Saturday, May 30, 2020

How to Create Amazing Team-Building Activities Building Your Future Now

How to Create Amazing Team-Building Activities Building Your Future Now If you are a manager, team lead, or in a leadership position finding ways to get your employees/teams to bond is always an essential way to create a more successful work environment. Thinking up team-building activities can be tough especially if you want fun and more interactive sessions. Here a few tips to create amazing team-building activities. What does your team like doing? Ask your team some activities that they go out to on their free time and enjoy. Get some suggestions and find out what are some popular activities. Be sure to make a list of these ideas and assess the potential for each activity. Researching the internet Google fun team-building activities. There are some great sites dedicated to corporate team-building ideas as well as a myriad of teams out their that have enjoyed their own exciting activities. Check out company Facebook pages and organizations. Another good idea is reaching out to other managers or team leads within your network to find out what they have done to motive their team via activities. Brainstorming A fun way to come up with some great team-building activities is to brainstorm with co-managers. Think of fun places you can go to in your community. Check out listings of venues that may cater to a fun evening out that promotes camaraderie! You can also be creative and utilize other research you have done via the internet to come up with your own exciting team-building event/activity. Here are a few amazing team-building activities you and your team can try: rock-climbing bowling paint-ball soft-ball painting night board games night Image: Raw Pixels

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Moving Beyond The Impostor Syndrome - VocationVillage

Moving Beyond The Impostor Syndrome - VocationVillage For many years Ive recommended Dr. Valerie Youngs work each time Ive discovered that a client suffers from the Impostor Syndrome. Because this happens so frequently, I decided to write about Dr. Youngs recent book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It. . You may be suffering from the Impostor Syndrome if you are intelligent and successful but you are still constantly plagued by the uncomfortable feeling that your accomplishments are the result of faking it and that any time soon, you will be revealed as a fraud. Instead of enjoying your career and life, if you live in a state of tension because you are convinced that other people’s praise and recognition of your accomplishments are undeserved, thats the Impostor Syndrome in action. If you chalk up your accomplishments to chance, charm, connections, and other external factors, you may doubt that any success is lasting or can be repeated. If this describes you, the Impostor Syndrome is draining much of the joy out of what could otherwise be a full and rich life.While the Impostor Syndrome affects both men and women, Dr. Young believes (with good reason) that it holds women back more than it does men, so her book is aimed at women (although I think it is still extremely useful for men as well). She cites example after example of famous successful people who struggle with chronic self-doubt. While I read some book reviews from readers complaining that they didnt find it helpful to read about other peoples anxious feelings, to me, these examples are a huge strength of the book. If Meryl Streep worries about her acting ability, doesnt that illustrate how commonplace and irrational the Impostor Syndrome really is?Here are some specific steps you can take to move beyond the Impostor Syndrome: 1. Recognize when the culture in which you live is making the situation worse. This can be because of family-of-origin dynamics, the type of work you do (risk factors are student status, working in highly competitive or creative environments, and working alone), and/or being a member of a non-dominant group.2. Read the book in a group because hearing about other peoples self-doubts can help end the isolation of thinking you are the only one who feels as you do. Dr. Young may even schedule a time to drop in via telephone or Skype on your book club meetings so she can discuss the Impostor Syndrome with your group.3. Get clear on all the ways you are limiting yourself because of fear of being revealed as a fraud. Do you do any of these things? Overprepare; work too hard Hold yourself back Maintain a low or constantly changing profile Rely on charm Procrastinate Fail to finish anything Show up late Neglect preparation for something important Zone out or put yourself in harms way with sub stancesWhat is the cost to you of doing these things? What would your life look like if you stopped?4. Learn what healthy competence looks like. To be successful and happy, you dont have to be a perfectionist. You dont have to do everything alone. You dont have to know everything. You dont have to be flawless. You dont have to do everything at once. You dont have to be loved by everyone. Take a deep breath and read this paragraph again.You can move beyond the Impostor Syndrome. Please start the journey TODAY.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

