed to allow her team to find their own best approach. Do you give your staff the autonomy to make decisions, execute against their goals, and experiment? Employees who are given autonomy feel respected and invited to stay.

Equity

I don’t mean stock shares, though the Jobvite study also pointed out that compensation was the leading decision factor in taking a new job. Yes, pay your employees their market value – your team will definitely appreciate if you go to bat for them during raise and bonus allocation time. Even more importantly, be equitable and fair in how you make raise, bonus, promotion and assignment decisions. Employees who see they have a fair shake at advancing won’t feel the need to leave to get ahead.

Introductions

The best employees want to continually learn and grow. One area where you can help is to make introductions to broaden your staff’s network. It’s hard to know who to meet and how to make that contact, so broker these introductions for your team. Find out what areas of the company they’re interested in. Find out who else outside your group is involved in promotion decisions. Help your staff get an audience with these key players. It will be much appreciated by your team, and it will also help you expand your network throughout the company.
Even if you offer a great opportunity, culture and environment, good people may still leave. In that case, stay in touch! Former employees should be a welcome part of your network. One of my strongest direct reports left my group for a promotion at a competing firm. I helped her with that search because I knew my employer at the time wouldn’t move as quickly as this strong performer deserved. We’re still in touch today, and when I started my company, she was one of the first people who hired me. Former employees are future customers, information leads, or professional and personal allies. Do your best to retain but keep the relationship warm even if they leave.

Caroline Ceniza-Levine is a career and business coach with SixFigureStart®. She has worked with executives from Amazon, American Express, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. Follow Caroline’s weekly leadership column on Forbes and take advantage of SixFigureStart® free toolkits on Negotiation, Networking, and Personal Branding, including a free download for entrepreneurs.

Leadership: The 3 Most Powerful Ways To Change People Who Don’t Want To Change…Dieters in the US Spend 40 Billion Dollars a Year, but 19 out of 20 lose Nothing but their Money

/in /by

Have you noticed how incredibly hard it is to change a habitual behavior, even though you know full well that it’s in your best interest to do so? Have you worked so hard over six months to lose 20 pounds, only to see it creep back in a matter of days or weeks? Or have you tried everything in your power to help your child perform better in a particular class, only to have all your efforts – and hers– fail?

As a therapist and career success coach, I’ve learned a lot about motivation, and how to help people change. In my coaching work, it’s about uncovering the root causes of their behavioral roadblocks, and helping people see these challenges differently (and stimulating new actions that are different from how they habitually operate.)

I caught up with David Maxfield and asked him what I wanted to learn about how to help people change their behavior (or change our own), in ways that will bring lasting success. David Maxfield is Vice President of Research atVitalSmarts and coauthor of the three New York Times bestsellers — Crucial Accountability, Influencer and Change Anything. For 30 years, David has been a leading social scientist for organizational change and delivered engaging keynotes at prestigious venues around the world.

Kathy Caprino: David, why, exactly is personal change so hard for so many of us?

David Maxfield: Personal change is difficult and rare. For example: dieters in the US spend forty billion dollars a year, but 19 out of twenty lose nothing but their money; two years after coronary bypass surgery to save their lives, ninety percent of patients are back to their old behaviors; and a personal favorite—two out of three people can’t even get themselves to floss!

It’s no wonder that many of us admit defeat, give up, and stop trying. Then it falls on our family members and loved ones to convince us to try again. But their pleas often come across as lectures, sermons, or rants, which undermine the relationship instead of helping us change.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

Caprino: What specifically gets in the way of our changing others’ behaviors – what are the problems and pitfalls?

Maxfield: Here are the three most important pitfalls and success factors we’ve discovered. Our research shows that these three elements can make you and your loved ones ten times more likely to succeed.

Mistake #1: We attack people with information.

We assume that, if the person only knew what we knew, they’d change. The problem is, often they already know what we know, plus more. In addition to the facts we have, they have personal information about their own successes and failures. They have usually created a personal narrative—what we call a “clever story,” that explains why they’ve failed, and explains it in a way that lets them off the hook for trying again.

