7 Reasons Why Office Design and Decor Matters

7 Reasons Why Office Design and Decor Matters It’s no secret that unhappy workers cost employers large operating losses each year. According to a report on the state of the American workplace, unhappy workers cost the U.S. between $450 and $550 in lost productivity each year. That is a truly staggering number. One way that employers could help to reduce these losses is by uncovering the root of unhappiness in the workplace. A  survey by the British council for offices  found that 97% of workers consider their workplace a symbol of whether or not they are valued by their employer. Another survey of 1,000 American workers shows how design and décor affects their employee productivity in the workplace. This is what they found: American workers are not engaged   The survey found that 50% of workers are not engaged at their jobs and that up to 20% are actively disengaged at their jobs. Most office environments aren’t cutting it   Only 11% of workers are highly satiated with their work environment. Few American workplaces are optimized for success   Nearly half of workers say that their workplace design and décor has no personality. On top of this only one in four would be proud to show their office to their family and friends. Discomfort leads to disengaged employees   The journal of American Medical Association estimates annual losses of $81 billion in productivity, due exclusively to pain. Uncomfortable furniture is the main culprit here. Workers who report having bad furniture in the workplace are three times more likely to feel their environment hurts their productivity. Light is the most important factor   Workers exposed to natural light are more likely to feel comfortable in their environment and feel that environment helps their productivity. Natural light is associated with healthy sleep schedules and lack of sleep costs the US economy over $411 billion each year. Plants and art in the office are found to boost productivity   A study by Exeter University found people were 15% more productive when houseplants were added to otherwise sparely decorated workspaces. 85% of workers also feel that a workplace environment with plants helps to boost their productivity. Employees value their privacy and privacy pays off Less than half of workers surveyed say their company provides nice spaces for either privacy or relaxation. Private spaces are important to your bottom line as well. Research from Basex found that interruptions during the workday cost our economy $588 billion annually. Now that we’ve taken a look at exactly how office design and décor impacts productivity in the workplace, let’s explore how some simple changes can lead to a more productive office environment. Work on lighting  Natural light in the workplace provides many benefits.   Employees that are exposed to a lot of natural lighting are more likely to feel comfortable in their environment and consider their environment to be uplifting. If you can’t add more windows, consider using natural light bulbs and open doors and windows to allow natural light in. Pay attention to room colors in your office  You may not realize it, but the colors around us have a profound effect on our moods and brain function. A study by the University of Texas at Austin found employees who work in white and predominantly blue-green offices report higher perceived job performance and satisfaction in their jobs. Blue colors have been known to illicit productivity as well. Get rid of uncomfortable furniture Workers who said they have bad furniture in their workplace are twice as likely to consider their environment depressing and three times more likely to feel their environment hurts their productivity. Make sure your employees have properly fitted chairs and desks.   Make sure computer screens are two to three feet away from where the employee sits.   Monitors should at or below eye level. Follow this advice to help ensure your employees are both happy and productive in their roles at work. About the author: Matthew Zajechowski is a Content Strategist and Outreach Manager at Digital Third Coast.  