What Everybody Ought to Know About LinkedIn

What Everybody Ought to Know About LinkedIn If you are online you cannot have avoided joining one of the social media networks, Facebook with over 1 billion users is by far the biggest. Whereas Facebook is great for catching up with friends and family, LinkedIn focuses on your professional life and even serves as an online resume. LinkedIn currently boast just over 400 million users, which means your boss is probably on there. If you managed to sign up for Facebook, joining LinkedIn will be a walk in the park, albeit a little longer one. Online resume: How many times have you lost your resume and had to trawl through your email accounts for an old copy? By sticking all your career data on LinkedIn, you and everyone else can see exactly what you have done in your working life by simply clicking on your name. By having it online constantly, it’s obviously easier to update it and it can be done from any computer anywhere in the world. And you can use the handy LinkedIn Resume Builder tool which automagically turns your profile into a resume. It gives you 11 different formats to choose from, very handy indeed. Job search: If you are considering moving jobs, LinkedIn is the place to be as it gives you a presence in your industry and a visibility to recruiters and HR folks that pull up searches based on key words and location. LinkedIn allows you to be found, as opposed to you searching for a job, a project or the other way around. So whether you are actively looking for a job or passively ‘open for suggestions’ â€" you can let others do the work for you. If you are happy in your job, don’t worry as LinkedIn is not solely based around changing jobs like for instance Monster is. In fact, LinkedIn say they want to create a professional identity for their users, meaning your profile will be your online hub. Unless you have a site or blog in your own name, you are most likely to find that your LinkedIn profile is the first search result on Google for your name. Sleuthing for information: LinkedIn is great for finding information on people and organizations. Just like others will spy on you, you can sleuth around LinkedIn and find out what your new boss has done in the past, what they look like and what interests they have. You can gather background information on your suppliers, on prospective customers and anyone else that deserves a scrutiny by you. LinkedIn is not as closed as Facebook for instance, all profiles are open to everyone although you can only contact people direct if you are connected. When you do snoop around profiles, be sure to set your privacy settings so that nobody can see your name. Its simple to change this setting whilst youre doing your research and then change it back when done. Conclusion: LinkedIn will not create your career but it can help to tip the balance. If you are up against one other person with the exact same skill level when going for a job, having 5 recommendations on LinkedIn will certainly be in your favor and could be the deciding factor. Recruiters, headhunters and HR people have long used LinkedIn as a primary resource for finding and looking up people. Line managers are doing the same and so should you. I would say that if you work in an office somewhere in the world, LinkedIns your best bet for boosting your career online. Do you agree? RELATED: Has LinkedIn Finally Replaced Recruitment Companies?

Monday, May 18, 2020

9 Daily Athlete Habits You Simply Must Try

9 Daily Athlete Habits You Simply Must Try No one can fail to be impressed by the dedication, drive and self-discipline embodied by Olympic athletes. Their dogged determination to win is admirable. Athletes make it look easy, but a serious amount of effort goes into being a successful athlete rather than a mediocre one. These are highly disciplined individuals following a carefully constructed routine. Well if discipline, drive and determination can work for athletes, it can work for anyone. We’ve taken a look at the regimes and traits of athletes and put together 9 habits you simply must try if you are serious about improving your productivity. Sleep No, not at your desk! Though there is an argument to be had about power naps! In all seriousness lack of sleep can affect performance. It’s something athletes know all too well and they work hard to establish a good sleep routine. In fact, good sleep is a priority for all serious athletes. It allows the body to repair from a full day’s training. Quality of sleep is equally as important as quantity. Creating a restful space for sleep to occur naturally is important. Black out blinds, a cool temperature, calming décor and an uncluttered bedroom will help to encourage restful sleep. Having a decent mattress, as well as keeping phones and electrical devices out of the bedroom will also aid good sleep. Unplugging from work is equally important. Downtime, rest and relaxation will help keep your brain sharp. Skipping rest reduces productivity. Nutrients Eating healthily to keep you in good shape is obvious. But have you ever stopped to think about whether you are getting all the nutrients you need? A trip to see a qualified nutritional therapist will help to give your diet an overhaul and make sure you are eating the right types of food. A nutritionist will also be able to recommend supplements tailored to your needs. All good nutritionists will tell you to never skip breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. Athletes make breakfast a priority. A healthy breakfast sets you on the right foot at the start of the day and encourages you to make healthy choices for the rest of the day. Your energy levels will be fired up making you more productive when you start your day too. Visualise goals Athletes don’t just spend time on physical training. Mental training is part of the routine too. Athletes who picture themselves crossing the finishing line first are more likely to do it. Set realistic targets you can achieve and visualise yourself doing them. Cementing the idea in your mind will definitely help you reach your goals. Keep track Many athletes keep a training book to look for patterns in their workouts in accordance with successes. Keep track of your accomplishments and career goals. Keeping on top of your workload and being well organised at work will also have a positive impact on your productivity. Organisational tools, such as the scheduling software by Planday, are an efficient way of managing the day-to-day. Self-belief There’s no question, athletes possess grit. They know how to knuckle down and do the work. They believe passionately in themselves and the end goal they are trying to achieve. Having the same level of self-belief will empower you to meet your targets and take charge of your own destiny. Ditch the imposter syndrome and think positively about where you want to be. Lighten up Athletes have to work hard to stay on top of their mental game and performance. It’s no surprise to learn that fear and worry are classic de-motivators. Worry stops us achieving. Adjust your mindset and think of something that doesn’t cause you to feel stressed. In it for the longhaul Build consistency with small changes. As anyone who’s tried a strict diet will know â€" make too many changes at once and they just aren’t sustainable. Build changes in slowly. Just as an athlete builds up their training programme before a big event, make changes to your work routine for the better with the same principle in mind. Rub shoulders with the best Athletes see competition as a good thing. They want to race against the best. It’s what spurs them on. There’s just no point training with and racing against athletes who aren’t as good. It won’t help get the last drop out of the tank. In business the rules are the same. Networking with people at the top of their game has a surprising effect on success. Take failure on the chin Don’t give up when things don’t go to plan. It’s merely a hurdle. Just like athletes, the most successful businesses have endured failures, sometimes many. Being able to learn from mistakes rather than running scared from them is what sorts the winners from the losers in the long run. What are you waiting for? The world is your oyster! The author Mike James is an experienced writer, with a focus and history in business management most recently in cyber defence, where he has been published on some of the top online publications such as StaySafeOnline and CyberDefenceMag.

