Monday, December 30, 2019

How to overcome sleepless nights starting now

How to overcome sleepless nights starting nowHow to overcome sleepless nights starting nowEveryone runs into sleepless nights from time to time, but in fact, as much as one-third of the UK suffer from regular sleep deprivation. Lack of quality sleep can mess with your focus and productivity, but worse, it can interfere with your health, too.If your sleep routine is making you constantly tired, here are some steps you can take to beat the lack of sleep.Is Comfort the Problem ?When sleep is the issue, perhaps the first place we should look for answers is your bed? A bad mattress could be at the root of all your problems. An old, badly looked after or unsupportive mattress can emphasize existing pains or cause further aches, pains, and stiffness, interfering with your nights sleep and carrying forward into your daily interactions.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreGetting a new mattr ess might bedrngnis be in your options, but an easy way to get around a dodgy mattress and increase comfort is to add a mattress topper. Kieran atThe Dozy Owl hosted his own quest to find the perfect mattress topper, not resting until he could present you with a handy top 8 pick for various requirements. Hell also give you the low down on all products sleep-related, for greater chances of the ultimate nights sleepGet lost in dreams, not in thoughts So if the issue isnt physical, perhaps its all in your head? Overthinking at bedtime is a ridiculously common practice which ties our brain in knots, fills us with stress and worry, and prevents us from getting to sleep. Here atYCB,we recommend trying to rid yourself of such thoughts before tucking yourself up Take out a little time to think about problems, write down possible solutions, or make a note to follow it up later, emptying your head before going to the bedroom so that these thoughts cant plague you at night.If clearing your hea d alone isnt enough, try some simple relaxation, meditation or even yoga before bed to help you settle down.Keeping your room tidy, switching off your devices a set time before bed or lighting some scented candles can also influence your mood and allow you to drift off more easily.The health feedbackWeve already established that less or lower quality sleep can impact your health, in fact, its linked to a whole suite of diseases and conditions, it may evencause weight gain. The good news is, though you may not be able to choose your quality of sleep, youcanchoose a healthier lifestyle, which may positively feedback into your ability to sleep.What you consume, and when is a significant factor. If you depend on caffeine to get you through the day, thats probably whats keeping you up at night. As much as we hate to admit, its important to have a caffeine cut off point so that its effects dont last through to bedtime.Alcohol is another culprit for disrupting sleep. It may make you drowsy , but it leads to unhealthy, poor quality sleep. There are however foods you can eat whichpositively influence sleep, and chocolate made the list In small quantities, of course.Exercise has also been shown to havepositive effects on sleep, regardless of the time of day. Exercise releases endorphins, reduces stress, can reset the sleep-wake cycle due to changes in temperature, and it physically tires you out. People, who exercise report better sleep than those who dont, so perhaps its time to jump on the bandwagon?Please note that not all sleep problems can be easily fixed and some may require professional advice or medication, so if problems persist, speak to your doctor.This article originally appeared on YourCoffeeBreak.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

How to Find a Job Working for a Nonprofit

How to Find a Job Working for a NonprofitHow to Find a Job Working for a NonprofitIts often said that it takes a special type of employee to work in the nonprofit sector. The hours are long, the pay usually isnt so competitive, and there are a lot of challenges to take on each and every day. That said, those who do work in nonprofit jobs enjoy the reward of knowing that their work is changing the world for the better. How to Begin Your Nonprofit Job Search If youre interested in working in the nonprofit world, here are a few ideas to get youstarted. It may take some time and networking, but in the end, itll be worth it. Start VolunteeringTo a non-profit employer, your volunteer experience is a clear indication of the time and effort youre willing to put in to make a difference. If you dont have any volunteer experience, look for opportunities in your area and ?start volunteeringas soon as possible.If you do have volunteer experience, make sure you emphasize it in your cover lette r and resume.Once you find a volunteer ort that suits you, put your best foot forward. Take the initiative and ask for mora work if you find yourself with downtime.Participate in community activities and fundraising events. Recruit other volunteers. In other words, go above and beyond to demonstrate your passion for the work. This could lead to a job within the organization and will also garner you somegood reference material when you start applying for jobs. When It Comes to Volunteering, Dont Spread Yourself Too ThinGenerally, in terms of your volunteer work, quality is better than quantity. Being focused on one organization or type of volunteer activity is better than trying to join every volunteer group possible.Instead of doing short stints at a variety of organizations, stick with one and try to work your way up. Doing this could even lead to a paid role, but regardless, a leadership position looks great on your resume, demonstrating your drive and dedication to the company an d the cause. That Said, Make Sure You Present Yourself as a Well-Rounded CandidateAlthough you should focus your volunteer efforts, try to develop a wide range of professional and personal skills, too. For example, are you an English major who can speak Spanish? A top-notch communicator who also has some web design tricks up her sleeve? An accountant with a knack for digital photography?If you have any of these, or similar, skills, emphasize them in your cover letter. Nonprofits dont always have the fattest of bank accounts if anything, its usually quite the opposite socandidates who can wear many hats (and wear them well) are highly sought after. So, show off your full skillset. Consider an InternshipIf youre a student, a recent graduate, or in the midst of a career change, you might want toconsider finding an internshipat a nonprofit organization. An internship can have better-paid employment prospects than volunteering and can also involve more interesting work than volunteerin g.Look OnlineIn addition to thebroad-scope employment listings sitesyou should be using in which you can search for nonprofit jobs you can also check out job search sites specifically created for nonprofit job listings.Take a look atIdealist,Dot Org Jobs, and the Career Center at theNonprofit Times. Check Nonprofits Official Websites for Job OpeningsIn addition to using search engines, many nonprofits list employment opportunities on their own websites, which you can usually find on a Careers or Get Involved page. Applying directly is a good way to show youre staying updated with the organization via their online presence.Start LocalMany large nonprofits have smaller, regional offices that might be the bestplace to start out. For example, ifyoure interested in working with Planned Parenthood, applying for a volunteer position or a job at their center within your local area is a good stepping stone if you dont have prior experience working at a nonprofit. Make Sure Your Application Materials Are StellarAlthough the application process to work at a nonprofit might not be ascut-throat as the pathway to a major PR firm or finance company, the job market is competitive in general. Its always important to make sure yourcover letter is compelling and typo-free, yourresume is flawless, and that you areproperly prepared for your interview.