For example, suppose you want your spouse to improve his or her fitness. How is he or she likely to respond to a lecture? Doesn’t he or she already know why being fit is better than being unfit? In this situation, most spouses become defensive. If you present one side of the argument, they feel compelled to present the other side. The result is you pushing for change, and them pushing against. And, since they are the ones who have to do the changing, guess who wins?

But there is a way around this dilemma.

Solution: People need to examine their own narrative.

When you’re trying to influence people who need motivation, but not information, don’t offer more information.  Instead, work to create a safe environment where they can explore motivations they already have. People need to re-examine their narrative, especially any self-defeating or clever stories they are telling themselves to justify the status quo.

Motivational Interviewing is a tried-and-true method for getting people to re-examine their stories, and it works by asking questions that allow people to explore their own motivations without feeling pushed. Below are a few examples:

“What is it that makes you even consider changing?”

“If things worked out exactly the way you want, what would be different?

“What are the pluses and minuses of changing or not changing?”

“If this change were easy, would you want to make it? What makes it hard?”

The video above demonstrates the power these influential questions can have.

Mistake #2: We fail to see why we’re stuck.

Getting someone to make a commitment to change is not the same as getting them to actually change.  The problem is that people overestimate the power of their own willpower. They fail to see the risks in front of them. So, they put their heart and soul into an effort, but it’s not enough. They are tripped up by obstacles they never anticipated.

I’ve often say to clients that, “your world is perfectly organized to create the results you are currently experiencing.” The problem is that we’re like the fish that discover water last. We are swimming in a sea of influences, and we don’t even know it. A lot of these influences are designed by sales and marketing experts or food scientists who are more interested in our money than in our well-being.

Solution: We need to educate our eyes.

We need to recognize the hidden influences around us, the influences that are keeping us stuck.Once we see them, we can deal with them. We group influences into six sources: three that motivate and three that enable. Suppose your teenager says he wants to succeed in math, but isn’t doing his math homework. What are the influences that could be keeping him stuck?

1. Personal Motivation: While his motivation to master math is sincere, it’s too vague and distant to affect his behavior. His short-term motivation is directed by videogames, social media, his girlfriend, and other more immediate motivators.

2. Social Motivation: You and your spouse go to his basketball games and concerts, but you don’t show similar encouragement for his math.

3. Structural Motivation: There are serious carrots and sticks tied to every basketball game and music lesson, but not as much for math homework. So, math becomes a lower priority.

4. Personal Ability: Your son isn’t very good at estimating how long it will take him to get his math done. He schedules an hour, just before bed, and then runs out of time.

5. Social Ability: You and your spouse coach your son on sports and music, but leave him to his own devices when it comes to math.

6. Structural Ability: Your son has several convenient distractions in his bedroom, where he does his math homework. His phone, laptop, and TV all distract him from his math.

Most stubborn problems persist because of unseen or overlooked influences that are keeping us stuck. Once we see them, we can change them. However, if we don’t change them, we’ll remain stuck.

Mistake #3: We rely on quick fixes.

We often pick the most obvious obstacle to our success, and direct all of our efforts toward overcoming it. It feels intuitive, like a quick fix. We make some progress, at least at first, but this early promise fails as unseen and unaddressed obstacles take their toll.

Another mistake is to have favorite solutions, and to use them in isolation. For example, we assume carrots and sticks will solve every problem, or that training or technology will. As a result, we create one-sided solutions that address only a few of the obstacles that are keeping us stuck.

Solution: Overwhelm the problem with all six sources of influence.

It takes solutions in all six sources to change a status quo that is held in place by all six sources. We ask people to develop at least one robust influence strategy in each of the Six Sources of Influence. Here is an example, aimed at helping your son complete his math homework.

1. Personal Motivation: Get him some direct experience, such as an internship in an organization that uses math and science. He will see for himself why math is important.

2. Social Motivation: Show your own commitment to his math. Spend as much time with him on his math as you do on his sports and music.