Friday, May 15, 2020

What is Verbiage For Technical Writing on Resume?

What is Verbiage For Technical Writing on Resume?If you are not familiar with the use of technical writing, or if you are not aware that certain words are used in job applications, then you may not understand how to write resume verbiage. Technical writing is one that is not found in other forms of writing, such as writing for the Internet. In fact, there are several terms that can be found when reading resumes.Technical writing, as it pertains to resumes, is one that pertains to skill sets that can help a person succeed in a certain position. This type of writing is commonly known as resume writing, and it is also referred to as technical resume writing. When learning this form of writing, the main goal is to understand what the person applying for the position knows. When a person applies for a job, it is important that they are hired into the company.Technical writing is used in resumes because it gives people an idea about what a person has to offer the company. Resumes also need to be very detailed and contain the information that is required. The person writing the resume will need to know this so that they can use the right verbiage in order to get hired. One way to learn more about what the words in a resume verbiage are, is to talk to an employment lawyer.Many companies and other organizations require that potential employees come in and pass a computer literacy test. In this type of test, the person must know how to use certain software programs. Even though these programs are not used every day, it is required in order to ensure that someone coming into the company is able to use the computer properly.There are two kinds of computer literacy that a person can be tested for, the first is the use of Microsoft Word, which are used on a specific office computer, and the second is the use of Macromedia Flash, which is used in most computers. Once a person has been tested for the use of either one of these programs, they will know that they are able to wor k with one of them. The next step in the test will involve writing an essay, which will require information from the applicant. These types of essays can be filled out in Microsoft Word or in the application itself.The next step will involve a person being given two different samples of their resume, and the person is expected to match the words with one of the two specific word processing software programs. Once the person has taken the test, they will be required to type in the information needed and then click the submit button. This will end the form and it will send it to the employer. The main purpose of this test is to ensure that a person is able to meet the company's needs.The next step will be using a search engine to find a copy of the resume. After the person submits their resume, they will be sent a confirmation e-mail and a request for a telephone interview. The interviewer will ask the person what type of work experience they have had, and what certifications they hav e had, such as certificates for experience. The interviewer will also ask questions about previous positions that the person has held, and their education.This process will be used in order to see if a person's resume is in order. People who apply for jobs that have different requirements than those who do not usually have their resumes analyzed and then accepted. There are many other types of resumes that are reviewed as well, but these are the types that the HR manager will focus on. Resume verbiage is one of the main things that are asked to be written in a resume.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Me on a Bulgarian talk show - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Me on a Bulgarian talk show - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Did I tell you about the time British happiness researcher Nic Marks and I were the featured guests on a Bulgarian talk show? They had a live band playing while we talked and we also got to play improve theater. In short, it was awesome :) Here it is: Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

Friday, May 8, 2020

Event Networking Tips

Event Networking Tips Networking is all about connecting with individuals, providing resources with no strings attached, and building relationships based on trust. It is focused on genuinely giving and believing that what goes around comes around. Networking should be viewed as a long-term strategy for building profitable relationships, rather than achieving a quick win. With that in mind, heres my list of the top 5 ways to use networking events for long-term success. Event Conference Networking Tips Be authentic. Networking is about establishing and fostering relationships and building trust. It is not about selling yourself rather being yourself. This is why introverts and extraverts are equally strong at networking and building trust. Taking this approach can make networking seem less daunting. Set goals. Know what you want to accomplish at a networking event. For example, meeting 10 new individuals, having 3 meaningful conversations or recommending 2 of your partners. Having a goal in mind brings purpose to the event, keeps you focused while you are there and allows you to evaluate your success. Listen. To build trust you have to get to know someone beyond a superficial level. You need to truly understand their real needs, goals and concerns. Listen through the lens of how can I best help this person?, rather than how can this person help me? Take Notes. Right after speaking with someone, jot down the pertinent details from the conversation. The back of an individual’s business card is a great place to write those notes and list out your follow-up items. Follow through. Use the notes you took to reach out to the individuals you met. For example, set a meeting to learn more about them, connect them with someone you know, send them articles, resources, research, etc. Following through is one way that you will stand out from the crowd. Your network is a major factor in having a successful career so invest in building your network for the long-term. Approach networking events with the right mindset and tactics and you will be on your way to long-term success!