Friday, December 20, 2019

5 smart ways to ask for help without seeming incompetent

5 smart ways to ask for help without seeming incompetent5 smart ways to ask for help without seeming incompetentThe Beatles got by with a little help from their friends, so why do you feel bad asking for assistance at work? You want to be perceived asconfident, clever, and capable on the job because you are. But you also need to get out of yourcomfort zonein order to grow, and sometimes that requires biting off more than you alone can chew. Taking on big projects often means taking on big aufgabes. You can handle complicated assignments and you are smart enough to realize when you need help to complete them. Here are five ways to ask for help at work without coming off as incompetent.1. Approach with confidenceEveryone needs help sometimes, so dont apologize for it. Part of your managers job is to guide your projects. No one is hired with all the knowledge they need to do every task in the job description. Your manager expects you to consult her when you get stuck. Before going to he r, figure out why you need help. Is this project beyond your skill set? Do you have so much other work to do that you cant meet a deadline? Then, be courageous. Instead of approaching her with, Im sorry to bother you with this. Go with, Id appreciate your help with this.2. Do your homeworkGo to your manager with a specific question, situation, or plan. You may think you dont even know where to start, but dont let that overwhelm you. Make a bullet point list of the ways youve already tried to solve the issue so she doesnt waste time trying those solutions again. Write down any questions you have. Be ready to give a high-level synopsis of the situation. To focus your thoughts, use the who, what, when, where, why, and how method Who is involved in the problem? What exactly is the problem? When did the problem occur? Where did the problem happen? Why did the problem arise? How did the problem develop? Bringing these answers to your supervisor gives her context and the seeds of a plan.3. Know whose help you needHas a colleague already been through a similar situation? If the task is over your head, try to find a Subject Matter Expert within the company you can sound out before approaching your manager. Is this something a coworker can assist you with? If you are temporarily overwhelmed with responsibilities, is there a peer willing to help you with a short-term task?4. Be willing to reciprocateThe best way to ask someone for help is to have already helped them, so be proactive. When a peer asks you for help, try to let Yes, be your first response so you can pay it forward. The time will come when you need to lean on them. Try to maintain an open line ofcommunicationwith your manager. If the only time you talk to her is when you have a problem, she wont want to see you. Seek mentors both inside and outside the company. You can tap these resources when you get in trouble.5. Remember that timing is everythingMake a good effort to accomplish the work yourself, but dont wait until the project is so at risk that the client is angry. Most managers prefer to clean up a small mess rather than a big one. And dont be a repeat offender. If your babo sends you emails regarding how to solve this problem, flag them and keep them for future reference. If the two of you are meeting about the problem, take notes and file them. Thank her for her help. If your company has a recognition, incentive, or reward program, make sure you use it to acknowledge her and every one else who helped you.A version of this post previously appeared onFairygodboss, the largest career community that helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.

Monday, December 16, 2019

Learn the Elements of an Effective Sales Plan

Learn the Elements of an Effective schlussverkauf PlanLearn the Elements of an Effective Sales PlanA abverkauf plan is a crucial tool for all salespeople. Your company may have a sales plan in place, and if so, you should definitely make a point of learning and following it. But without an individual sales plan, youre missing an opportunity to boost your sales to the next level. The Two Major Components of a Good Sales Plan A good sales plan hastwo major components sales strategies and sales tactics. Strategies and tactics are military terms used to describe a war plan. Strategy is about the war itself what the leaders want to accomplish, and which battles they choose to fight. Tactics determine how an individual battle is fought. So in business terms, a strategy might be to let the people in your community know about your company, while the associated tactics might include attending chamber of commerce meetings, putting an ad in the local paper, setting up an event at your place of business, going door to door, etc. Sales plans break down further into new business growth strategies and tactics and existing business growth strategies and tactics (e.g. selling additional products to people who are already customers). These four components provide a framework for your sales plan, and its important to include all of them. However, its up to you to prioritize these components in a way that makes sense to you. If youve already hit up your existing customers recently, youll probably want to focus on acquiring new ones. If youve just launched a new product that dovetails with an existing product, then your sales plan should take this into account and focus on selling it to current customers. Familiarize Yourself with Sales Quota, Territory and Products, and Services Before you create your sales plan, you must be intimately familiar with three important details your sales quota, your sales territory, and your line of products and services. Understanding your s ales quota helps you to build a plan that will make your manager happy, and will also enable you to design a plan that will maximize your commissions which will make YOU happy. Knowing your territory keeps you from stepping on your fellow salespeoples toes. And knowing your products and services helps you to define your prospect requirements, which, in turn, gives you a realistic view of how and how much you can sell. Revising Your Sales Plan Even the best sales plan will need regular revising. Changes to your quota, your product line, your existing customer kusine, your industry even economic ups and downs can necessitate an adjustment to your sales plan. At the very least, you should review your plan quarterly and decide if you need to make any changes. Consider the sales plan a living document, not something set in stone. If you have trouble deciding on your sales strategies and tactics, your sales manager is a terrific resource. They will usually have a better grasp of com pany-wide sales goals and will be able to help you tailor your sales plan to meet these goals, while also making the most of your unique opportunities. Other members of your sales team can also help. Ask your star salespeople what they include in their sales plans, and use these strategies as a jumping-off point to develop your own. To get you started, here are some examples of useful sales strategies and their tactics. Beat my quota by 25 percent Make 50 cold calls a week, make twenty face-to-face contacts with potential prospects, set four appointments per week, send 40 email greetings to potential prospects per week.Sell my existing customers an average of one new product apiece Send out fifty letters per week suggesting an account evaluation, call five customers per day to ask about their status, contact every new customer within two weeks of purchase to answer any questions or concerns.Increase my base of local customers Participate in 12 networking events, volunteer for three local non-profit organizations, attend every Chamber of Commerce meeting.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