Writing About Ble on Resume

Writing About Ble on ResumeIf you want to write about Ble, you have many things to consider. Ble is the capital of West Virginia and is a wonderful place for vacationing or a home away from home. This is a fantastic place to visit, especially if you like to write about Ble. It is also a place where you can write about Ble on your resume and get it accepted by many companies.It is hard to see why you should apply for jobs in Mississippi and not apply for jobs in West Virginia. You can create a resume and get a job that way. It does work for people who are looking for opportunities at home but Ble is different.The reason for applying for jobs in Mississippi and not in West Virginia is the general mood and feeling that the people there are proud to be called Ble. They will not accept people who are not proud of their own city. Many employers appreciate the attitude. Most places do not have this attitude and they are not as welcoming. They feel a person who is proud of their hometown is a better person to hire.The most important thing to remember when writing about Ble is to express your joy of being a local and your pride of being in a community that was founded because of settlers who moved from other states. For some companies, the love of being local is a big plus. These are the companies that will want to have written love for the company included on the resume. This can be changed if you would prefer. You could always put the job opening in your CV that has the city as the focus and then go back and add the love for the state that is not listed there as well.You can also write about Ble on a resume and not mention the word 'Mississippi' because that might make it seem as if you are an employee from somewhere else. It is a natural assumption that someone who writes about Ble is one who lives in the city. You can be sure that they won't appreciate that suggestion if you mention the city when writing about it.Another thing to keep in mind is that you will want t o avoid your name being misspelled on your resume unless you are going to be working with a non-native English speaker. I will give you an example of what happens when someone applies for a job in Mississippi without spelling their name correctly. They get an error in their resume that they are not responsible for. Because they were not careful in their resume, the person's name was misspelled on the application form.If you can, do not use the incorrect spelling of your name because it can be noticed and someone who is going to be interviewing you about Ble, which you know they will, can call you out on it. You could also mention in your resume that you speak Creole or some other language that isn't part of American English. You don't want to write about Ble on your resume unless you actually write about it because you will have to use the correct spelling.When writing about Ble on a resume, you should write something about the history of the city and how it came to be the way it is now. If you do write about Ble, you should write about the places it is located and not only about Ble itself. You can help a potential employer to understand where you are from and what it means to be a part of the community of Ble. That is what you should be doing on your resume.

This is why all your goals are bad for you

This is why all your goals are bad for you Most of us set goals for ourselves to do things that are difficult for us to do. Instead, how about setting goals to work hard at something that is actually a pleasure? Its clear that the deep, fulfilling experiences in life are when we are very focused at what we really enjoy doing. So goals should start with that premise, and aim to create more of that in our lives. Here are five steps to create goals that encourage you to do more of what you love. 1. Stop thinking about the goal, and start thinking about the process. The things that matter most for success in life is how hard you work at what you want to achieve, according to research reported in Scientific American. So formulate goals that focus on working hard at something you like working at. For a lot of us this means we need a bit of self-discovery. What are we great at? What do we love doing? If you are not spending a lot of time and energy on what you think you should spend it on, then maybe thats not quite right for you. The act of being lost in this world is actually the process of figuring out what are appropriate goals for ourselves. Where should we spend our time developing our talents? 2. Discover your best goals by watching what you like to practice. One of the most disappointing pieces of news for all pushy parents is that innate talent is never enoughtheres always a need for practice. Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt explain in the New York Times that the most successful people who have extreme talent also had an extreme love of practicing, which enabled them to cultivate that talent. Dubner and Levitt use musicians to illustrate their point. But A-Rod is also good example of the idea that its a passion for practice that makes someone great, according to reports from Tyler Kepner of the New York Times. A-Rod was obsessive with the details and goals of his practicing from an early age focusing on the process of greatness as much as on the result. So focus on the process when you pick your goal. Stop thinking about the end goal just for a minute so you can test yourself would you really enjoy the life that would require all that practice time? Find something where the answer is yes. Because you will naturally restructure your day to accommodate that process if you are aiming to be great at something you love to practice. 3. Take action where your passion lives, and the other stuff will follow. I dont have a link for this. But Im sure of it. Because positive psychology coach Senia Maymin has spent hours on the phone explaining to me that if you just start living a conscious life, you can start meeting lots of disparate goals, not particularly related to the area you focus on for raising your own level of consciousness. I have blogging goals. I want to go back to posting four times a week. But really, what I love, is sitting down with a block of time and a bunch of quiet, and writing whatever I feel like writing. So my goal needs to be to change my schedule so I lose myself in those moments more often. The extra blog posts will come naturally from me loving what Im doing. 4. There is only one, real goal. So acknowledge it. The moment when you reach a goal is so short, and almost immediately deflating. Because it is our nature to want something else, next. And that is not about crossing an item off a list. The goal of taking care of ones body, or sitting down to write is really the goal of being more of your true, best self. Its about finding your best self always changing, always elusive. And any goal worth having is a goal to change your life to suit that best self. 5. Aim for flow There is a state that psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi writes about called flow. Its when you are so involved in what youre doing that you dont think about anything else, and you are performing at your highest level. To get to this state you need some degree of mastery in what you are doing, and a large degree of passion. Arguably, the two go together in a world of practice. But when your goal is to practice what you love to do, you are generally happier than if you have a specific, end goal. Heres how Csikszentmihalyi says that flow is related to happiness: Being happy would be a distraction, an interruption of the flow. But afterward, when the experience is over, people report having been in as positive a state as it is possible to feel. Autotelic persons, those who are often in flow, tend also to report more positive states overall and to feel that their lives are more purposeful and meaningful. (Heres the link. Sort of. Click the second reference.) So flow is about a process, not a goal. You can set a goal and then be in a state of flow every day as you try to meet that goal. When you restructure your day you get more self-discipline spread all over your day. And when you put yourself into that state of Flow every day, then your body gets used to that, and you elevate your whole life to one that sort of demands that state on a regular basis.

