How and Why to Recognize Employees with a Service Award

How and Why to Recognize Employees with a Service AwardHow and Why to Recognize Employees with a Service AwardAre you taking advantage of the overall value of a tafelgeschirr award as a component in your organizations employee recognition processes and program? The tafelgeschirr award is a valuable component of an organizations overall employee recognition efforts. You just need to understand, value, and appropriately utilize the tafelgeschirr award in your formal employee recognition mix. A service award is an opportunity for an organization to recognize an employee for his or her longevity or tenure with the organization. A service award comes in many variations as does the approach an organization uses to recognize an employee with a service award. Here is what you need to know about the who, what, when, where, and why an organization might want to supply a service award to an employee. Why not try it? Employees love service awards- theyre just one mora way to say how much you val ue your employees. Your employees want to feel cared about and that their longevity and loyalty deserve an award. Advantages of Providing an Employee Service Award Employers will want to consider offering a service award to recognize and celebrate the longevity of an employee for the following reasons. The service award should be the only bonus or compensation component that recognizes the length of time that an employee has worked for your organization. Length of service is generally only recognized in public sector jobs, and in the public and private sector in union-represented jobs. Employers may informally recognize longer term employees because of their higher salaries due to annual increases over a period of time. But, in a future that is driven by individual compensation based on contribution, merit pay will rule the day.? A service award recognizes that an employee has served an appreciated period of time in your organization. The service award allows the employer to tha nk the employee for his or her service. Consequently, you see employers recognizing a year of service with an award. Then, service awards recognize, depending on the organization, three years, five years, ten years, fifteen years and so forth with increasingly valuable presents and awards.Some organizations accompany a service award with a plaque, a written recognition letter, and additional paid time off. Historically, a service award was a celebration for the company, too. The service award acknowledged that it had successfully retained employees for a long period of time. This demonstrated that the company was a good place to work and deserving of employee loyalty and longevity. This served as a positive reputation for recruiting new employees.A service award is a way to acknowledge your solid performers who might not be earning the top bonus, or a spot award, or recognition for a knock-your-socks-off organizational accomplishment. For your top performers, the service award is ju st one more way to say thank you for your continued astonishing performance. A service award, as a form of recognition, originated during a time period when organizations and society venerated older people in their culture, perhaps more so than is done today. So, a service award lives out an older tradition from a slower time when wisdom, knowledge, and experience may have been honored and esteemed more publicly. This doesnt seem like such a bad tradition, even today to honor and esteem experienced employees for their knowledge and continuing contribution.Think about a service award as a way to acknowledge service, as a symbol of continuity and organizational memory. A publicly-given service award allows the telling of company stories and a walk for employees down a memory lane that they may or may not share.The service award ceremony is an opportunity for company members to reminisce about the organizations history and founding. It is an opportunity to enculturate newer employees w ith the legends and stories that have made the company what it is today.In some organizations, such as the US Army, Marines, and Navy, a military enlisted person receives a service stripe called a hash fruchtmark for each period of time served. The hash mark is worn on dress uniforms as a celebration and acknowledgment of service. By virtue of their long service, these employees who receive a service award are generally positive about working for your organization. They contribute to your organizations positive culture and environment, so it makes sense to recognize them and their continuing contribution. Recommendations About the Service Award Organizations do well to take advantage of the positive employee feelings that are generated with a service award. A service award that is quietly given, with no pomp and circumstances, fails to capture the advantages and opportunities available to positively affect employee morale. Rewards and recognition that are publicly extended enhan ce the value of the recognition for the employees receiving it. These are recommendations about how to provide a service award while creating the most positive impact and increasing employee morale and feelings of appreciation. Ask a cross-functional gruppe of employees to put together your service award program or process. These employees will know what other employees find rewarding and recognizing. Give the team a budget so that they can select appropriate gifts.Give the service award team parameters. For example, the service award must contain a component that lasts over time such as a plaque or additional acknowledgment of appreciation that the employee can look at for years. A gift of money is spent with no memory of why the money was given and has little lasting value as a positive employee memory.The same is true with gifts of merchandise. Once the suitcase or briefcase or watch is incorporated into the employees life, it has little value as a service award. So, merchandise must have a component that sets it apart from what an employee can purchase for him or herself in a store. Perhaps an official company plaque with the employees name will make the service award a proud memory. For the same reason, you will want to present a service award at an all-employee meeting or ceremony to enhance and publicize the value of the service award recognition. The ideal presenter is the company CEO, president, or division head, depending on the size of your organization.Every employee who reaches the designated years of service should receive the same service award. This is one employee recognition opportunity that should be consistent, fair, and equitable.Accompany the service award with a written acknowledgment of the employees service. This recognition letter should state the length of service, thank the employee, and provide memorable details about why the employee is receiving the service award. A service award program is a valuable and valued component of you r overall employee recognition efforts. Dont let the opportunity that a service award provides go by the wayside because you fail to take advantage of the opportunity to recognize employees appropriately- to your advantage and theirs.