How to become a Renaissance leader in todays business world

How to become a Renaissance leader in todays business worldHow to become a Renaissance leader in todays business worldJack of all trades, master of none is a common maxim for leaders spread thin by their interests. Focus or fail is the prevailing career advice, and leaders are repeatedly told that specialization is key to success. But is there another way to succeed?The Renaissance Leaders WorldLets outline the world today.1. GlobalizationOnce a revolutionary concept, globalization is now widely accepted. Increased global outlooks and the velocity of international exchange present a landscape in which verlottern leaders grow and thrive. The interconnected world expands boundaries and the generation raised in it fervently applies globalization to daily living.2. Technology PlatformsThree emerging technology platforms embolden a multifaceted world of leadershipLearning platformsrapidly train leaders about a skillset or issue (e.g., MOOCs such as Duolingo and Codeacademy, andonline accr editation programs).Doing platformsbroadly advance investment, execution or management of ideas (e.g., crowdsourcing platforms such as Kickstarter and Quora, and management platforms such as Basecamp and Asana).Sharing platformsbolster information exchange, feedback loops and competition (e.g., social media, websites and blogs).Collectively, these three platforms dramatically reduce the transaction costs of making an impact. These platforms make it possible for renaissance leaders to grow diverse skillsets and accomplish great feats quickly, effectively and sometimes even simultaneously.3. Flexible Business ModelsAn emergence of flexible business models systemize nurturing environments. For example, forward-thinking companies institute work-life balance policies designed for family life as well as the pursuit of personal passions or interests. Automation and additive manufacturing are more sophisticated examples of flexible business models that reduce the time workers need to accomp lish traditional tasks, providing more time to spend on other pursuits. In short, across workforce and business processes, emerging business models empower leaders to have their cake and eat it, too.Human profil has reached unprecedented levels. The combination of globalization, technology platforms and flexible career models enables the growth of multifaceted leaders.Meet the Renaissance LeaderA renaissance leader is someone who has profound, diverse expertise and channels those abilities for purpose, problem-solving and unifying others. Unlike a polymath or multipotentialite, a renaissance leader is driven by causes beyond themselves.There are three criteria for being a renaissance leaderDiverse field expertiseHe or she has more than broad interests or superficial involvement in several fields. Rather, the individual possesses a profound knowledge, proficiency or expertise in various fields.Channeled fieldsRenaissance leaders are masters at channeling various fields to accomplish focused objectives or to solve targeted problems. In other words, renaissance leaders combine learning from industries that other people may not view as complementaryand use those learnings to address specific challenges.UnifierRenaissance leaders are unique because they harness shared experiences by working with and unifying people from diverse backgrounds. Renaissance leaders inspire diverse peoples to take action.Why Renaissance Leaders MatterWhile human potential is higher than ever, the worlds advancements present us with ever more complex problems. Painful gaps exist within communities and societies that have serious social implications.Renaissance leaders are valuable and increasingly vital on both micro and macro levels. Within teams, renaissance leaders are adept at complex problem-solving, unifying people, synthesizing skills, and empathizing with diverse customers, consumers and/or public interests.On a grander scale, renaissance leaders are key integrators of people and communities. When channeled meaningfully, they serve vital roles that heal divides and coalesce fragmentations, while at the same time pushing forward various fronts.In many countries, renaissance leaders play a vital role when there is strife. They achieve unity in times of polarity by climbing empathy walls, navigating social terrains and creating structures for shared experiences. These audacious challenges require sharp, refined and value-driven leaders.Barriers to EntrySignificant challenges, barriers and gaps in business management stand in the way of further developing renaissance leaders.For example, social attitudes toward generalists are subversively negative. In fast-moving businesses, decisions are often made based on specific titles, focused job descriptions and third-party certifications. In the employment market, individuals perceived to be renaissance leaders are frequently tagged as ineffective or undesirable because they lack specialized skills. Even the title of a renaissance man is pretentious and often warrants an air of the overly privileged.There are leadership development challenges for advancing the skills of renaissance leaders. Few trainings, career planning programs or leader development tactics are built for people who aim to have diverse skills and experiences.Making ChangeImproved professional development tools could focus on reframing difficult questions such as, What do you want to be when you grow up?, which has one answer, to How do you imagine spending your time? Instead of questions like, What are your goals? and What is your career path? renaissance leaders want to be asked, What is the legacy you aspire to build and leave for yourself, your family and your world?More tactically, new forms of project management, time management and investment strategies could be designed with a broader lens for renaissance leaders.Mentorship is lacking for the growing generation of renaissance leaders. While renaissance leaders exist among st baby boomers and Gen Xers, who might traditionally serve as mentors for emerging leaders, their stories, wisdom and energy persist largely uncaptured.Luckily, an opportunity exists to share the perspective of renaissance leaders, identify a global network and capture learnings and experiences to be shared with the world.Carrie Rich is the co-founder and CEO ofThe Global Good Fund.This article, which first appeared atBusinessCollective, is based on the concept of Renaissance Leaders developed byRuss Gong Deloitte Consulting LLP, Army National Guard, and Narratale Productions. He is a co-author of this article, passionately searching for undiscovered Renaissance Leaders.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume

Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume Every time a prospective employer receives a titelseite letter from you, its only demonstrates that you want her or him to know you, why you are interest to make an application for the position and that which you are able to bring to the organizations table. The important thing is to show in yur cover letter that youre acquainted with the corporations background and where its headed in the future. Getting able to understand the business and the duties related to the position can help set the proper tone of your letter. Taking a look at the business website is a superb beginning, but a lot of vacancies listed by recruiting agencies do not disclose the name of the business. How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume Options Cover Letter Writing The procedure for writing a Cover Letter thats personalized for each specific job is among the most difficult regions of the job searching process in line with the feedba ck received from our community. Your pals at Resume Companion are here in order to assist you with your transition. A Resume Cover Letter Format has an extremely significant role in bringing you the very best employment prospect. How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume - Is it a Scam? Whenever possible, address your cover letter to a certain individual, like the hiring manager or the recruiter responsible for filling the position. Summarize why youre the proper person for the job. Relating your strengths to the requirements of the organization and the work immediately indicates youve spent time considering the position. If it doesnt indicate a specific point person, try to do some research on the companys website and LinkedIn. Attempting to create a resume can be a little bit of a nightmare. Resumes can be frustrating since it can be difficult to tell a cohesive story about a specific work experience in bullet points. Employers and recruiters alike will appreciate your proa ctive strategy, and you own a shot at standing over the rest. No one wants to read an essay written about yourself, and what exactly you can or cannot do. If youre asking for a job which is somewhat of a stretch given your experiences, the cover letter is the ideal place to help the employer understand how you are a great fit. If you must also go over the fundamentals of cover letter writing, make certain to take a look at our how-to here. To start with, keep in mind that you will be talking to a non-military audience. Customize the sample letter you need and make your very own personal and special job resume cover letter. The mass advertising cover letter is also referred to as a cold contact cover letter. Developing an exceptional letter will allow it to be truly yours, suited to your personality and fashion. A sample is able to help you decide what things to have in your letter, and the way to format the letter. 1 error and your letter is going to be thrown away. Choosi ng Good How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume The second paragraph is the proper place to highlight your precise skills and abilities and the way in which they meet the demands of the work prospect. A cover letter should demonstrate the employer you have the qualifications to do the job youre applying for. The Hidden Truth About How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume You may add an additional middle paragraph if absolutely crucial. A well-crafted cover letter may be an effective job-search tool. Just as you should find out more about the position and industry before writing your cover letter, you also ought to make aya to acquaint yourself with all application instructions. There are a few rules to remember when addressing your Cover Letter. The Nuiances of How to Do a Cover Letter for a Resume Most resumes are produced for example that. Also write down the information that you need to set forth. If you require any more information I am readily available to meet up with yo u personally. Any information relevant to the company ought to be double checked for accuracy. It is not surprising why many applicants ask if there is truly a need to compose a cover letter for their resume even when it is not needed by the employer. In the end, get somebody else to confirm the letter before you send it off. Your letter should do all the next. If your letter is spilling off onto another page, first reread it and see whether theres anything it is possible to cut.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees

8 Ways to Communicate Better with Yur EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a schwimmbad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be mora productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel stahlkammer and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating unterstellung ca n be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with behauptung terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question welches taken seriously and that it welchesnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication eu-agrarpolitik between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossibl e to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a ordnungsprinzip where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an master of business administration Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective co mmunication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervi sion. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel stahlkammer and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like th ey are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gemeinsame agrarpolitik between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a ordnungsprinzip where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the M anager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barri ers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep thin gs in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post -it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From o ur trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get co mpleted, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Ke ep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done w ithout overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to a sk questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember , the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking dow n barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not ke ep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text messag e, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acrony ms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strateg y to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by taking down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be ab le to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. R emember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees8 Ways to Communicate Better with Your EmployeesSearch 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemail Develop Maintain a Communication Strategy to Keep Your Workers Fully Engaged Effective communication in the workplace is arguably the most important factor in the success of a company. Even so, many companies dont take necessary steps to make sure their communication strategy is well-thought-out and flexible. Here are eight suggestions to improve communication by tak ing down barriers that tend to exist in many businesses 1. Create an environment of open communication where opinions are valued and not judged or punished. In many cases, employees dont communicate honest information to their superiors simply because they dont want to disappoint them or show dissent. Push your employees to punch holes in the product and reward them for good ideas. 2. One thing many managers tend to do is give out a lot of work and expect employees to prioritize and deliver. This is generally a bad practice. Employees dont necessarily know what the priority is and it often leaves them overwhelmed. As a manager, think of a plan to get the work done without overloading those under your supervision. 3. Emotions can play a big role in efficiency and productivity.Managers cant necessarily control what happens to employees when they leave the office, but they can play a significant role in office morale. If employees are happy, they will be more productive. Be careful to not keep things in the office too casual or comfortable as this tends to make employees lazy, but do ensure that employees feel safe and have the tools to accomplish their goals. 4. Very often new employees find themselves having to learn their job, with the added barriers of trying to figure out what people are saying.Using acronyms and slang may make things more efficient when speaking directions, but for a new employee, translating these can be a drag on productivity. Once employees become a little more familiar with these terms, using them is fine5. Employees have to be able to ask questions.Employees no matter their level of experience should be able to ask questions without feeling like they are annoying their manager. Make sure the employee feels that their question was taken seriously and that it wasnt in any way inappropriate to ask. 6. A big communication gap between managers and employees can occur with verbal instructions.When possible, communicate via email, text message, post-it, or in some other written form. If something is time sensitive, include the time and date the instruction was given. This gives the employee something to refer to long after the manager is gone. It also helps the manager maintain accountability if they know instructions were given to the employee, and a project doesnt get completed, there is a clear understanding of where the problem lies.7. Its impossible to fix communication problems if you cant recognize the problems as they happen.Let employees know what kind of communication you expect from them. Set up a system where they will respond to you with certain information at certain times. Remember, the Manager/Employee relationship is just that a relationship. Everyone communicates differently, and it is up to the manager to figure out those differences and work with them or change them. Related Salary.com Content Calling in Sick 7 Good Reasons, 7 Lame Reasons The ROI of an MBA Degree Dream Job Rock Star From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles 7 Ways to Communicate Better with Your Employees

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Three ways you can simplify your life in the office

Three ways you can simplify yur life in the officeThree ways you can simplify yur life in the officeThe overwhelmed employee has received a lot of attention over the past few years. People have more and more work to do and are struggling to keep up with it all. People are spending less and less time with their families and bedrngnis taking time to disconnect, switch off, and recharge. It has become quite hard to disconnect when we have constant access to ur email, social networking sites, news, and other sources of distraction. Work is also becoming increasingly global which requires being on at times normally spent working out or with family.The issue is that we lose sight of what is truly fruchtwein important when we run from one thing to the next. The go-go-go mindset reduces ones ability to think strategically and operate in a proactive manner. We feel that to be more successful, generate more revenue, or achieve that goal we simply need to do more. It doesnt help that when we do deliver a great product or project were rewarded with more work. Many of us actually consider being busy a badge of honor. But the reality is that we have so much going on and are pulled in so many directions that we are left feeling overwhelmed and close to burning out. We wake up one morning and realize that years have passed in a haze of deadlines and conference calls. Weve missed out on critical experiences with our kids, and weve lost touch of our true passions.Here are some of the typical things I have heard from those in my network that are run raggedI feel unhealthy. I dont have time to make proper food, get enough sleep, or work out.The emails are constant. I feel like my phone is a vibrator that cant be switched off.If I can just get through this next project Ill have some breathing space.I just cant keep up with all the firefighting.Im obviously painting a pretty dismal picture, but there is hope While we cant escape the reality of 21st-century business, steps can be tak en and skills can be built to smash complexity in your life, take control, increase your energy, be more productive, and be generally happier. Its time to begin to live simply.Here are three steps you can take to simplify youReduce clutterGet clear on what is truly most importantAvoid distractions and interruptionsReduce clutterWe have become hoarders of stuff. Both professionally and personally, we retain too many things and let our lives become cluttered. We may notlage realize it, but all of this stuff weighs on our mind and contributes to a sense of losing control. A good first step in simplifying you is taking the time to declutter and reorganize. It is mentally liberating when we get rid of all the things that are not needed. It simplifies our environment, which subconsciously makes us feel less stressed and mentally scattered.While it may seem challenging to find the time to declutter, it is certainly worth the investment. It is a valuable step toward taking control of your l ife and gaining the individual clarity that seems to be out of reach for most in todays high-paced, scattered world. There really is something to be said for the minimalist movement that seems to be taking hold in many parts of the world.Get clear on what is truly most importantOne of the major issues with seemingly too much work and operating in a reactive, firefighting mode is that you lose focus on what is most important. Your time is spent on relatively lower-value activities as you get caught up reacting to requests or the latest issue. Your impact on the business is diminished, and it can seem hard to break free from it. Getting clear on what is most important, those things that will deliver the greatest impact on the business, will allow you to free yourself from the chains of reactive working and take control over your time and focus.Take some time to answer the following questionsWhat is the purpose of my role?How can I add the most value to the business?What are the most p roductive and impactful activities I do?How do I produce the best work?What do I need to produce my best work?With the answers to these questions, you can begin to distill your professional priorities. The answers will reveal what activities and projects will have the greatest impact on the business and therefore your performance. It should also reveal how you can be most effective at delivering these most important things.Avoid distractions and interruptionsHow often do you check your phone? The average person does it 110 times a day, and this number is increasing all the time. Our smartphones have become so magnetic. We feel a constant pull from our phones to check if anyone has emailed us or liked or commented on a photo or a recent post, or to keep up on the latest news or sports scores. This addiction to our phones is massively distracting and interruptive and gets in the way of us producing our best work. It used to be the little red light from our Blackberry that resulted in us incessantly checking our phones, but now it is a little beep or a vibration of our smartphone. With the invention of smartwatches, we now cant escape the interruptions as we receive a vibration on the wrist any time an email, text message, or app update is received. With advancing technology, there is an increasing number of sources of distraction and interruption.Every time we are interrupted or distracted it breaks any concentration we may have been trying to cultivate. When our focus is broken our productive energy is wasted and it takes time and energy to get focus back. It is also so easy to get pulled into the thing that has interrupted you. You see a notification that someone has liked a LinkedIn article you have posted, so you go to see who it was. Once there, you see that there are other updates and one of your former colleagues has published an interesting new article. You decide to read it. On and on, one thing leads to another, and before you know it youve wasted an h our of your time that could have been spent working toward your highest priorities.To help simplify your life and optimize your productivity and impact we need to have the discipline to not be tempted by our magnetic technology products. But you can make it easy on yourself by taking a few deliberate steps to remove or reduce the risk that our focus is broken during our productive times.Turn off all notifications on your smartphone. Go into the settings and turn off each notification associated with your email and for each application.If youre not using it, switch it off. Any time youre not using an application or internet page on your computer, exit out of it. The more things you have up in your computer, the more scattered you will feel and the more risk there is that youll get pulled from the most important work. According to one study, 57% of interruptions at work resulted from either social media tools or switching among disparate stand-alone applications.Schedule productive ti me on your calendar. During this period exit out of your email and enable the do not disturb function on instant messenger. Close all non-core applications on the computer. This means no internet. Turn off your phone or put it in do not disturb mode. And, if need be and you have a private office, inform your colleagues that if your door is closed you do not want to be disturbed.Allocate time for everything else. Schedule breaks on your calendar when you can catch up on your social media platforms, read up on the latest news, or engage in banter with your colleagues.In this day and age, the opportunity to simplify our lives is significant. By decluttering, getting clear on whats truly important, and reducing distractions and interruptions you can build the skills and discipline to simplify your world, get a handle on complexity, and take control of your productive capacity. While each component has been somewhat skimmed over in this article out of necessity, our smart habits training program goes into each of these categories in much more detail and provides exercises to nurture the habits.Jesse Newton is the author of Simplify Work Crushing Complexity to Liberate Innovation, Productivity and Engagement. He is the founder and CEO of Simplify Work a global management consulting firm that helps organizations throw off the shackles of debilitating complexity and reignite top performance.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