How to Cope With Idiots in Recruitment (and Life in General)

How to Cope With Idiots in Recruitment (and Life in General) In our job, you come across all sorts of people and I don’t know about you but I, over the last 20 years in recruitment, have made genuine friendships with candidates and clients over time given our shared values and interests, who enrich my life in so many ways. However, there will always be the minority of those you engage within your job, (colleague, client, and candidate) who crap on you for no reason at all apart from the fact they are not very nice people. Over the last two decades, I have come across my fair share of prats too so I thought I would share my coping strategies of how to not let these fools a) dominate you, b) ruin your day or c) affect your success. My top 5 rules are as follows: Rule 1: Rise above them Regardless of how someone has treated you, please do not ever sink to their level. I am sure your parents gave you the same advice when it came to bullies in the school playground; two wrongs do not make a right. You have to rise above their behavior and conduct yourself with professionalism and politeness even if your inner chimp is desperate to yell “oh do just F off”. (see point 2 about Chimp*) I believe if you can ‘kill someone with kindness’, they will feel some sense of shame and hopefully will revoke their poor behavior. It wont make them Mother Teresa, but it may make them redeem themselves by acting a little kinder. It may not. But I bet they won’t be as awkward with you….. Rule 2: Manage your inner chimp The Chimp Paradox Dr. Steve Peters is without a doubt a life-changing book I would recommend everyone to read- recruiter or not! By enforcing the ethos of being able to control your inner chimp (mine is called Marje) it allows you to take stock, to reflect and think about the consequence of how you wish to respond. Think about the last time you had to deal with an idiot in work. Your capillaries exploded, your scalp went red hot, your heart was pounding. You felt true rage at the injustice, How did you react? Did you fire a heated response back, YELLING IN CAPITALS at them… and did you then regret how you positioned it? By managing your own inner chimp, it will mean you will rarely regret how YOU respond to their poor actions. Rule 3: Karma is King Have you ever had the situation where said idiot/prat has suffered their comeuppance like some divine intervention? True karma can be a bitch. So whatever happens, I believe you ‘pay forward’ kindness and those who do the opposite will eventually suffer for their disgraceful behavior. The rude client who won’t pay your fees and then finds themselves redundant and begging you for a job; the candidate who didn’t turn up for interview who then gets bounces from their probation every 6 months; NB I am not wishing ill on people, but I am a HUGE believer that the universe will come good for those who do good. Rule 4. The benefit of the doubt Has the same said prat ever then reproached you? What do you do? I have had it happen many times. So, I have a simple rule-   I will give you the benefit of the doubt- but once only. Call it wisdom, call it experience, but if you cross the line more than once, there is NO going back. There are rare exceptions where you may have got someone all wrong; however, that is less likely than someone who just gets through life winging it and not ever putting other people first Rule 5. It is in YOUR mindset Perception of others is something I think you become more aware of as you get older: the actions of another human’s actions affect how YOU feel and I have learned that only YOU can change how these make you feel. So to simplify this: if a candidate ghosts you, it is a reflection of their rude manners, ignorance, total cowardice it is NOT a reflection on YOU, how you have behaved. And that is how you should feel about it. It is THEIR problem, not yours. Lastly, there was a great book I read in my 30s called SUMO which stands for Shut Up Move On; again, a simple solution and one you could use time and time again. Don’t dwell on disaster or negativity. Focus on outcomes from positive, likeminded people and think about how YOU can improve your own behaviors too as no-one is ever perfect and we can all learn and improve how we make other people feel. My family motto is “Be Kind” and it applies to everything… so go on, recruiters and beyond, BE KIND.