How to Answer What Is Your Greatest Weakness in a Job Interview

How to Answer What Is Your Greatest Weakness in a Job InterviewHow to Answer What Is Your Greatest Weakness in a Job InterviewWhen preparing responses to common job interview questions, dont forget this tricky one What is your greatest weakness? Employers use it to get an idea of your self-awareness and to see if you keep cool under pressure.But since presenting oneself in the best possible light is of utmost importance, candidates get nervous that theyll say something damaging.Heres a look at how to answer What is your great weakness? in a job interview, and speak negatively while totenstill proving that youre the best person for the jobWhat to AvoidResist the temptation to say that you dont have any weaknesses. Everyone knows that isnt true, and youll come off as cocky.Likewise, steer clear of clichs. Interviewers tire of people trying to disguise strengths as weaknesses with statements such as I work too hard or Im too passionate about what I do.And, in case theres any doubt, dont say things that undermine your suitability for the position. Admitting that youre lazy, not good with deadlines, hate teamwork, or drink too much wont come off as endearingly honest it will just scare listeners.Building a Strong AnswerLuckily, there are ways to give a believable response and continue to sell your candidacy.Take the P.A.R. approach Problem-Action-Result, says Lavie Margolin, author of Mastering the Job Interview. Provide a relevant weakness that you may have had, what you have done to overcome it, and where you stand now.As illustration, Margolin offers this sample answerIve always considered myself a quieter person. While I am very comfortable talking to people one on one, or even giving presentations, I have always been intimidated to go over to people I do not know and introduce myself. Given my role in the business world, I knew that I had to get beyond that. Ive made a concerted effort to put myself out there and meet new people. While it can be intimidating to do so, I dont think anyone notices that I am uncomfortable sometimes and Ive made some great new connections.Another option is to choose a minor flaw unrelated to the job at hand. By doing this, you admit imperfection and demonstrate awareness of where you might need improvement- without raising eyebrows. Unless youre applying for an IT position, nobody should really care about your inability to troubleshoot tech issues.And regardless of your answer, deliver your words with confidence. Peoplewho maintain composure whether talking about positives or negatives demonstrate to employers an ability to handle whatever comes their way.Looking for more advice on interviewing? Take a look at our job interviewing tips category.