These 7 Workplace Trends Will Dominate Your Workplace by 2030

These 7 Workplace Trends Will Dominate Yur Workplace by 2030These 7 Workplace Trends Will Dominate Your Workplace by 2030The world is changing rapidly and we are curious what the future has in store for us. We shiver with apprehension when it comes to the rise robots and artificial intelligence.But is there a reason to fear a jobless future?Its true that technological advances are eliminating jobs and tasks, but primarily those that require low-level professional qualifications. Whether it comes to automated parking booths or supermarket tills, what we are witnessing is the erosion of low paid jobs.But emerging forms of technology and automation are making mora highly qualified professionals obsolete, too. Professions like a financial analyst, lawyer and tax expert are waning, and theres nothing we can do about it.In 2000, mora than 600 traders worked in Goldman Sachss New York headquarters. Seven years later, the number of equity traders reduced to two because algorithms handled by computer engineers were finally able to take over the rest of the work. And the same pattern keeps repeating in other Wall Street firms. Computerized trading has grown to a point when self-completing online tax returns and machine learning approaches to accountancy are seriously threatening human-dominated jobs in financial services.So which seven trends are about to dominate in the years to come?1. Impermanence.First, we need to say farewell to permanent contracts and embrace the era of self-employment and freelancing. The future asks for flexibility. According to McKinsey Global Institute, as many as 30% of workers in the US and Europe earn a portion of their income through independent work - freelance activities, self-employment, or rapidly expanding digital gig or sharing economy platforms.This also means that people can no longer rely on social safety nets of insurance, medical coverage, social security or paid vacation. In fact, 94% of the new jobs in the US created between 2 005 and 2015 were those that gave workers no protection at all.In the short run, the trend of impermanence is aya to contribute to increased worker vulnerability and challenge the relevance of trade unions in the years to come.2. Life expectancy.Thanks to the high quality of health care, humans are today living longer than ever before. The life expectancy rises steadily by 2 years every decade.And in Japan, Italy and Germany, womens life expectancy is approaching 90 and men have already reached 80. But lets have a look at the consequences, too. First, the number of people whose retirement lasts longer than their career is rising. According to a recent study, there are more than 700,000 people in Italy that have been pensioners for at least 35 years. And the sustainability of such model is questionable, to say the least.Second, we conventionally divide our life into three parts - education, career and retirement. But does drawing clear lines help in todays world? Due to the stiffnes s of our education systems and an ever-increasing youth experience gap, young people will need to focus on living a life of continuous learning instead.3. New professions.Theres no need to worry about gloom and doom scenarios for massive unemployment. So far, technology has created more jobs than destroyed.According to a recent McKinsey study, more than 50% of new jobs in the US are brand new occupations. Apparently, we are about to see different kinds of professionals that will be in high demand in the years to come.Hiring managers will go to great lengths to find experts in artificial intelligence, the internet of things, specialists in cyber-security, internet governance, social media, startups, machine learning, robotics, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, Blockchain and many other fields we dont have names for yet. And salaries for these emerging professions are sure to be sky-high, too4. Women.Despite the rising level of awareness, gender pay gap is real. Women still tend to be employed in roles that fail to meet their level of skill and expertise. But this is going to change soon. Theres no doubt that future belongs to women and their superior skills.Whereas men feel natural in the world competition, women have abetter capacity for collaboration, empathy, creativity, listening skills and lifelong learning. Its exactly these human characteristics that make them more suited for jobs created by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.5. Employee empowerment.In order to survive, companies need to reflect rapid changes in the job market and abandon outdated concepts and ideas. We need to stop building stiff companies that build upon the principles of the First Industrial Revolution. Workers in such companies are still seen as machines or even as replaceable spare parts.The workplace of the future will do away with the constant nightmare of losing ones job or giving up ones dignity. Companies will revisit their values and empower their employees so that they will fee l free to work to the best of their ability.6. Anywhereness.Working from home has become an increasingly viable option for many employees. But with the era of ubiquitous Internet access fast approaching, workers of the future will have even more control.In tomorrows society, your work is no longer a place that you go to - it is something that you do, independent of location.The ultimate flexibility will allow us to work anytime, anywhere, and with any device. Thanks to flexible work schedules and environments, our work wont confine us to a specific time and place any longer.7. generisch basic income.Who wouldnt like to earn money without working? But dont get mistaken - the concept of universal basic income goes much deeper than that.Governments believe the policy could help people live more healthy, prosperous lives.It should be a solution to major problems like crime, poverty, malnutrition, diseases and debts.Basic income pilots have already been launched in a number of countrie s over the world, and the idea is on the verge of reaching mainstream politics.The concept has been endorsed by many high-profile Silicon Valley executives, too. While Mark Zuckerberg sees it a cushion that will allow everyone to try new things, Elon Musk sees it as an economic response to the arrival of increased automation and intelligent technologies that will eventually overtake the human capacity for work. But how to finance such an insanely expensive project? Well, Bill Gates seems to have an answer. He suggested introducing a tax on machines like robots and AI that would help offset the social impact of automation and foster the sustainability of the universal basic income.These workplace trends are already here.Every change happens for a reason. These seven emerging trends in the nature of work and its organization share a common goal ofmaking peoples lives more meaningful.Machines can live without a salary or satisfaction. But we humans are driven by purpose, autonomy, capa city for self-improvement, and a deep sense of fairness and transparency. So its very likely machines will keep taking over mediocre or trivial jobs that workers of the future will no longer be interested in. People, in turn, will be free to work on positions that require values and creativity.And thats a far more optimistic prospect, isnt it?Share Your Feedback or Ideas in the Comments

