How to Deal With a Yelling Boss

How to Deal With a Yelling BossHow to Deal With a Yelling BossWhen most of us are asked to picture our ideal workplace it most likely features a betreuungive cast of professional colleagues who pitch in, collaborate and communicate with ease. Dont get us wrong. That mental image is certainly a great aspiration for the place youll end up spending mora time than your actual home on a daily basis, but reality has a way of looking just a little bit different.Chances are that if youve spent enough time in the workforce youll encounter a slightly more difficult environment. Maybe your support crew of workmates spends more time reading the SimplyHired blog than actually working. Maybe your office is so stingy its like a reality TV show when it comes time to replace your office pens. Worst case scenario? You encounter the dreaded, overly aggressive, incredibly stressful, unprofessional and panic-inducing, screaming boss. If the latter scenario sounds familiar before you call it quits and hea d to the hills in search of employment Shangri-la check out our handy tips for how to deal with a yelling boss.The Yelling GameBefore we delve into the dos and donts, its worth some discussion of why some people communicate via raised voices, to begin with. In most instances, your boss choosing to yell probably isnt personal. Many managers or employees with authority came up during an age when less professional standards were applied to workplace behavior. This certainly doesnt make yelling something that should be accepted, but it may help lessen the stress you feel daily wondering just what it is the yeller has against you.With this in mind, whatever action you choose to take to help address a yelling boss, its best not to confront them directly with counter-aggression. Answering yelling with more yelling will just increase your office stress and can often be misconstrued as schwimmbad behavior on your part, especially if the person doing the screaming doesnt realize they are in t he wrong. Take a crack at walking in your boss shoes, then move on to one of our handy methods for management and correction below.Suggested Approaches for Dealing With a Yelling BossOur steps below are meant to be guidelines and tips for dealing with inappropriate communications. While they may not fit your specific scenario, weve tried to bestellung them in the level of progression, escalating in the seriousness of response to help keep the workplace as happy and healthy as possible.Talk to Your BossThis may not be right for every scenario, but if you encounter a boss who yells in some circumstances but is completely normal and professional in others, a heart to heart may be in order. Plan your discussion out ahead of time and be sure to include specific instances of bad behavior and how it impacted you and your work performance. With any luck, this direct approach will have an otherwise reasonable supervisor rethinking his or her behavior and perhaps respecting your position more given your willingness to communicate.Reach out to Other ManagersIf your boss is a yeller it may be a good idea to get the lay of the land on how others behave within your workplace. Developing good relationships with others in leadership positions will help you assess whether the yelling is an instance of a single bad apple or indicative of an overall workplace culture. Be careful not to bad mouth your current boss, but if you do manage to develop a solid repertoire, feel free to drop in your current supervisors behavior in casual conversation. Getting a talking to by someone senior within the company may be the correction needed to help put an end to loud and angry speeches. Pay a Visit to HR As a last resort, you may need to be prepared to file a report directly with Human Resources regarding your boss unreasonable behavior. If youre considering this route, be cautious that youve exhausted your professional means of addressing the situation first. If you feel that your work envi ronment has become toxic, however, and you dont have the tools needed to address the situation, seek out your HR department for an official report or even informal advice to avoid undue suffering.If All Else FailsThere may come a time when your best efforts at correcting a yelling boss may fail. If the screaming has reached a level where youre stomach is in knots over the mere idea of coming into the office, it may be time to seek alternative employment. Leaving a bad working environment is never the wrong decision. If youre worried about the resignation having a negative impact on your future prospects, be prepared to explain the situation to future hiring managers or interviewers in as professional a manner as possible. Above all else, make sure your exit is graceful. Maintaining the upper hand in professionalism and being able to hold your head high as you walk away from a toxic, yelling boss will protect you both in work and personally in the future.