Teacher Resume Writing Services - How to Compare the Services That You Are Considering

Teacher Resume Writing Services - How to Compare the Services That You Are ConsideringUsing a talented teacher resume writing services provider can make it possible for you to get your job without having to go through the grueling process of posting a resume in each and every job posting agency that you may be contacted with. With these services, you can be sure that you will have a list of interviews you can attend with ease. In addition, you will have the ability to provide information to any hiring managers or recruitment agencies that you may be contacted with.As a result, you do not have to spend weeks, months, or even years submitting your own paper in each and every application that you may receive from an employer. These teaching resumes are typically prepared by professionals who have specific skills and qualifications. Additionally, you can have a resume that is unique, as each resume writing service is designed to provide quality work.To ensure that you will be receiving t he best services, it is important that you do some research. By finding out the credentials of the services that you are considering, you will be able to find out whether they have demonstrated quality and value for the money that they charge. Additionally, you can then make a selection that offers you the best return on your investment.By reviewing the testimonials of previous employees that can be found in the internet, you will be able to determine the experience level of the staff that is working on your resume. While some of these services are generally considered the 'cheap' options, others are able to offer quality services at a low price. Thus, the same resume services that are available at the higher end of the spectrum may not be offered in their cheaper offerings.Also, you can use this research to discover whether the various teacher resume writing services that you are considering offer anything that is unique or specific. Often, you can learn which of the teachers are t he most likely candidates for employment and which ones are likely to have a difficult time getting their resumes approved. In addition, you can gain some insights into how the clients get better results from the writing services that they are using.One of the features that you may be interested in looking for when you are looking for a teacher resume writing services is whether the writing services that are currently using that can be regularly accessed. In order to determine this, you will need to look at the availability of the writing services that you are considering. By looking at the type of technology that they are using, you will be able to determine how they are able to provide you with an efficient resume.You can also discover more about the services that have been used in the past by checking the references that the writing services have provided on previous projects. It is important that you compare the writing services that you are considering with the reference materi als that they have provided in the past. Doing so will ensure that you will be able to make the best choice based on your needs.By comparing the services that you have available, you will be able to get an idea of what you want to expect with your teacher resume. It will also help you determine which of the services that you are considering is actually a good fit for your career goals. Therefore, taking some time to review each and every one of the teacher resume writing services that you are considering will ensure that you will be able to receive the best professional services at the best price.

Dawn Graham on Switching Careers [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Dawn Graham on Switching Careers [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode #92-Marc Miller interviews Dawn Graham, author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers â€" and Seize Success. Description: Dr. Dawn Marie Graham, Ph.D. is one of the nation’s leading career coaches. She is the career director for the MBA program for executives at the Wharton School, where she counsels business leaders on making strategic career choices. A licensed psychologist and former corporate recruiter, Dr. Dawn Graham hosts the SiriusXM Radio’s popular weekly call-in show, Career Talk and is a regular contributor to Forbes. Key Takeaways: [1:33] Marc welcomes you to Episode 92 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [1:45] If you’re enjoying this podcast, Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. [1:50] Please subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, Google Play, Podbean, Overcast, TuneIn, Spotify, or Stitcher. Share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues so Marc can help more people. [2:09] Next week, Marc will start the next career pivot evaluation series with “Can Sarah Repurpose Her Career?” Sarah (not her real name) is employed, a closet creative, and a structured anarchist. Her personality is quite interesting. Marc has seen all aspects of her personality in other clients, but not in this combination. [2:34] This week, Marc will interview Dawn Graham, author of Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers â€" and Seize Success. Marc reads Dr. Graham’s bio. Now on to the podcast… Download Link |iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast|Podbean|TuneIn|Overcast [3:20] Marc welcomes Dr. Dawn Graham to the podcast. Members of Marc’s online community had