3. Structural Motivation: Work with him to create small rewards, based on daily and weekly progress at math.

4. Personal Ability: Increase deliberate practice, just as you would with sports or music. Make “doing your homework” the start, then add beyond.

5. Social Ability: Become your son’s math tutor. If you aren’t good at math, become good at it. Your example will speak volumes to your son.

6. Structural Ability: Create a comfortable time and space for math. Make sure it’s at a time when your son is at his best. Remove distractions. Make the place bright and cheery.

 * * * * * *

David’s tips show us that while change isn’t easy, it’s doable, when you want it and are ready, and when you address the key influences that have been keeping the behavior locked in place.  I’ve seen even the most resistant people finally experience transformation because the pain and cost of how they were previously operating in the world had become too great, and because the motivational structures and personal accountability were finally in place to facilitate growth.

For more information, visit David Maxfield, VitalSmarts and Crucial Skills.

(To build a happier, more rewarding career, visit the Amazing Career Project, and take my 6-day Amazing Career Challenge.)

Finance: Loaded Question: 1099 Or W-2?… For many Reasons Employers have Big Incentives to Use Independent Contractors

/in /by

Companies were supposed to mail IRS Forms W-2 and 1099 by February 2. Some are still scrambling to mail them. They have until the end of February to transmit them all to the IRS, so there’s a bit of wiggle room. Surprisingly, some workers don’t think about their status until they get the form, either W-2 or 1099. Companies and workers everywhere may not think about it but they should.

IRS

If you’re an employee, taxes have to be taken out. That means you’ll receive an IRS Form W-2. In contrast, if you’re an independent contractor, you’ll get full pay with no deductions. Of course, you are liable for your own taxes. Assuming your total pay was $600 or more, you’ll receive an IRS Form 1099.

But what if you’re the employer not the recipient? This is one of the more momentous decisions in business. It goes beyond taxes and covers workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, state and federal wage and hour laws, pension laws, nondiscrimination laws and more. It also impacts liability, since employees are agents of the company. It’s hard to think of a more pivotal issue. Yet this decision is made thousands of times a day all over America.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

Sometimes it is done without much thought. Some employers ask “1099 or W-2?” as if they were asking how you take your coffee. If you’re the worker, you may be tempted to say “1099,” figuring you’ll get a bigger check that way. You will in the short run, but you’ll actually owe higher taxes. As an independent contractor, you not only owe income tax, but self-employment tax too. On the first $118,500 of income, that’s a whopping 15.3% rate. Beyond $118,500, the rate drops to 2.9%.
In contrast, if you’re an employee, you pay only one-half the Social Security tax (your half is 7.65%) on wages up to $118,500, plus one-half the Medicare rate (your half is 1.45%) on all wages. See IRS Publication 225. Your employer pays the same. If you have income over $200,000, you’re subject to an additional 0.9% Medicare tax withholding. The additional Medicare tax does not apply to employers.

Apart from tax law, employee status carries a host of nondiscrimination laws, pension and benefits laws and wage and hour protections. They all apply to employees but not to independent contractors. For all of these reasons, employers have big incentives to use independent contractors. Many start ups and tech companies rely on the branding that uniformity can provide, but don’t want all of the costs and liabilities of employees.

The answer in many cases is independent contractors. Done carefully, such arrangements can work fine and be legitimate. However, some employers push the envelope to treat workers as independent contractors who are clearly employees if anyone bothers to look. That’s where the IRS and many other agencies come in.

Government entities and private parties in lawsuits have reason to ferret out the truth. There are several prevailing legal standards, but many boil down to how much control the company has over the worker. Even so, some control won’t convert independent contractors to employees. The area is heating up, with many believing that inappropriate worker status determinations are a major tax loophole. If you’re an employer, be careful.

For alerts to future tax articles, follow me at Forbes.com. Email me at Wood@WoodLLP.com. This discussion is not intended as legal advice, and cannot be relied upon for any purpose without the services of a qualified professional.

 

Your Career: 5 Things Recruiters Look For on Your Social Media Profiles…Did you Know that 93% of Recruiters Currently Use or Plan to Use Social Media to Find Candidates?