How Managers Can Become Effective Coaches of Employees

How Managers Can Become Effective Coaches of EmployeesHow Managers Can Become Effective Coaches of EmployeesCan a manager be an effective coach?Some professional coaches suggest that managers cannot and should not attempt to coach their employees. After all, the manager has too much of a vested interest in the outcome of the coaching and couldnt possibly be neutral enough to hold back on their opinions. Then again, a lot of managers think they are already coaching when what they are really doing is a lot of teaching, advising, and telling- or, in the worst case, micromanaging. They use the phrase coaching to describe just about any conversation they have with an employee. It helps to first understand the definition of coaching. Aligning on the Meaning, Behaviors, and Types of Coaching Coaching is the skill and art of helping someone improve their wertmiger zuwachs and reach their full potential. Coaching skills are often described as either directive or non-directive. Directive s kills include TeachingAdvisingGiving FeedbackOffering Suggestions Non-directive coaching involves asking questions and listening versus offering ideas or approaches. The real magic of coaching is when the coach takes a non-directive approach by asking challenging questions and listening as the individual works on solving his or her own problems. When people come up with their own solutions, they are more committed, and the fixes are more likely to be implemented. Additionally, this problem-solving experience helps individuals develop the self-confidence to solve similar problems on their own. Great coaches help minimize the noise and distractions that are getting in the way of someones ability to figure out whats going on and what to do about it. Great coaches know how and when to ask the right question at the right time, when to givefeedback, when to advise, how to get the person to focus, and how to gain commitment. Managers can do this, but they have to let go of a few beliefs an d pick up a few mindsets and skills. Here are five critical behaviors for managers who want to coach employees. Let Go of the Belief That Their Job Is to Have All of the Answers While many managers wont admit they think they know more than the sum total of their entire team, they still act that way. Its human nature. We all like to be advice columnists when it comes to other peoples problems. The problem is, when you dont give employees the opportunity to solve their own problems, they dont develop. Instead, they become dependent and never reach their full potential. Believe That Every Employee Can Grow and Improve A manager cant coach an employee if they sincerely dont believe in the employee. Instead, they should be readingHow to Coach an Employee Out of a Job. Be Willing to Slow Down and Take the Time to Coach Yes, its quicker and simpler to tell and give advice. Coaching does take a little more time and patience upfront, and it takes deliberate practice to get good a t it. However, its an investment in people that has a higher return than just about any other management skill. People learn, they develop, performance improves, people are more satisfied and engaged, and organizations are more successful. Learn How to Coach You cant just throw a switch and be an effective coach. You need to have a framework, and it takes practice. Most coaches I know use the GROW model as their framework. They like it because its easy to remember and provides a roadmap for just about any coaching conversation. While there are many versions of the GROW acronym, the one I use is G goalTell me what you want to get out of this discussion?R realitySo whats actually happening?O optionsWhat could you do about it?W whats nextWhat are you going to definitely do about it? By when? Managers Should Study the Experts and Practice the Techniques To learn how to coach, managers should experience what its like to be coached by someone whos really good at it. Then, read a good book on the topic. Then, practice, practice, practice, and get feedback. After a while, you become less dependent on a linear framework and begin to comfortably bounce from one step to another. It also helps to have a toolkit of favorite questions to ask for each step in the GROW model. The Bottom Line Managers who want to be effective coaches will most likely need to let go of some assumptions about themselves and their employees, be willing to learn and practice a style of management that will initially feel unnatural and awkward. However, the rewards will be well worth the effort. Updated by Art Petty