recommended her book to Marc and he invited her to the podcast. A lot of what Marc read in the book is pretty closely aligned to his own thoughts. [3:40] Dawn wrote the book because the traditional career ladder has gone away. No longer do people start out in a career and retire from that career. It’s an exciting time. Dawn covers some of the reasons people find themselves ready to switch. [4:19] No one has a background in the new hybrid jobs, so transferable skills are critical, such as strategic thinking, working with customers, building relationships, and being innovative. [4:46] The timing has never been so ripe to move into these different opportunities. The challenge is that the hiring process has not caught up with the new jobs. AI Algorithms to match skill sets to jobs are biased toward traditional candidates. They look for the right titles or years of experience in a very specific area. [5:24] Job seekers are more excited than ever to do different things, but the market is not in a position to see the career switchers because they’re not getting through the applicant tracking systems or other online technology. [5:40] The book, Switchers, helps people bypass the technology and get in front of the decision makers. Marc always tells people their next job is going to come from a relationship, not a tracking system. [6:05] In a tracking system, you are an unknown, competing with people who are known, either through a referral or as an internal candidate or a boomerang employee. Most people (70% or 80%) get their job through networking. The conversations of daily life, or knowing someone, can introduce you to information about your perfect opening. [6:59] Marc recently posted about the five things you will never know about the hiring process at your target company. [7:30] There are lots of obstacles between the online job searcher and the decision maker at the target company that the applicant does not even realize. When a job posting comes out, you don’t even know if the company has a pre-identified internal candidate but are just following procedures or if it’s an obsolete posting or a scam. [8:22] Provided the job posting is real, an applicant system will kick you out if your resume is not formatted in the way it’s used to reading. You may be thinking you’re a perfect match but your application has not gone to the hiring manager. [8:47] Between the time you applied and the application got to the hiring manager, someone internal may have referred another candidate who has leapfrogged the system and already in the second interview with the hiring manager. [9:03] Applying online is really a risk. Marc gives a case study. [9:44] The hiring manager is often not skilled in the hiring process. They have a full-time job in another department and are only called on to manage hiring a couple of times a year. Oftentimes, job descriptions are not written in a way that aligns with performance measures. The whole process has a lot of places where it can fall apart before you even get in the door. [10:13] If you get a referral from someone inside the company who knows the culture, knows what’s going on in the company, puts your resume in front of somebody, and actually connects you to that person, you will likely get a phone call so you can prove yourself. [10:38] Dawn includes psychological principles in the book important for understanding the process. A lot of the hiring process is about psychology. It’s important to know what’s happening in the mind of the hirer. They will make the decision emotionally and then justify it with data. You want to understand that so you can build a strategy. [11:49] Hiring managers are concerned about losses. Loss aversion is common to all humans. You are angrier about a loss than happy about a gain. As a switcher, the hiring manager sees you as a risk. You haven’t done this job before. So you have to come up with a strategy to put their mind at ease. [12:34] The job search process is a game of elimination, not of selection. There are hundreds of applicants. Hiring managers look for red flags, including being a switcher, a job hopper, or going to an unfavored school. It can be silly things. They want easy outs to narrow down the pile. You can put together a strategy to end up in the final round. [13:36] For applicants over 50, one of the key things is getting over the fact that they’re older. Hiring managers are looking for easy outs, even if they don’t know they’re being biased. No job descriptions ask for 30+ years of experience. Do not give that number away early. Don’t show the year of your degree. List experience back only 20 years. [14:51] With your age-free materials, work on getting a referral. A lot of bias can be overcome with a strong referral. A referral is somebody trusted by the hiring manager to put applicants before them that fit with the culture and fits the approach the team takes and gives them an endorsement. Now the hiring manager has to prove them wrong. [15:43] The safest candidate you can hire is an internal hire. The second safest candidate is an external candidate with an employee referral. Marc thinks that the safe candidates make up 80% to 90% of all hiring, so, go get the referral. [16:00] Dawn talks about how to build a network. As an introvert, Dawn has constantly worked on expanding her network. One easy step is to make sure your spouse, children, neighbor, and people where you attend services all know, in a sentence or two, very clearly the value you add in the professional world. [17:05] If the people