/in /by

It’s no surprise that recruiters are turning to social media to scope out potential employees. Therefore, it’s essential that candidates understand what recruiters are looking for online. These elements of your profiles are making a big impression on recruiters — for good or for ill.

[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”]

93% of recruiters currently use or plan to use social media to find candidates

93% of recruiters currently use or plan to use social media to find candidates

Did you know that 93% of recruiters currently use or plan to use social media to find candidates? That little fact should make you think twice about posting that potentially career-ending rant or pic online … hopefully. Here’s a list of how recruiters are using social media to find qualified candidates in today’s digital and social age.

1. Searchability

First things first, you want recruiters to be able to find you easily online, so help them out by keyword-optimizing your profiles, but also be wary of listing some of the most commonly overused buzzwords that turn recruiters off. In Jobvite’s 2014 Social Recruiting Survey, 82% of recruiters consider “their social recruiting skills to be proficient or less,” which makes your job as a qualified candidate trying to get discovered a bit more difficult than you’d expect. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. To learn how to attract more recruiters to your LinkedIn profile, see this post.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

2. Who You Know

Just as in real life, the better connected you are in the business world, the better your chances are of getting noticed. Recruiters use social sites to see whom you’re connected to, as well, so it’s wise to be strategic about whom you’re connecting yourself with on and offline.

First, look to expand your online network by using LinkedIn’s Get Introduced feature and start reaching out to your immediate contacts for referrals. You’ll also want to consider following some well-known influencers who can lend some expertise in your field of work. The bottom line is, recruiters like to see that you are well-connected and active in your given industry. Think about it, a recruiter is probably more likely to consider a candidate that is already a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd degree connection to someone within his individual LinkedIn network or the company’s network, than someone who isn’t. So, get connected, people!

3. Personality Is Key

Recruiters are looking for someone who is a good fit technically, but, more importantly, there needs to be a great cultural fit, too. Nadine Motaweh, a Recruiting Manager at The Creative Group, indicates that she looks for candidates who have personality and who are able to articulate that effectively online and in person.

“I typically feel most excited about presenting the candidates who I know would go in and show their personality, because technical skills can be taught — being someone I want to spend my whole day with five days a week is not,” Motaweh tells PayScale.

The lesson here is to express your personality in a way that is appealing and professional. Don’t fake the funk and pretend to be someone you’re not. Instead, convey tidbits about your professional and personal life that make you relatable and interesting.

4. Red Flags

Yes, it’s true that we live in the land of the free, but if you’re a job seeker looking for employment, you might want to reconsider the wisdom of practicing your right to freedom of speech on social media. According to Jobvite’s survey, an astonishing 55% of recruiters have reconsidered their decision about hiring a candidate based on their social media profiles, with 61% of those being negative decisions. Keep in mind that hiring personnel are searching for red flags such as posts with profanity, spelling and grammar mistakes, poor lifestyle choices (e.g. drugs and alcohol) broadcasted for all to see, and sexual references. Rule of thumb, if you don’t want your parents to see it, then don’t post it — chances are, a recruiter definitely doesn’t want to see it, either.

5. Engage

Last, but not least, continue to stay engaged with your networks. What does this mean? It means you’ll want to find conversations online that you can participate in and lend your expertise, whether they be industry-related or part of your personal interests.

Staying engaged with your community allows you to expand your network, keep up with the latest and greatest in your industry and hobbies, and provides an open forum for you to offer your expert advise, and so much more. Simply listing your skills on your resume isn’t enough anymore. Recruiters want concrete examples of how you utilized those skills in a real-life setting. Some great avenues to do so are: directly on your profile/resume, in LinkedIn recommendations, and in the conversations you participate in online.

Important note: be sure you know what you’re talking about in your discussions and not trolling, because the last thing you want to convey is that you’re an immature know-it-all. Let’s be smart about it, folks.