A Womans Guide to Successful Salary Negotiation

A Womans Guide to Successful Salary NegotiationA Womans Guide to Successful Salary NegotiationThe salary gap between men and women may have as much to do with how the sexes approach salary negotiation as with gender politics.By Lee E. Miller and Jessica MillerEDITORS NOTE This article is adapted from the just released A Womans Guide to Successful Negotiating (McGraw-Hill, 2010) by Lee E. Miller and Jessica Miller.Early in her career, Maria Dorfner, CEO of NewsMD Communications, asked her mother for advice about salary negotiations. Her mom told her, You need them more than they need you. So, when she entered into her first salary negotiations, she was afraid to ask for a penny. After determining that wasnt a particularly effective negotiating strategy, she decided to be more forceful in the future. So the next time she found herself negotiating salary, when she was asked, How much do you want to make? she replied with a number that was twice her then current salary. To her amazement, the individual she was negotiating with said simply, You got it. A year later, she learned that she could have asked for triple what she was earning, because that was what the guy next to her had asked for and had gotten. Maria, a communications and public relations executive, leides that she has never taken a job for the money, but it hurts to feel taken advantage of. Negotiating compensation is about knowing your worth and being compensated fairly. She adds Today, I know they need me more than I need them.A study of the job and salary negotiations of graduating professional school students at Carnegie Mellon University found that the male students were eight times more likely to negotiate a larger starting salary than female students. In part because women dont negotiate compensation as often or as effectively, according to the Women in Management Report (pdf), released Sept. 28 by the Government Accountability Office, women managers mucksmuschenstill earn only 81 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn, up only two cents from 10 years ago. It doesnt have to be that way. Women who successfully master the art of negotiating earn more money and are more successful in their careers. In fact, for some women who have learned to negotiate effectively these statistics have been completely reversed. According to the most recent available census data, single, childless women between ages 22 and 30, in major metropolitan areas, now earn 8 percent more than their male counterparts.Negotiating Isnt PettyOne of the biggest mistakes women make is not negotiating compensation whenever they have an opportunity to do so. In researching our newly released book, A Womans Guide to Successful Negotiating (McGraw-Hill, 2010), we found that failing to negotiate compensation not only hurt women financially, it held them back in their careers. The highly successful female executives that we interviewed emphasized not only the importance of learning to negotiate, but als o being willing to negotiate for themselves, not just their employers. Even women who are really good at negotiating for their organizations often feel that there is something unseemly about trying to get things for themselves that demanding more money is petty. This leads them to accept the first salary offer or to ask for too little when they do negotiate.Negotiating for a larger salary isnt petty. The women who are most successful learn that negotiating about compensation is not only appropriate, but expected of them. Employers may actually think less of them if they do not negotiate. A potential employer may even become concerned that they will not be able to negotiate effectively with vendors, customers and peers if they are hired.Employers expect all but entry-level hires (and, in recent years, sometimes even those) to negotiate. Therefore, they almost never start with their best offer - so women who fail to negotiate are probably accepting less than the employer was prepared to pay. This is true even in a weak economy. Even though it may be difficult to find a job when times are tough, once an employer decides you are the one they want to hire you are in a good location to negotiate.Your Mistakes Are Following YouFailing to negotiate your salary from the start is not only an intial mistake it is one that will continue to follow you and will be compounded over the years, disadvantaging you throughout the remainder of your career. Every raise you get, every bonus you receive and even the number of stock options you are awarded, will be smaller because these amounts are normally determined as a percentage of your artificially low base salary.Many women think they will accept a job, prove themselves and then ask for a raise. This approach may result from believing that they are not in a position to negotiate from being afraid that if they ask for more, they might lose the job offer from being uncomfortable negotiating or simply from thinking that proving t heir worth before negotiating is the most effective approach. Whatever the reason, in most instances, they will be wrong. Once you prove yourself in a job, you will be able to get even more money, over and above what you negotiate at the time you initially accept a job. By not negotiating at the outset, you are not only forgoing the money you could have gotten but also reducing the amount of the raise you will get after you prove yourself. Imagine that initially you could have negotiated a salary $5,000 more than the one you accepted without negotiating. When you get that 10 percent raise because of the great job you have done, it will be based on the lower, nonnegotiated salary- and will be $500 less than it would have been if you had negotiated in the first place. Moreover, that hard-earned first raise will still leave you earning $5,500 less than if you had originally negotiated, and then received the raise you deserve.When negotiating compensation, the only way to be certain tha t you get what you deserve is to know your worth in the marketplace, to understand how to negotiate compensation, to firmly and creatively negotiate a compensation package consistent with your market value and be willing to walk away if you do not get it.

Phone Interview Tips That Bring Success

Phone Interview Tips That Bring SuccessPhone Interview Tips That Bring SuccessPractice speaking.If you tend to get nervous during interviews, chances are youll speak faster. So practice speaking slower, taking pauses when necessary. If your voice sometimes get mistaken for Minnie Mouse, try lowering it an octave so you come across more professional.Put on a smile. Studies show that people who genuinely smile as they speak are more trusted. And that feeling of trustworthiness will come across in your voice during a phone interview. Not only will smiling while speaking help your inflection, it will also make you sound more friendly and positive.Rehearse in the mirror. If you feel awkward during interviews, trying rehearsing in the mirror first. Seeing your reflection as you list your career highlights will give you the positive reinforcement you need.Be prepared.Keep your resume in front of you along with your cover letter and any other talking points youd like to mention in the interv iew. Consider it a cheat sheet for your interview- just be sure not to audibly rustle the papers while speakingWrite it down. You might be asked to jot down an email address or to send your recommendation letter to another executive. So its good to have paper and a pen on hand to write down the info. After all, you dont want to put your potential boss on hold while you find something to write with.With just a little practice, phone interviews can be an easy, breezy way to interview, especially when youre looking for a telecommuting position to help achieve work and family balance.Readers, what do you like to do to prepare for a phone interview? Let us know in the comments below