who care about you most and support you are able to do this, they can be your ambassadors to share your information with others and bring opportunities to your attention. They can’t do this if they can’t explain to others what you do. Make sure the people closest to you know clearly what you do. [17:36] Marc and Dawn discuss strong ties and weak ties. One overlooked weak tie is your children’s friends’ parents. They may have a completely different network. When Marc went to teach high school, his most powerful connector was his chiropractor. [18:05] Your chiropractor, dentist, hairdresser, etc., see a lot of people from a lot of areas. They could tell you of opportunities or even introduce you to somebody who could open the door to new opportunities. Don’t discount any connection. [18:52] Don’t overlook dormant contacts you may have lost touch with. Old neighbors, old co-workers, old roommates â€" there are so many places where we’ve crossed paths with people that we can reconnect with, even on social media. Rebuilding a trusted relationship tends to be pretty quick. [19:44] Marc gives a case study of an introverted sales guy in the packaged food industry. Marc told him to reach out to everyone he had worked with in the last 20 years. He got a job as an account manager from somebody he had worked with 15 years earlier. [20:55] Dawn comments on why people are hesitant to reach out. They know it makes sense, and they don’t have challenges speaking to people, but when they look for employment, they feel vulnerable asking for help. They can ask for a restaurant referral but are nervous to ask about a job referral. [21:46] Be curious. Don’t start talking about a job. Ask how they are doing and what they are up to after these years. Talk about mutual friends. Re-establish your connection. When you meet, then you can talk about your situation and they will want to do what they can to help you. Ask for advice, insights, and recommendations (AIR). [22:37] Whether are not you are promoting your brand, people brand you by how they observe you and your behaviors. Be conscious of the perceptions people have of you. Understand your audience in a job search and how your accomplishments and strengths can start to solve their problems. Make that your brand. [24:14] Your brand needs to be in light of what your audience is looking for. There are also intangibles, such as likability. It is critical to your brand. [24:30] If you’re a likable person, you can get away with a lot more inside your organization than if you’re not. Venture capitalists are going to be more likely to invest in your new business if you’re likable than if you’re not. People are looking for likability as part of your brand. Put your phone away in a conversation. Take time to ask questions. [25:08] Following through on your commitments is critical as well. [25:24] There is a chapter in the book about fairness. Dawn talks about it. A lot of people who are unsuccessful in switching careers have been chasing fairness instead of reality. Don’t take unfairness personally. Learn the rules and play within them. Create a strategy to get around bias. Don’t get stuck in the applicant tracking system. [27:06] When you get hired as a switcher, somebody with the traditional background is going to say that’s not fair. It’s not a level playing field so you have to learn to get around the situations that can bog you down to get the advantage. [27:41] Marc notes that older workers are scared of rejection, or they don’t want to brag so they don’t put themselves out there as they must. He refers to Alexander Buschek’s journey to rebrand himself into a digital transformation thought leader in Episode 72. Marc told Alexander over and over again to be bold. [28:22] Each time Alexander took a little step forward, he got positive feedback. Marc kept pushing him. Now he speaks all over Europe at conferences. He is the digital transformation guy. [28:50] Chances are, if you’re worried that you’re bragging, you’re probably not. If you are going to be humble, remember that the guy behind you will not, so you will lose out. There are ways to advocate for yourself that don’t feel as though you’re bragging. Dawn recommends talking about how you were rewarded or recruited, in terms of others. [29:45] It may be tempting to speak in terms of “we” and “our team.” That tends to masks your contribution. People know you were on a team but talk about the things you did. Use “glide” questions by stating an accomplishment and asking how that might work relevant to what the company is doing. [30:57] Dawn gives her connection info. Marc thanks Dawn for being on the podcast. [31:49] Dawn has a very similar view on changing careers as Marc has. Marc suggests you pick up her book and give it a read. [33:07] Check back next week, when Marc will start the next career pivot evaluation series with “Can Sarah Repurpose Her Career?” Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers â€" and Seize Success, by Dawn Graham “5 Things You Will Never Know About the Hiring Process,” by Mark Miller CareerPivot.com/Episode-72 Alexander Buschek Dr. Dawn Graham on LinkedIn DrDawnOnCareers.com SiriusXM Channel 132 “Career Talk” Dr. Dawn on Careers on iTunes Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on the iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Get more information and sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has five initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life. Those in the initial cohorts are guiding him in this endeavor. Shortly, Marc will start recruiting members for the sixth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, mastermind groups, branding sessions and, more importantly, a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-92 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment â€" go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, Podbean, TuneIn, Overcast through the Overcast app, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

How to Receive Feedback and Mistakes to Avoid

How to Receive Feedback and Mistakes to Avoid What would you do if you saw a way that your colleague could improve? Would you say something? For most of us, the answer is “it depends”. On the one hand, you think, “I’d want to know if it was me.” On the other hand, it feels awkward to give this kind of feedback. Maybe you don’t know each other well enough, or you’ve got a favor to ask later and don’t want to upset them. Most of all, you can’t be sure how they’ll take it. In fact, they might take it the wrong way. The Key to Success But it’s exactly this kind of crucial input that can make or break our careers, and put us on a very different trajectory than the one we desire. After all, we all have our blind spots and we rely on others to point them out so we can improve. When it comes to getting the feedback you need, you might think that all it takes is asking. But in my experience, asking is not the key success factor. Instead, the key to success is receiving that feedback well. When you show you’re a pro at receiving feedback, three great things start happening: You’ll get a lot more feedback and input to help you improve The feedback you get will be more honest and useful â€" the kind you can do something with and see results You won’t need to ask for it all the time â€" people will share it with you willingly When you get lots of useful feedback, you can accelerate your progress toward that successful career and life you’ve always wanted. Without it, you’ll languish. The key to success when getting feedback is knowing how to receive it well How to Receive Feedback Like a Pro Receiving feedback well is a crucial skill when it comes to advancing your career, and it involves the following three steps. 1. Be “Safe” The first step is to make yourself “safe” to give feedback to. That is, make it a positive experience for others when they take the time to give you their thoughts on how you can improve. Feedback is priceless stuff that can propel your career onward and upward. And the giver probably had to think long and hard before bringing this to your attention, including worrying about how you’re going to take it. I’ve found that the best way to make it “safe” for others to give you feedback is to simply say, “thank you.” Yep, that’s it. And whatever you do, don’t argue with them or debate what they’ve said, even if you disagree. All that said, it’s okay to ask a clarifying question to make sure you’ve understood what they’re telling you. Your part of the conversation might sound like this: “Thank you. I appreciate your taking the time to share that with me. Just to make sure I understand what you mean, can you give me an example?” Once they answer, you say, “thank you” again. And that’s it. When someone gives you feedback, it’s not an invitation to debate. Simply say, “thank you”. 2. Do something with it The second step is to decide what you want to do about this new information, and then do it. Of course you’ll want to start by examining the feedback. After all, feedback is in the eyes of the beholder and it’s just as much about their perspective as it is about what you’ve done or said. Here, I find it can be useful to triangulate and get views from others that you trust. But then, it’s key to act on portions that make sense. Since not all advice is good advice, do some experiments where you’re not sure. When you take action, it shows people that it’s worthwhile giving you the feedback. In fact, I get really excited when I see someone take input from me or others and apply it and, best of all, get results. That makes me want to help them again and it lets me know I’m not wasting my time. 3. Let the giver know Sometimes, it will be obvious that you’ve taken someone’s feedback on board and improved your performance. But that won’t always be the case. You may operate in different circles or geographies, and your paths might not cross regularly. That’s when this third step of “closing the loop” with the person who gave you the feedback is an important touch point. I know I always appreciate knowing what happened after sticking my neck out to give someone constructive feedback. And even if it’s obvious that you’ve taken their ideas on board, it’s still a great move to tell them what you’ve done and to thank them. It encourages them to give you feedback again, gives you a chance to further build that relationship in a positive way, and creates a virtuous cycle where they’ll feel good about helping not only you but others as well. Common Mistakes When Receiving Feedback While it’s crucial to your success to receive feedback well, it’s a skill that doesn’t come naturally to most of us. In fact, here are four common mistakes people make when it comes to receiving feedback. Arguing When you disagree, or there are other circumstances that you feel compelled to explain, it puts up a barrier to further feedback. When someone gives you feedback, it’s not an invitation to debate. They’re trying to do you a favor by letting you know how they think you could improve. Remember that it can be a stressful time for the giver too, and your attempts to set them straight will likely leave a negative impression and even backfire. Instead, you’re probably better off thinking it over and coming back to it at another time. Getting emotional This is a tough one as it’s hard to control our emotions in the moment. But whether it’s crying or lashing out in anger, those emotions can work against us if we want to improve our career prospects. If this is the situation you find yourself in, then one way to address it is to figure out why feedback puts your emotions on high alert, and what kinds of feedback situations trigger that emotional response. Then you’ll have a better chance of reframing the situation and replacing your reactions with something more matter-of-fact. I find that it also helps to make getting feedback a regular and frequent event. That way, it’s no longer a big deal â€" like brushing your teeth or commuting to work. It becomes just “normal”. Feedback can propel your career onward and upward. Make getting feedback a regular and frequent event. Taking it personally It’s human nature to perceive feedback as criticism. Worse yet, to feel like it’s criticism directed at you as a less-than-adequate human being. You must resist that urge. To help you do this, it’s useful to remember the parenting adage that you’re not a bad person, it’s just “bad” behavior. The other point to remember is that at least 50% of feedback is about the giver. They’re simply conveying their point of view, which is drawn from their experience base and context. And maybe they had a bad day themselves which has colored their viewpoint. In the end, your job is to receive the feedback and see how you can use it to your advantage. If you can’t, then don’t worry about it. If you can, then make it an asset that helps you win. Either way, it pays to strive never to take feedback personally, even when it’s directed personally at you. Holding a grudge While it can be hard to put some distance between your ongoing relationship with the person who gave you feedback and how the feedback made you feel, it’s worth working on this. In fact, they’ll be looking to you for cues on how to behave after giving you the feedback. When you behave as though everything is okay, it gives the other person permission to behave that way too. And that’s the surest way to get back to a normalized relationship that will serve you both better. What It Means for Your Career When you’re not “safe” to give feedback to, your career can really suffer. No one tells you the simple changes that would really move the needle. So you languish in your career, then wake up 3-5 years from now and wonder what happened and why you’re still stuck in the same place while others around you have moved ahead. My most successful colleagues were the ones who got loads of feedback from seniors, peers, juniors and clients. Having the luxury of that input helped them improve their performance. That, in turn, helped them advance in the organization. And the second-order benefit of being great at receiving feedback is immense. When you handle constructive criticism well, you demonstrate that you: Are a good listener Care about improving and advancing Are resilient (and not “brittle”) Can self-manage and handle a tough message, rather than crumble or become combative. These are all indications that you can be a great leader who will be ready to take on the toughest client situations, and handle internal pressures with grace. They’re also important skills that will help you succeed in your career and life. Being great at receiving feedback shows that you can be a great leader So when it comes to feedback, what kind of receiver are you? And how can you make yourself “safer” to give feedback to? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Make Your Financial Plan To Quit Your Day Job Launch Your Business - When I Grow Up

Make Your Financial Plan To Quit Your Day Job Launch Your Business - When I Grow Up What holds most people back from quitting their day job and becoming an entrepreneur? I can think of a few (hundred) things… The lack of a plan. An intense fear of winding up living in their parents basement eating Ramen noodles. Not setting goals or creating realistic timelines. Ya know, the usual dream sucking nonsense. But thankfully, I got something for you that’ll let you work past all that. I’m so jazzed to partner with Financial Gym on my Make Your Financial Plan To Quit Your Day Job Launch Your Business workshop, coming at ya in NYC on Wednesday, Oct. 24th at 6 p.m. EST. In this workshop youll find out how I created a sturdy safety net so I could leave my corporate job in March of 2010 and make the leap to full-time coach in the middle of the recession and what Id do differently if I had to do it again. You’ll also leave with: the framework of your own sturdy safety net potential Plan Bs that won’t leave you beaten down without a soul your Breathe Easy number that’ll give you enough of a financial cushion to make your escape before 2028 the month and year you can give your notice if you stick to your plan! Also: ukulele playing, free wine and plenty of QA time. Who can resist? Sign up right here, and use the code GROWUP for a free ticket! If you’re not based in NYC and youd want me to lead this workshop live and virtually,  sign up here. If I get enough interest, I just might make it happen in early 2019. Time to cut the nonsense and start the game plan. You’ll feel so, SO good once you get out there!