To learn how to land a job in three months, read about the seven smart habits of successful job seekers, here.

 http://www.payscale.com/career-news/2015/01/5-things-recruiters-are-looking-for-on-your-social-media-profiles#ixzz3QuVvkAAf[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Strategy: 5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Decision Making…Work from a Proven Playbook Instead of Trying to Reinvent the Wheel

/in /by

CEO’s/Mangers/Entrepreneurs are Natural Born Problem Solvers.  To solve difficult problems, you need to make difficult decisions.

[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”]

If your résumé is hard to read, no one will.

How well do You Make Decisions?

In this post, I will unpack five tips to help you improve your decision making process.

1. Don’t delay

Simple decisions are fun. You can tick them off your to do list and feel like you’ve accomplished something along the way. When the stakes increase and you’re faced with making a critical business decision, don’t delay because it’s difficult.

Dedicate a focused block of time each day to work through the pros, cons, risks and realistic outcomes of your decision. Consider the second and third order effects of your decision during this session.

Sweeping problems under the rug will not help you make better decisions.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

2. Shelve ego and emotion

Decision making can be difficult because you become too personally invested in how a decision will make you look and feel. Can you objectively solve the problem? Yes! List potential causes and put your emotion and ego on the back-burner.

Imagine your business isn’t generating enough revenue to hit your target. What is the specific cause of this?

  • Do you have a positioning issue?
  • Is your pricing right?
  • Do your potential customers know your brand?
  • What can help you solve these problems?

You will make better decisions by focusing on the facts instead of personal deficiencies. If you need help with anything in your business, from marketing through to customer service, you have options.

Self-awareness is an entrepreneurial power play.

3. Ask an expert

The decision you’re making has likely been made in the past. While the problems you’re trying to solve are unique to you, it’s highly probable that someone else has solved the same issue at a larger scale.

Luckily, managers/entrepreneurs are very approachable and love to help each other. To get an expert help with your question, research the influencers in the area you need help with, then send three of them a quick note to ask for their help. Serve up the facts, your thoughts and the options you are considering.

A neutral third-party to help you make decisions will keep you objective.

Work from a proven playbook instead of trying to reinvent the wheel.

4. Question your data

You will never have complete data to make your decision. This is OK.

It’s still your responsibility to seek the right data. Relying on a friend’s opinion as a trusted data source may land you in hot water. Instead, use qualitative and quantitative customer feedback if you’re making a decision that impacts your customers. Use industry trends, research reports and ask experts in your field if you’re making a strategic move. The only thing that is worse than having no data is trusting the wrong data, so be vigilant about the inputs to your decision making process.

Seek trustworthy data and your decision making ability will skyrocket.
5. Plan for doomsday

The final step of decision making is understand the underlying risks of the decisions you make.

I like to call it planning for doomsday. Take 10 minutes to deeply consider the absolute worst case scenario of the decision you’re about to make. For example, if you need to let someone go from your business, what is the absolute worst case outcome? Perhaps they’ll sue you for wrongful dismissal or your team will lose their motivation. There are dozens of ways to mitigate the risks of each decision, but first, you need to clearly identify these risks.

Know your risks and you will rest easy when making decisions.

When you get a decision wrong, don’t beat yourself up. Instead, reflect on why it failed, then write it down to make sure you don’t make the same mistake twice.

Did you enjoy this post? Follow Alex here

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Leadership: New Evidence Why Employees Are Burned Out…We are all Burning out Because We can Never Unplug. Work Chases Us Wherever We are & the Expectations Keep Growing

/in /by

No one can argue that our personal and professional lives have come together through the power of technology. This is especially true for managers/entrepreneurs who are working all the time and have no personal lives, but even for workers at major companies, the boundaries are gone between work and life.

 

burnout

While many of us know that we’re working constantly, I set out to uncover the story by surveying employees, job seekers and HR professionals with CareerArc, a global recruitment and outplacement firm. In our study, we found a disconnect between employers and employees on work-life balance.

While 675 of HR professionals think that their employees have a balanced work-life, 45% of employees feel that they don’t have enough time each week to do personal activities. To make matters worse, 20% of employees spend over 20 hours working outside of the office on the personal time working each week. This is bad for their health and their families.
It also leads to burnout. Employees are getting far less sleep these days because their managers are demanding more of their time. Professionals are answering their email on vacations and on weekends. Smartphones are always with us and as a result, we are getting emails constantly regardless of our location or the time.

This is especially true with global companies, where employees are connecting with people from around the world in different time zones. I ran into this when I was working for a company and had to take calls with Japan at night, then wake up the next day to work.

We are all burning out because we can never unplug. Work chases us wherever we are and the expectations keep growing. What can we do? Well, there’s actually a lot of things you can do to prevent yourself from falling into this trap, or simply breaking away from these chains. Here are a few tips:

1. Have two phones, one personal and one business. This way, you can shut your business phone off after a certain time and leave your personal one on.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.
  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

 

2. Tell your manager your concerns. Be upfront with your manager that your lack of time for personal activities is hurting your relationships with others. They should support you in helping you better manager your time if they view you as valuable.

3. Tend to your calendar. One of my secrets is that I block off certain periods of the day for going to the gym, going on a date or to a show. This way, it forces me to participate in those activities because I live and die by my calendar.

Dan Schawbel is the Founder of WorkplaceTrends.com, a research and advisory membership portal servicing forward-thinking HR professionals.

Strategy: 15 Tricks to Boost Productivity at Work…Only 17% of People are Able to Accurately Estimate the Passage of Time

/in /by

There are only so many hours in the day, so making the most of your time is critical. There are two ways increase your output — either put in more hours or work smarter. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the latter.

Cross Training

Being more productive at work isn’t rocket science, but it does require being more deliberate about how you manage your time. This post will walk you through 15 simple but effective strategies for increasing your productivity at work.

1. Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks.

You may think you’re pretty good at gauging how much time you’re spending on various tasks. However, some research suggests only around 17% of people are able to accurately estimate the passage of time.

There are only so many hours in the day, so making the most of your time is critical. There are two ways increase your output — either put in more hours or work smarter. I don’t know about you, but I prefer the latter.

Being more productive at work isn’t rocket science, but it does require being more deliberate about how you manage your time. This post will walk you through 15 simple but effective strategies for increasing your productivity at work.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.
  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

2. Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks.

You may think you’re pretty good at gauging how much time you’re spending on various tasks. However, some research suggests only around 17% of people are able to accurately estimate the passage of time. A tool like Rescue Time can help by letting you know exactly how much time you spend on daily tasks, including social media, email, word processing, and apps.

3. Take regular breaks.

It sounds counterintuitive, but taking scheduled breaks can actually help improve concentration. Some research has shown that taking short breaks during long tasks helps you to maintain a constant level of performance; while working at a task without breaks leads to a steady decline in performance.

4. Set self-imposed deadlines.

While we usually think of a stress as a bad thing, a manageable level of self-imposed stress can actually be helpful in terms of giving us focus and helping us meet our goals. For open-ended tasks or projects, try giving yourself a deadline, and then stick to it. You may be surprised to discover just how focused and productive you can be when you’re watching the clock.

5. Follow the “two-minute rule.”

Entrepreneur Steve Olenski recommends implementing the “two-minute rule” to make the most of small windows of time that you have at work. The idea is this: If you see a task or action that you know can be done in two minutes or less, do it immediately. According to Olenski, completing the task right away actually takes less time than having to get back to it later. Implementing this has made him one of the most influential content strategists online.

6. Just say no to meetings.

Meetings are one of the biggest time-sucks around, yet somehow we continue to unquestioningly book them, attend them and, inevitably, complain about them. According to Atlassian, the average office worker spends over 31 hours each month in unproductive meetings. Before booking your next meeting, ask yourself whether you can accomplish the same goals or tasks via email, phone, or Web-based meeting (which may be slightly more productive).

6. Hold standing meetings.

If you absolutely must have a meeting, there’s some evidence that standing meetings (they’re just what they sound like — everyone stands) can result in increased group arousal, decreased territoriality, and improved group performance. For those times when meetings are unavoidable, you may want to check out these 12 unusual ways to spur creativity during meetings.

7. Quit multitasking.

While we tend to think of the ability to multitask as an important skill for increasing efficiency, the opposite may in fact be true. Psychologists have found attempting to do several tasks at once can result in lost time and productivity. Instead, make a habit of committing to a single task before moving on to your next project.

8. Take advantage of your commute.

This goes for any unexpected “bonus” time you may find on your hands suggests author Miranda Marquit. Instead of Candy-Crushing or Facebooking, use that time to pound out some emails, create your daily to-do list, or do some brainstorming.

9. Give up on the illusion of perfection.

It’s common for entrepreneurs to get hung up on attempting to perfect a task — the reality is nothing is ever perfect. Rather than wasting time chasing after this illusion, bang out your task to the best of your ability and move on. It’s better to complete the task and move it off your plate; if need be, you can always come back and adjust or improve it later.

10. Take exercise breaks.

Using work time to exercise may actually help improve productivity, according to a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. If possible, build in set times during the week for taking a walk or going to the gym. Getting your blood pumping could be just what’s needed to clear your head and get your focus back.

11. Be proactive, not reactive.

Allowing incoming phone calls and emails to dictate how you spend your day will mean you do a great job of putting out fires — but that may be all you get accomplished. My friend and business partner Peter Daisyme from free hosting company Hostt says, “Set aside time for responding to emails, but don’t let them determine what your day is going to look like. Have a plan of attack at the start of each day, and then do your best to stick to it.”

12. Turn off notifications.

No one can be expected to resist the allure of an email, voicemail, or text notification. During work hours, turn off your notifications, and instead build in time to check email and messages. This is all part of being proactive rather than reactive (see number 11).

13. Work in 90-minute intervals.

Researchers at Florida State University have found elite performers (athletes, chess players, musicians, etc.) who work in intervals of no more than 90 minutes are more productive than those who work 90 minutes-plus. They also found that top performing subjects tend to work no more than 4.5 hours per day. Sounds good to me!

14. Give yourself something nice to look at.

It may sound unlikely, but some research shows outfitting an office with aesthetically pleasing elements — like plants — can increase productivity by up to 15%. Jazz up your office space with pictures, candles, flowers, or anything else that puts a smile on your face. For other ideas on increasing your happiness quotient at work, see my post 15 Proven Tips to Be Happy at Work.

15. Minimize interruptions (to the best of your ability).

Having a colleague pop her head into your office to chat may seem innocuous, but even brief interruptions appear to produce a change in work pattern and a corresponding drop in productivity. Minimizing interruptions may mean setting office hours, keeping your door closed, or working from home for time-sensitive projects.

If you feel the need to increase your productivity at work, resist the temptation put in longer hours or pack more into your already-full calendar. Instead, take a step back, and think about ways you can work smarter, not harder.

Looking for more productivity tips? Check out my posts 7 Productivity Hacks Every Busy Entrepreneur Should Try and 5 Things Productive Entrepreneurs Do Each Day.

http://www.inc.com/john-rampton/15-ways-to-increase-productivity-at-work.html#ixzz3QoqXSq8v

Leadership: If You Want To Change Things, You Might Have To Break Them First…If you Want Your Company to Be Innovative, it’s Going to Take More, Much More, than Just Saying the Words

/in /by

“The problem with this company is it lacks an innovative culture,” said the CEO while asking his secretary to print out his emails for that day so he could check them, pulling out a pen at the same to sign the minutes of a meeting…

SheepHerder

Okay, I made that up, but the scene is played out all too often in the business world: managers who say they want an innovative culture in their company, a proactive approach toward what they still call “the new technologies” —when in reality they are talking about products and services that have generally been around for several years… how long does a technology have to have been in used by us before some people stop calling its “new”? — but who are unable to even consider giving up some of the oldest and outdated aspects of their own culture.

Like this Article ??  Share it !   First Sun Consulting, LLC- Outplacement/Executive Coaching Services, is Proud to sponsor/provide our ‘FSC Career Blog’  Article Below.  Over 600 current articles like these are on our website in our FSC Career Blog (https://www.firstsun.com/fsc-career-blog/)  with the most updated/current articles on the web for new management trends, employment updates along with career branding techniques  .

You now can easily enjoy/follow Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with over 120K participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

  • FSC LinkedIn Network:  Over 6K+ Members & Growing ! (76% Executive Level of VP & up), Voted #1 Most Viewed Articles/Blogs, Members/Participants Worldwide (Members in Every Continent Worldwide) : Simply Connect @: @  http://www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc , then click, ‘Add   to your Network.

  • Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

  educate/collaborate/network

Look forward to your Participation !

continue of article:

The first thing you must have clear in your mind when talking about innovation is whether you really want your organization to be innovative. Managing genuinely innovative companies is a headache of the first order. Compared to the classic concept of a company where everybody has their job and their responsibilities are clearly defined, as well as their place in the hierarchy and roles properly assigned, managing an innovative company is like trying to herd cats, where just about every day, some nutcase keen to discuss the latest idea they’ve been reading about who knows where or has heard about from who knows who, and that in their opinion needs to be got going right now. Madness.

If you’re an “old school” manager, of the kind that look beyond the protective walls of your company with raised eyebrows and a large dose of skepticism, it’s very likely you think “all that innovation stuff” is little more than posturing, and that saying: “I’m an innovator” is pretty much the same as saying: “I keep up with fashion”, and that the implications of trying to develop innovation are enough to make you think twice.

Let’s face it, at the end of the day, you’ve been around the block a few times, life is short, and if you just carry on the way you have until now, there’s every chance you’ll make it to retirement (I swear I have heard that said by more than one manager over the years).
But if, after looking at the issue more closely, you really want to make your company innovative, then bear in mind the following: if you wanna change things, you gotta break things. You can’t ask the people who work with you to be innovative if the company where they spend hours working has always done things in the same way. It just isn’t coherent. It makes no sense. It’s not going to happen.

Businesses, all businesses, have a common enemy:isomorphism. The academic definition of isomorphism, which comes from the field of sociology, is something along the lines of the similarity of an organization’s processes or structures to those operating in the same environment.

All banks look like other banks, all electricity companies tend to be similar, all universities are practically identical, and all carmakers seem to be cut from the same pattern. If we were to be teletransported to the offices of any of these companies, it wouldn’t be so hard to say in which industry we found ourselves, because almost all the companies in that industry respond to any number of common stereotypes and all tend to look alike.

When one comes along that does things differently, managing in the process to overcome the established entry barriers, they tend to stand out. Tesla Motors stands out in the automotive industry because it is so unlike everything else in the industry, and is what the vast majority of observers would consider to be an innovative company.

At the same time, isomorphism doesn’t happen by accident. For example, companies look for efficiency, for optimization: so certain ways of doing things because it seems more logical, more efficient, to do them in that way; the most logical and efficient… at a certain moment, and in light of the technological advances of that specific moment.

On the one hand, isomorphism comes from the strengths of the industry itself, an infinity of rules, processes and standardization, or simply, from the progressive incorporation of managers and workers from other companies in the same sector, producing a kind of promiscuity or genetic crossbreeding that results in the characteristics of companies in the same industry mingle to create a common prototypes, an accepted standard.

If you really want to change things, if you really want to help create an innovative culture, then you’ll have to break things. You’ll have to identify the isomorphism and challenge it if your company isn’t going to seem like all the others. Identify all those people who contribute to things being done in the same way all the time: those who refuse to try new things, who seek comfort, those who are convinced they’ve seen it all… the disciples of isomorphism.

If they don’t want to change, show them that in this company and under your management, they are going to find an unequivocal vocation for change: no complicities, no privileges for the “old guard”, and no exceptions based on time served. If you want to be innovative, then don’t prop up those old structures any more, because each of these exceptions will be an obstacle on the road of coherence.

If you want your company to be innovative, it’s going to take more, much more, than just saying the words. You’re going to have to break things. Starting with old habits; today, rather than tomorrow.

Forbes.com |  February 4, 2015  |   Enrique Dans