Top Office Assistant Resume Skills Secrets

Top Office Assistant Resume Skills Secrets Office Assistant is a job which may rarely have openings due to the popularity of outsourcing. An attractive Administrative assistant resume summary is an ideal beginning to the interview session. Your resume should clearly communicate to a possible employer that youre ready to successfully execute the sekretariat assistant job responsibilities set out in the work specification. An Office Assistant Resume should showcase an assortment of qualities required to properly handle standard sekretariat duties. A health assistants key responsibility is to offer patients with clinical and administrative aid. Lets take a physicians assistant job opening. Indeed isnt a career cover legal advisor and doesnt guarantee job interviews or offers. Employers want to get office assistants that are pleasant and polite. An outstanding Office Assistant resume, including this example, will incorporate a range of important skills your employer is searching for in a candidate. Administrative Assistant Job Description plays a critical role in deciding the precise job an Administrative Assistant would perform. Type of Office Assistant Resume Skills Because most firms or organizations use large and complicated databases of departemental records and services like Banner, the office assistant may be asked to enter information and make certain the truth and completeness of the data entered, and in the exact vein generates reports of outputs as needed. For example, if you say you have strong organizational abilities, mention how you helped reorganize the filing system at your final job, and how this greater efficiency at work. Doctors offices always require help. Who Else Wants to Learn About Office Assistant Resume Skills? Our resume builder makes it simple to create a well-written resume in a few minutes. Have a look at the sample resume for office staff positions on top. The following two areas (we suggest a paragraph for each) g ive you a lot of room to produce your case. This example of a health assistant resume will give you a fundamental idea of the way to create a good resume. My pleasant personality makes me a superb candidate to generate a fantastic first impression on your clients, whether on the telephone or at the office. The new economy has altered the work search somewhat, making the subsequent skills even more important. The primary reason is that office assistants are the people who make koranvers the whole operational process in a business runs as smoothly as possible. You are just about to compose the ideal office assistant resume For the very first time in your life, you will have complete wellness, dental, and vision insurance. The Rise of Office Assistant Resume Skills Our resume builder will provide you with tips and examples on how best to compose your resume summary. You should possess creative thinking ability to have the ability to resolve issues until they become full-blown is sues. The job is a superb match to my abilities and interests. Create a jobsDB profile Increase your odds of getting hired. Office Assistant Resume Skills Can Be Fun for Everyone Professionals should have the essential aptitude and the very same has to be reflected in the CV. Medical assistants are a valuable part of the health care industry as they provide essential support within healthcare facilities. Receptionists must have attention to detail and strong communication abilities. Employers start looking for business-related or law-related courses on the resumes of prospective candidates, and technological know-how in that they can successfully operate a computer. The Balance Letter uses cookies to supply you with a good user experience. Volunteer to work at no cost. The Most Popular Office Assistant Resume Skills If you would like to succeed as an office assistant, a good cover letter is essential. The cover letter examples below for administrative assistants can hel p you strengthen your application and discover an excellent job. To find that opportunity, you will require a terrific administrative assistant cover letter. Including a cover letter with your application materials can supply you with the chance to highlight and improve the info on your resume. The letter should open with an appropriate address to the individual in charge, followed by the organization address. If you do choose to create a handwritten letter, make sure its legible, neat and simple to read. Generally a typed letter looks better presented, neater and simpler to read, so in the event you have access to a computer, its probably an excellent concept to offer a typed covering letter. Developing an exceptional letter will help it become truly yours, suited to your personality and fashion.

Automation Threatens to Put Accountants Out of Work

Automation Threatens to Put Accountants Out of Work According to research conducted by Oxford University and Deloitte, two of the ten jobs most at risk of being totally automated in thenext two decades are financial accounts manager and bookkeeper.In light of this unsettling news, graduate jobs forum WikiJob issued a survey asking graduates interested in accounting careers how they felt about the threat. Arethey concerned? Is this issue making them consider alternative career paths where automation is a less significant threat?Machines Make Accountants NervousWikiJob found that three in four graduates (74 percent) looking to pursue a career in accounting are concerned that automation could make their role redundant within two decades. More than 50 percent of surveyed graduates said they believe bookkeeping is the area of accounting mostat risk of being replaced in the medium or long term by machines.This survey demonstrates the nervousness that many g raduates are feeling when they look at possible careers in accountancy in the longer term, says James Rice, head of digital marketing at WikiJob. It probably is true to say that areas like bookkeeping and tax will struggle to attract higher-caliber graduates as time goes on because the job security will look increasingly precarious. The profession is in good health currently, but it must do all it can to persuade new recruits that their roles are ones that cant easily be automated in the future. Otherwise, accounting could find itself facing a recruitment crisis in years to come.In a surprising turn of events, fewer than half of the graduates surveyed by WikiJob said accounting was a good career choice. (Remember, WikiJob specifically surveyed graduates who indicated they were interesting in accounting careers.) Almost 40 percent said that they were unsure about the prospects for an accounting career, and two-thirds of respondents were considering careers in alternative industries.A ttract Candidates by Downplaying the Bean Counter ImageMany graduates who are looking at careers in accounting realize that soft skills are increasingly important today. The survey suggests more graduates are interested in the consultative side of accounting, where there is much more menschenwrdig interaction and a high level of strategic planning, making the positions very difficult to automate.To assuage the nerves of candidates and assure new recruits about their long-term job security, the accounting industry needs to make a strong case for those accounting roles for which there will be long-term demand and which will be very difficult to replace with automation.Some of those roles may even be created as a consequence of new technology, says Rice. Accounting firms need to show how soft skills, networking, management prowess, and creative thinking will be fundamental to the future accountant and say how thats a good thing, as many of the more boring tasks will be taken away from workers, which should make their tasks more interesting.Although many training programs and educational courses have yet to change their approaches to accounting, those adjustments may be coming soon.In a way, it might help accounting as it shifts away from the bean counter stereotype toward an image based more on consulting, professional relationships, financial insight, and creative solutions to business problems, says Rice. I think training programs will start to focus more on areas where people can provide value that machines cant deliver.

9 questions to ask yourself before a major decision

9 questions to ask yourself before a major decision9 questions to ask yourself before a major decisionThis list is a guide for when you need to test your aspirations that require a major adjustment to your life and career.Its a reality check for change. Grab a pen and get started.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAm I happy?Its a simple yes or no question. If the answer is no then follow with this How will I change my perspective and/or situation to create happiness? Life is short. Dont have an accidental career or life.What does my gut say?Your head is too intellectual. Your heart is too emotional. Trust your instinct.Does this change align with my values and those of the people it will affect?Write down your values? Write down the values of important people in your life. You might have to sell this change. Know the benefits to all parties. And know who it will hurt. Is it worth it?Am I making this change to run away from something?Change for the sake of change is a mistake. Youll find yourself in a similar situation feeling the same way in a few months wanting to start over again. The fears you run from are running your life. Now is the time to turn around, face them, name them and invite them in with curiosity. This disarms their power. Are these fears based in truth or are they assumptions? Sustainable change requires alignment with values, humility to admit mistakes and a plan.How do I make sure this is not a 5-foot change but a 30,000-foot high innovation?Climb to the top story of your life. Look at the situation from a visionary perspective. The mezzanine view is short-sighted. The world is a big place. Write down the specifics of your ideal situation on paper. Then you have a road map. Everything else is passive.What do I want to do more of? Or less of?You know the negative feedback youve gotten in the past? Now is the time to cast pride aside and ad dress what needs to occur or needs to stop occurring. Who will be your accountability lebenspartner for this change?Whats the financial plan and is it sustainable?It may look good now. How do you envision this change financially in 3 years? 5 years? 10 years? Write it down. What needs to occur for sustainability. Whats the plan?Whats the worst that could happen?And what percentage chance does that have of occurring?What are the behaviors and routines I need to maintain my positivity through the transition?What are your mindful daily practices that keep your mind clear, transform doubt, ground you, deliver positivity and keep your body healthy. How will you track them?Here is a link to a free Flow-on-the-Go Guide to track your mindful daily routines.Mary Lee Gannon, ACC, CAE is an executive coach and corporate CEO who helps busy leaders get off the treadmill to nowhere to be more effective, earn more, be calmer and enjoy connected relationships with the people who matter while it sti ll matters. Watch her FREE Master Class training on Three Things to Transform Your Life and Career Right Now at www.MaryLeeGannon.com.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

8 life lessons Ive learned from bosses over the years

8 life lessons Ive learned from bosses over the years8 life lessons Ive learned from bosses over the yearsBetween gettinglaid off twicein 2017, as well as promotions and freelance roles at otzu sich companies, Ive had a lot of bosses over the years. Although they were all very different, they had one thing in common They all taught me something that Ive kept with me from job to job. Heres what I learned from them, and how its helped me grow in my career.1. Dont limit yurselfWhen you abflug out in your career, its easy to be super excited and motivated to succeed. But some people might want you to slow down and focus on the job thats right in front of you. While its important to keep your head down and work hard, its also important to dream big and think ahead. Dont let a boss put you in a box. Keep that motivation and stay inspired to succeed. Do the job you have really well, and then aspire to do more. Otherwise, youll end up limiting yourself to what youre currently doing and may s tray from reaching all ofyour career goals.2. Age doesnt matterI once had a manager who welches younger than me. I didnt know it for a long time, and it didnt matter whatsoever. My boss knew everything about the company and welches really good at her job. She was a great listener, always willing to help and knew how to keep our team calm when things got stressful. Whether your manager is 20 years your senior or a few years younger than you, theyre still your boss and theyre in that role for a reason. Respect them and then learn as much as you can from them.3. Network always.When youre working, its important to get to know your coworkers, as well as meet other peers outside of your company. I had a boss once who always promoted coffee dates, informational interviews,networking events and more, both in and out of the office. She told me to find a mentor and make connections as much as possible. Because of her, I learned how important it was to network. Ive continued to schedule coffee dates and meet new people, and its helped me learn more and more about my career path.4. You can never be too preparedIve always been ato-do list maker, but I had a boss once who taught me how important it was to be prepared for every part of my job. From meetings to reports and everything in between, I learned what it meant to be overprepared and how it could really help you stand out among the crowd. From then on, I made sure to go above and beyond with everything I did at work, and I think its helped me grow and succeed in my career.5. Follow your heartI once had a boss who was a product manager. Now, Ive always been on the content side of things, so working for someone who had a more technical eye was a great experience. It was a great job and team, and I learned a lot, but it wasnt the right fit for me. Ultimately, I was recruited to join another company that was in the personal finance content space. My heart wasnt in my current job at the time, but it was in this new company . I gave my two weeks notice, and my boss really didnt want me to leave. However, he understood that I needed to follow my heart. He was supportive and made my last two weeks there the best they could have been. He helped me realize how important it really is todo what you love every day.6. Dont be afraid to manage upWhen you work underneath someone, they usually will manage you, and help you learn and grow. However, its also important to manage up. I had a boss once who was put into a managerial role after not having much experience. We worked very closely together, tag-teaming much of the job at hand, and sometimes I needed to remind her about things. She was so open to everything, from feedback about how best to communicate with me to my reminders about deadlines when her plate was full. Dont be afraid to give your boss feedback. A good manager will take it and apply it, and appreciate your help in making them a better boss.7. Its important to try things youve never done beforeOn e of my more recent jobs was in content marketing. It was a brand new job for me since I had always worked in digital media before that, writing articles for the web and working with social media. My manager had a lot of great experience and I was looking forward to learning a lot of her. However, so much of what I was doing was stuff I had never done before. I was nervous and out of my comfort zone. She reminded me constantly that it was okay and that it was important to continue trying my best. I ultimately realized that the type of work I was doing was just not meant for me, but I appreciated her support while I worked there to learn and grow.8. You cant the best employee unless you first take care of yourselfThe best life lesson I learned from a boss was how important it is to trulyfocus on self-care. Work is important, but you cant be your best self at work if youre not taking time to rest, relax and rejuvenate. Whether its a day off to go to the doctor when you have a cold, or a few days spent at home when theres a loss in your family, my boss stressed the importance of self-care over work. A boss who wholly supports you both in and out of the office is a rare find. If you ever get a chance to work under a manager like that, hold onto them and learn as much as you can. Theyll teach you more than just a few skills to put on your resume. Youll learn how to be a better person, and a great future boss yourself.This article was originally published on Swirled.