Here are the most Googled money topics for every state

Here are the most Googled money topics for every stateHere are the most Googled money topics for every stateFresh research from New Citizens Bank shows that 66% of Americans surveyed say that the loans they have from going to college hinder them from saving as much as theyd like.When it comes to that they would tell younger versions of themselves about paying for school if they could repeat the process, the most popular response was to prioritize paying off student loans as soon as possible at 43%. A whopping 53% also think that talking to with their parents about paying for school earlier would have decreased the amount of student loan debt that they racked up.But the survey continued to paint a chilling picture, showing that overall, 74% of those surveyed wish they had done mora to minimize the burden of their student loans.ORC International polled 504 Americans who graduated from college having student loan debt for the banks research.What people Google the most about money in eac h state and DCBut in a similar vein, the concept of debt seems to be on many Americans minds when they take to the internet. Recently updated information from Student Loan Hero shows the money topics that people Google the most in each state, the District of Columbia, and different cities.According to the research, the most popular money matters searched on Google were debt-related in Arizona, Indiana, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Wyoming.While the write-up also features the most popular money topic in different cities, here are the most popular ones in each state. The company used Google Trends to come up with this listAlabama Build creditAlaska Compound interestArizona Debt to incomeArkansas Saving moneyCalifornia CryptocurrencyColorado Capital gainsConnecticut 401kDelaware BankruptcyDistrict of Columbia Public Service Loan ForgivenessFlorida Credit cardGeorgia Credit reportHawaii BitcoinIdaho Home loanIllinois Property taxesIndiana Debt snowballIowa How to budgetKansas Financial plann ingKentucky PensionLouisiana Payday loanMaine Savings calculatorMaryland Tax creditMassachusetts Refinance student loansMichigan How to make more moneyMinnesota Property taxMississippi Social SecurityMissouri Earn more moneyMontana Loan calculatorNebraska PaycheckNevada Buy a homeNew Hampshire Car loanNew Jersey Car leaseNew Mexico New credit cardNew York Health insuranceNorth Carolina Get a raiseNorth Dakota Student loansOhio Income taxOklahoma Debt repaymentOregon MortgagePennsylvania Pay off credit cardRhode Island CD ratesSouth Carolina Car insuranceSouth Dakota Auto loanTennessee Extra incomeTexas Best credit cardUtah What is APRVermont Retirement savingsVirginia Pay off debtWashington Sales taxWest Virginia Tax refundWisconsin Credit unionWyoming Debt consolidation

AWOL and Desertion in the US Military

AWOL and Desertion in the US MilitaryAWOL and Desertion in the US MilitaryAbsent without leave and desertion are similar in that military members are not wherbeie they are supposed to be at a given time.However, the biggest difference between the two is time. Usually, after one month of being AWOL, a military member can be considered a deserter. The terms AWOL and Desertion can be easy to confuse. Unauthorized absence from the military falls under three articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) Article 85, Desertion Article 86, AWOL and Article 87, Missing Movement. Of the three, desertion is the most serious offense. Missing Movement A military member has violated Article 87 if he or she is ordered to be on a ship or an aircraft, or deploy with a unit on a certain date and time and then fails to show up. It doesnt matter if the member failed to show up intentionally or because of neglect, but it is required that the member knew about the movement. If the member missed the movement through physical inability (as long as that physical inability wasnt a result of misconduct or neglect), that would constitute a viable defense. The possible punishment is more severe if the member missed the movement intentionally. Its not uncommon for Missing Movement to be charged in conjunction with AWOL or Desertion, depending on the circumstances. Going AWOL AWOL, or Absent without Leave, is usually called Unauthorized Absence (or UA) by the Navy and Marine korporation, and AWOL by the Army and Air Force. The use of UA by the Navy/Marine Corps and AWOL by the Army/Air Force has a historical component. Prior to enactment of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1951, the services were governed by separate laws. However, its official title under the current UCMJ is AWOL. It simply means not being where you are supposed to be at the time you are supposed to be there. Being late for work is a violation of Article 86. Missing a medical appointment is a v iolation. So is disappearing for several days (or months or years). The maximum possible punishments, which discussed later in this article, depends on the exact circumstances surrounding the absence. Desertion A charge of desertion can actually result in the death penalty, which is the maximum punishment during time of war. However, since the Civil War, only one American servicemember has ever been executed for desertion Private Eddie Slovik in 1945. The offense of desertion, under Article 85, carries a much greater punishment than the offense of AWOL, under Article 86. If one is absent without authority for 30 days or more, does the offense change from AWOL to desertion? Thats not quite true. The primary difference between the two offenses is intent to remain away permanently or if the purpose of the absence is to shirk important duty, (such as a combat deployment). Intent If a person intends to return to military control someday, he is guilty of AWOL, not desertion, even if he was away for 50 years. Conversely, if a person was absent for just one minute and then captured, he could be convicted of desertion if the prosecution can prove that the member intended to remain away permanently from the military. If the intent of the absence was to miss an important function of his/her job, such as a combat deployment, then the intent to remain away permanently to support a charge of desertion is not necessary. However, services such as drill, target practice, maneuvers and practice marches are not ordinarily considered as an important duty. