Remote employees are becoming a more common occurrence for companies everywhere. This working remote trend can be highly beneficial to both the employee and the employer when done correctly. But oftentimes, the cons outweigh the pros if you don’t know how to efficiently and effectively set yourself or your coworkers up for remote work. It’s important to be aware of typical working-from-home hurdles in order to be prepared with solutions for those setbacks. The following descriptions highlight what to avoid and what to be aware of so you can maximize the effectiveness of working from home. The biggest—and probably most
Where you work has quite an effect on how you work. Cluttered and disorganized spaces can bring on a feeling of lack of control and competence, which has a negative effect on productivity. In order to focus your attention on what really matters, you have to make your workspace a tool, not a distraction. If you want your workspace to help with productivity, then you need to organize—and we’re not talking about rearranging the same old piles of paperwork. If you work in an office, you probably spend a lot of time staring at a computer screen, making it a
Humans have a unique ability to memorize a task and performing it in the future from a sort of autopilot mode; once we are comfortable with a task, we tend to use our muscle memory more often and our brainless often to accomplish it. This passive autopilot state leads to boredom, a lack of engagement, and sometimes even laziness. It is important that you keep a sharp mind, not only for health purposes but also because it is an effective way to ramp up your workday, as well as your work performance. Coming up with a couple of daily activities
Leadership is such a powerful and influential trait to express. Another way to experience that power and influence is through the wise words by leaders, for leaders. Here are some leadership quotes to give you a boost today: “Don’t follow the crowd, let the crowd follow you.” – Margaret Thatcher “The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.” – Henry Kissinger “I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people. – Mahatma Gandhi “Do what you feel in your heart to
The true definition of employee relations is concerned with the contractual, emotional, physical, and practical relationship between employee and employer. This also includes efforts to constantly manage the relationships between managers and employees. As a variable with a strong influence on employee engagement, it is important that employee relations are effectively handled in the workplace. There are some commonplace employee relations issues that most companies have experienced. These tend to be the biggest hindrances on employee relations—therefore, the most crucial to handle. Conflict Management – Effective communication among team members is a necessary tool to reduce and manage workplace conflicts.
Leadership competencies—not to be confused with leadership qualities—are the skills and behaviors that contribute to superior leadership performance. In a leadership role, there are 3 aspects of leadership: leading the organization, leading others, and leading the self. It is crucial to be aware of these 3 aspects, and of which competencies fall under each category. Listed below are leadership competencies for leading the organization, others, and self. Leading the organization Managing change Risk taking and innovation Problem solving and decision making Managing politics and influencing others Establishing vision and strategy Leading others Effective communication Building and maintaining relationships Managing teams
In the long run, the purpose of employee motivation is to boost engagement and improve performance. But what happens when employee motivation practices don’t work? Take a look at these Gallup findings regarding a lack of effective motivation. 30 percent of employees agree that their manager involves them in goal setting processes 26 percent of employees agree that the feedback they receive helps them do their work better 21 percent of employees agree that they have performance metrics within their control 14 percent agree that they are inspired to improve by the performance reviews they receive Only 2 in 10
We all know the commonplace definition of an entrepreneur is one who starts his/her own business, but what about the character traits behind those who become successful entrepreneurs? You’re in luck—20 entrepreneurs share what they think makes a successful entrepreneur. One popular trait shared by many entrepreneurs is the desire to blaze new trails and make things better . CEOs Derek Hutson and Debbie Roxarzade, of Datical and Rachel’s Kitchen respectively, both insist that the drive to make anew is at the core of a fruitful entrepreneur. Similarly, Pace University Entrepreneurship Lab executive Bruce Bachenheimer and TrueFacet
There are a number of ways to approach the task of job searching. Some require more time and effort than others, but not all of them are effective enough to pursue. These job search methods should be avoided so you can focus your time on ways that will really land you the job you deserve. Searching for job postings on the Internet. This may seem like the most effective method, but you’d be surprised to know that this route works only about 4% of the time. Even jobs that are related to technology—IT, engineering, etc.—only raise this percentage to 10.
Sometimes it can be frustrating to deal with employee retention problems—even when you make retention efforts—only to see other companies accomplishing it with apparent ease. Your company may not be as big as theirs, but it doesn’t mean you can’t use their same tactics to achieve the same results. Netflix, Whole Foods, Clif Bar & Company, and Amazon are four companies that are retaining their employees in creative ways. Take a look at their ideas for some inspiration for your own employee retention strategies. Netflix reminds people to focus on character in the hiring process—because it’s not just about skill