Four ways improv can help you succeed at work

Four ways improv can help you succeed at workFour ways improv can help you succeed at workAs improv comedians, the same philosophyandprinciples that work so well for us on stage also work very well when we apply them to our business.Here are four ways you canapply improv techniques to help you succeed at work.1. Become an active listenerEveryone thinks that to be an improviser that you have to be super quick. We hear that comment after every show You guys are so quick. We always smile and take the compliment, but its notlage really the truth.The truth is that we listen very well. And we dont just listen we actively listen.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYou have to be present, you have to be in the moment, and you have to be non-judgmental. You just have to go with anidea. And the way you do that is to listen and then build on that thought.As business leaders and entrepreneurs, weve learned that being a better listener actually makes you a better communicator. Youve heard everyone out so youre able to make decisions without overlooking things. Youre not thinking of the thing you were going to say next youre paying attention to whats happeningnow.In the improv world, we dont know where were going we only know where weve been. So its paramount that we all retain that information because its influencing our decisions, much like in the business world.A lot of people pride themselves on multitasking.But basically all multitasking is is doing a lot of things in an average way.When people are actively listening, theyre retaining anywhere from 90 to 95% of the pertinent information. When theyre multitasking, they may be retaining 40%. If youre at work running around only retaining 40% of the information, youre doing yourself a disservice, and youre certainly doing everyone around you a disservice.2. Practice yes, and . . .The number one rule that we have is to str ike the word no and replace it with the two magic words yes, and . . . Its a philosophy, not a statement.It means that youdont judge anidea. You agree with it by saying yes, and thenyou add your2 cents so that itbecomes a collective idea and both people have by in to its success.People are often no, but . . . Theres a lot of negativity. People will always find the problem or the reason for not doing something.But they arent mistakes in our worldthere are only disruptions from the routine. Improv forces you to solve scenarios on the fly. Were all about finding a work around and moving forward.Becoming a yes, and . . . person is like going to the gym. You have to practice iteveryday and reframe your brain to not go to no first. If it has to be a no, so be it, butmake it a considerate no.3. Embrace all ideasOne of the rules that we live by is that there are no wrong or bad ideas, and nobodys ideas are any better or worse than anyone elses. There are just high- and low-percentage choice s.The creativity comes when you can recognize that every idea has merit. What weve found is that sometimes those low-percentage choices end up being wonderfully creative ideas that we would have never come up with because we would have dismissed them early as wrong. These ideas get the ball rolling.When you do that within your business, you develop a culture where people realize theyre going to be heard andthat theyre not going to be judged or shot down.Imagine how creative you would be if whatever you brought to the table, your team would build upon. Theres no fear involved.The freedom to create is endless.4. Empower yourteamIf you practice these techniques, youre honoring and empowering those around you, and they in turn will honor and empower you.For instance, we noticed that a lot of people wereon their phones before and during ourshow.From our perspective as the performers on the stage, we thought it was rude. But then our technical director, who sits behind the audience and ru ns the lights and sound, told us that he was seeing people give us five-star reviews and tweet about the show.He suggested that instead of being angry, we should incorporate phonesinto the show. Now, we have people upload funny photos on our Facebook page, and we improvise from the photos. As a happy accident to this, our social media numbers are through the roof.When people think about the corporate ladder, they think that the way to get aheadis to step on whomever you need to step on. But thats not how we advance. The way we ascend is by making each other look good. We pull each other up.David Wilk, Frank Ford, and David Ahearn are the co-founders of the improv groupFour Day Weekend and the co-authors of the upcoming book Happy Accidents How Yes, And Thinking Helps You Open Hearts, Change Minds, and Win Together in a No, But World.As told to Kirsten Salyer.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first s even words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people