How to Introduce Yourself at a Job Fair

How to Introduce Yourself at a Job FairHow to Introduce Yourself at a Job FairWhetzu sich youre a college student going to acampus career ritterlichor an experienced candidateattending a professional job fair or aelendher networking event, your introduction is the first opportunity youll have to make a good impression. If youre not always comfortable with putting yourself out there, talking to people you dont know well, or selling yourself to prospective employers, it may help to learn how to introduce yourself at a job fair. Whats a Job Fair? A job fair (also known as a career fair), providesopportunities for job seekers to meet with many employers at one event. Attendees can chat with recruiters from participating companies, learn about job openings and career opportunities, and may have the chance for a quick on-the-spot job interview. Career fairs often offer networking programs, resume reviews, and job search workshops for job seekers, in addition to meetings with company re presentatives. How to Prepare for a Job Fair Attending an event with lots of people you dont know can be challenging, especially if youre not the fruchtwein outgoing person in the room. But its essential to moving your career along the path you want. Dont worry with a little preparation and practice, youll be able to introduce yourself in a professional and near stress-free manner. Remember, the people you meet with are interested in recruiting, and may be your future employer. Theyll do their best to make you feel comfortable. Take some time to prepare, and youll be able to present your credentials effectivelyto everyone you meet. If you know exactlywhat youre going to say and how youre going to say it, it will be even easier to connect with a recruiter. Review these tips for making a great first impression, and youll be well on your way togetting the most from the job fair. How to Introduce Yourself at a Job Fair Take the time to prepare.Dont wing it and walk into a care er fair without having done anything to get ready. If you have time, considergetting a business cardmade up with your contact information. Make sure your resume is current(giveit a quick makeoverif its not) and print out copies ready to hand out to recruiters. Research the companies.If theres a list of participating companies online, check them out to see who you want to meet with. If you have a priority list of employers youd like to connect with, youll be able to take your timeworking the roomand introducing yourself. What to bring.A portfolio is a great way to hold everything you need to bring. Another option is a large purse, small briefcase, or a messenger bag. Be sure you can easily get your materials out of it to share with recruiters. Bring 20 copies of your resume and a stack of business cards, if you have one. Also bring a notepad and pen to jot down names and facts you want to remember. Have questions ready.Have a list of questions you want to ask, so youre not fumbling f or what to say. If time permits, check out company websites in advance so youre familiar with the participating employers. Check out the mission statementofeachcompanyofinterest, as well as the openings listed on the career page. Review this list of thebest questions to ask at a job fairand personalize your own list of questions. Have your elevator pitch ready.An elevator pitch is a quick synopsis of yourskills, background, and experience. Get yours ready in advance and practice saying it. Recruit your friends and family to listen to you for 20 - 30 seconds or so- which is aslongas your pitch needs to be- and get their feedback. The more you practice it, the easier it will be to say. Review thesetips for writing an elevator pitch, with examples. What to do when youre especially shy.If networking really isnt your thing, consider bringing a friend, especially someone who is naturally sociable. It will be much easier if you have someone else 24 stundenging along. Also, read thesenetwor king tips for introvertsbefore you brave a career fair. Check in when you arrive at the fair.You may need to sign in at the reception area and get a name tag. Your name tag goes on your right side because youll be shaking hands with your right hand. Having the name tag on the same side as the handshake draws the recruiters eye to your name tag, making it easier for them to remember your name. Visit companies in priority order. Make the rounds, visiting your priority companies first. That way youll be mostlikely to get to meet a representative from the companies youre most interested in working for. If you have extra time, talk to other organizations too you may find a surprise company thats a good match. Introduce yourself with a smile.A smile really does make everyone feel better about themselves, and that includes the person youre introducing yourself to. Be proactive and take the initiative, tell the recruiter who you are, and offer to shake hands. A simple introduction is fine Hi, Im Amanda Jones, and Im pleased to meet you.Good morning, Im Anthony Tobias, and Im glad to meet you.Hello, Im Kimberly Smith. Its a pleasure to meet you. ExpandKeep it formal.Unless youre told otherwise, address the person staffing the desk as Mr. or Ms. After you introduce yourself, be prepared to give your elevator pitch and be ready to answer a few questions. Offer a copy of your resume and your business card, if you have one. Ask the recruiter for his or her business card to take with you. Follow up after the fair.Take the time to send a follow-up email. Send it is as soon as you can after the fair is finished. Its a way to make another good impression on the people you meet. Heres an example of afollow-up letter to send after a job fairthat you can tailor to match your own circumstances.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Stop procrastination, boost willpower with temptation bundling

Stop procrastination, boost willpower with 'temptation bundling' Stop procrastination, boost willpower with 'temptation bundling' Each day, after long hours at work, Katy Milkman - a young professor at the University of Pennsylvania - would head straight home, lay down on the couch and read her favorite book, The Hunger Games.This was her guilty pleasure and reward after a tiring day on the job.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!But, just like many of us, Katy had other plans that she should have been doing instead of watching TV or reading the book.In this scenario, Katy should have been taking action on her resolution to exercise more after working hours, but she struggled to find the motivation and willpower to follow through on this.One day, Katy Milkman decided to test out a new idea to solve this problem:What if she would only allow herself to read The Hunger Games books when she was exercising at the gym?Would this motivate her to exercise more frequently?Katy put together this strategy and call ed it “Temptation Bundling.”Here’s what happened to Katy Milkman and how temptation bundling can help you to stop procrastinating today.Temptation bundling explainedAccording to Katy Milkman …“Temptation bundling involves the coupling of instantly gratifying “want” activities (e.g., watching the next episode of a habit-forming television show, checking Facebook, receiving a pedicure, eating an indulgent meal) with engagement in a “should” behavior that provides long-term benefits but requires the exertion of willpower (e.g., exercising at the gym, completing a paper review, spending time with a difficult relative).” â€"  Milkman et al. 2013In other words, temptation bundling is the idea of combining two activities - one you should be doing, but procrastinate on; and one you enjoy doing, but isn’t the most productive use of your time.For example, Katy knew she should be exercising more, but she spent that time reading or watching her favorite TV shows.By combining these two activities, Milkman created her own ‘temptation bundle.’ The only way for her to catch up on what happened next in the novel was to exercise.So what were her results?After using temptation bundling for several weeks, Milkman developed the habit of exercising up to five days a week.This was a drastic improvement from her previous inconsistent exercise routine, but Milkman wanted to test temptation bundling on a larger scale.Fast forward a few years later, Milkman and her research colleagues recruited 226 participants for a 10-week study on the effects of temptation bundling on exercise habits. [1]Each participant was ass igned to one of three groups with instructions to exercise for 30 minutes.One group - the control group - was given gift cards as a reward for participation.The second group was loaned an iPod with four audio novels of their choice and were told to only listen to these whilst exercising.The third group - the temptation bundling group - were also loaned an iPod with four audio novels from a list of highly addictive books i.e. The Hunger Games and The DaVinci Code audiobooks, however, they could only access the iPod at the gym itself.After the 10-week study period, Katy Milkman and her team analyzed the data to uncover the effects, if any, of temptation bundling.Milkman discovered that the participants of the third group - temptation bundling group - visited the gym 51% more frequently than the control group.On an interesting note, when the participants returned home after the 10-week study period - following the Thanksgiving period - the effect of the temptation bundling on t heir exercise habits started to decline.This is why an identity shift is required to sustain a habit over the long-run. Temptation bundling simply gets the process started.How to get more things done using temptation bundlingNow that we’ve discussed the origins and explanations for temptation bundling, let’s explore different examples of how this could apply in your life.If you want to eat healthier …You could listen to your favorite podcast, only when you’re preparing, cooking or eating your healthy meals.If you want to spend more time with your family or friends …You could include the specific person you’d like to spend more time within an activity you enjoy.For example, if you regularly eat at a local Italian restaurant, you’d choose to only visit the restaurant with that particular person.By creating this temptation bundle, you’ll be more motivated to spend more time with your friends and family because of the anticipated reward of a tasty meal.If you want to wri te and read more …You could combine an enjoyable leisure activity with your writing and reading activities.For example, you could choose to only get a pedicure, whilst catching up on reading a particular book.Another example that I personally use is to listen to music or watch TEDx videos, whilst writing the first draft of my articles.There are many more examples of how you can use temptation bundling for better productivity in your life.The key idea here is that temptation bundling allows you to enjoy the short-term benefits and instant gratification from your guilty pleasures, whilst building good habits.As you can see from the diagram above, under normal circumstances, when we indulge in bad behaviors i.e. watching tv instead of working out, there is a short-term benefit or instant gratification, but there are long-term costs.This tension with short-term instant gratification makes it difficult to avoid procrastination and distractions.Conversely, when you take action on a good habit i.e. saving money, you’ll experience an immediate cost, but long-term benefits.Temptation bundling combines both of these so that you can enjoy the short-term benefits today and reap the long-term benefits tomorrow.In other words, there is no downside!Creating your temptation bundlesTo create your temptation bundle, simply grab a piece of paper and draw a line to create two columns. In the first column, write down the activities you know you should be doing, but regularly procrastinate on. Examples include: household chores, emails, writing a report, reading, exercising and so on. In the second column, write down your guilty pleasures or activities you enjoy. Examples include: watching favorite TV show or sports, browsing through social media, eating at your favorite restaurant. Once you’ve exhausted both columns of the list, create your temptation bundles by linking the activities you enjoy with those you should be doing.For example, you could sort through and pay your bills, whilst listening to your favorite audio-book on audible.To keep things fresh, you could even interchange your temptation bundles every month or so.Let’s say this month you only listen to your favorite podcasts when you exercise. Next month, you could only listen to your favorite podcast when you cook healthy meals or sort through a backlog of emails.Here’s another idea: Why not pay someone to take away your temptation bundle?For example, during the study cited previously, the second group, who had full control of when they could listen to the audiobooks were only 29 percent more likely to exercise than the control group.In comparison, the third group had a greater likelihood - 51 percent - because the researcher had locked the iPod with the audiobook away in a locker inside the gym.The only way the third group could catch up on what would happen next in the novel was to physically drive or walk to the gym to exercise.You can use a similar strategy to stop procrastinating and take more action, by paying someone to act as the gatekeeper just like the researcher in this example.Get creative, mix it up and have fun with using your temptation bundles.The best time to use temptation bundlingNot all temptation bundles are equal, neither is the timing of the use of the bundle.Katy Milkman later discovered the “fresh start effect” or in other words the recurring trend for people to start new habits at the ‘start’ of a year, month, week or following certain holidays, school breaks and birthdays. [2]Think about the last couple of goals that you attempted to pursue. Chances are these resolutions followed immediately after a new year, week, birthday and so on.This is generally due to our tendencies to create new mental blank slates and forget previous imperfec tions and failures after these “fresh starts.”Image via SSRNThe implications of this are simple:If you’re about to go back to work after a holiday or your birthday is around the corner, use these “fresh starts” to kickstart your temptation bundle and new habits.But, if you don’t have any “fresh starts” available, you can still go ahead with using your temptation bundle.Get things done without the miseryTemptation bundling is a simple, effective strategy that will help you to stop procrastinating and get more things done, without the dread of completing a task.By combining something you enjoy doing with something you know you should be doing - but, always put off - you’d make it easier to take action on habits with long-term benefits.The anticipation of instant gratification from your guilty pleasures and the changes in environment are powerful motivators that will help you to kick-start new habits for better health and productivity.Whether you want to exercise, w rite, read more or complete everyday mundane tasks, temptation bundling could help you to stick to your goals over the long-run in a more enjoyable way.Mayo Oshin writes at  MayoOshin.com, where he shares practical self-improvement ideas and proven science for better health, productivity and creativity.  To get practical ideas on how to stop procrastinating and build healthy habits, you can join his free weekly newsletter  here.A version of this article originally appeared at  mayooshin.com  as “How to Overcome Procrastination and Boost Your Willpower Using “Temptation Bundling“Footnotes Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior Credit to James Clear for the two list temptation bundling idea. You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people Stop procrastination, boost willpower with 'temptation bundling' Each day, after long hours at work, Katy Milkman - a young professor at the University of Pennsylvania - would head straight home, lay down on the couch and read her favorite book, The Hunger Games.This was her guilty pleasure and reward after a tiring day on the job.But, just like many of us, Katy had other plans that she should have been doing instead of watching TV or reading the book.In this scenario, Katy should have been taking action on her resolution to exercise more after working hours, but she struggled to find the motivation and willpower to follow through on this.One day, Katy Milkman decided to test out a new idea to solve this problem:What if she would only allow herself to read The Hunger Games books when she was exercising at the gym?Would this motivate her to exercise more frequently?Katy put together this strategy and called it “Temptation Bundling.”Here’s what happened to Katy Milkman and how temptation bundling can help you to stop procrastinating today.Te mptation bundling explainedAccording to Katy Milkman …“Temptation bundling involves the coupling of instantly gratifying “want” activities (e.g., watching the next episode of a habit-forming television show, checking Facebook, receiving a pedicure, eating an indulgent meal) with engagement in a “should” behavior that provides long-term benefits but requires the exertion of willpower (e.g., exercising at the gym, completing a paper review, spending time with a difficult relative).” â€"  Milkman et al. 2013In other words, temptation bundling is the idea of combining two activities - one you should be doing, but procrastinate on; and one you enjoy doing, but isn’t the most productive use of your time.For example, Katy knew she should be exercising more, but she spent that time reading or watching her favorite TV shows.By combining these two activities, Milkman created her own ‘temptation bundle.’ The only way for her to catch up on what happened next in the novel was to exercise.So what were her results?After using temptation bundling for several weeks, Milkman developed the habit of exercising up to five days a week.This was a drastic improvement from her previous inconsistent exercise routine, but Milkman wanted to test temptation bundling on a larger scale.Fast forward a few years later, Milkman and her research colleagues recruited 226 participants for a 10-week study on the effects of temptation bundling on exercise habits. [1]Each participant was ass igned to one of three groups with instructions to exercise for 30 minutes.One group - the control group - was given gift cards as a reward for participation.The second group was loaned an iPod with four audio novels of their choice and were told to only listen to these whilst exercising.The third group - the temptation bundling group - were also loaned an iPod with four audio novels from a list of highly addictive books i.e. The Hunger Games and The DaVinci Code audiobooks, however, they could only access the iPod at the gym itself.After the 10-week study period, Katy Milkman and her team analyzed the data to uncover the effects, if any, of temptation bundling.Milkman discovered that the participants of the third group - temptation bundling group - visited the gym 51% more frequently than the control group.On an interesting note, when the participants returned home after the 10-week study period - following the Thanksgiving period - the effect of the temptation bundling on t heir exercise habits started to decline.This is why an identity shift is required to sustain a habit over the long-run. Temptation bundling simply gets the process started.How to get more things done using temptation bundlingNow that we’ve discussed the origins and explanations for temptation bundling, let’s explore different examples of how this could apply in your life.If you want to eat healthier …You could listen to your favorite podcast, only when you’re preparing, cooking or eating your healthy meals.If you want to spend more time with your family or friends …You could include the specific person you’d like to spend more time within an activity you enjoy.For example, if you regularly eat at a local Italian restaurant, you’d choose to only visit the restaurant with that particular person.By creating this temptation bundle, you’ll be more motivated to spend more time with your friends and family because of the anticipated reward of a tasty meal.If you want to wri te and read more …You could combine an enjoyable leisure activity with your writing and reading activities.For example, you could choose to only get a pedicure, whilst catching up on reading a particular book.Another example that I personally use is to listen to music or watch TEDx videos, whilst writing the first draft of my articles.There are many more examples of how you can use temptation bundling for better productivity in your life.The key idea here is that temptation bundling allows you to enjoy the short-term benefits and instant gratification from your guilty pleasures, whilst building good habits.As you can see from the diagram above, under normal circumstances, when we indulge in bad behaviors i.e. watching tv instead of working out, there is a short-term benefit or instant gratification, but there are long-term costs.This tension with short-term instant gratification makes it difficult to avoid procrastination and distractions.Conversely, when you take action on a good habit i.e. saving money, you’ll experience an immediate cost, but long-term benefits.Temptation bundling combines both of these so that you can enjoy the short-term benefits today and reap the long-term benefits tomorrow.In other words, there is no downside!Creating your temptation bundlesTo create your temptation bundle, simply grab a piece of paper and draw a line to create two columns. In the first column, write down the activities you know you should be doing, but regularly procrastinate on. Examples include: household chores, emails, writing a report, reading, exercising and so on. In the second column, write down your guilty pleasures or activities you enjoy. Examples include: watching favorite TV show or sports, browsing through social media, eating at your favorite restaurant. Once you’ve exhausted both columns of the list, create your temptation bundles by linking the activities you enjoy with those you should be doing.For example, you could sort through and pay your bills, whilst listening to your favorite audio-book on audible.To keep things fresh, you could even interchange your temptation bundles every month or so.Let’s say this month you only listen to your favorite podcasts when you exercise. Next month, you could only listen to your favorite podcast when you cook healthy meals or sort through a backlog of emails.Here’s another idea: Why not pay someone to take away your temptation bundle?For example, during the study cited previously, the second group, who had full control of when they could listen to the audiobooks were only 29 percent more likely to exercise than the control group.In comparison, the third group had a greater likelihood - 51 percent - because the researcher had locked the iPod with the audiobook away in a locker inside the gym.The only way the third group could catch up on what would happen next in the novel was to physically drive or walk to the gym to exercise.You can use a similar strategy to stop procrastinating and take more action, by paying someone to act as the gatekeeper just like the researcher in this example.Get creative, mix it up and have fun with using your temptation bundles.The best time to use temptation bundlingNot all temptation bundles are equal, neither is the timing of the use of the bundle.Katy Milkman later discovered the “fresh start effect” or in other words the recurring trend for people to start new habits at the ‘start’ of a year, month, week or following certain holidays, school breaks and birthdays. [2]Think about the last couple of goals that you attempted to pursue. Chances are these resolutions followed immediately after a new year, week, birthday and so on.This is generally due to our tendencies to create new mental blank slates and forget previous imperfec tions and failures after these “fresh starts.”Image via SSRNThe implications of this are simple:If you’re about to go back to work after a holiday or your birthday is around the corner, use these “fresh starts” to kickstart your temptation bundle and new habits.But, if you don’t have any “fresh starts” available, you can still go ahead with using your temptation bundle.Get things done without the miseryTemptation bundling is a simple, effective strategy that will help you to stop procrastinating and get more things done, without the dread of completing a task.By combining something you enjoy doing with something you know you should be doing - but, always put off - you’d make it easier to take action on habits with long-term benefits.The anticipation of instant gratification from your guilty pleasures and the changes in environment are powerful motivators that will help you to kick-start new habits for better health and productivity.Whether you want to exercise, w rite, read more or complete everyday mundane tasks, temptation bundling could help you to stick to your goals over the long-run in a more enjoyable way.Mayo Oshin writes at  MayoOshin.com, where he shares practical self-improvement ideas and proven science for better health, productivity and creativity.  To get practical ideas on how to stop procrastinating and build healthy habits, you can join his free weekly newsletter  here.A version of this article originally appeared at  mayooshin.com  as “How to Overcome Procrastination and Boost Your Willpower Using “Temptation Bundling“Footnotes Holding the Hunger Games Hostage at the Gym: An Evaluation of Temptation Bundling The Fresh Start Effect: Temporal Landmarks Motivate Aspirational Behavior Credit to James Clear for the two list temptation bundling idea.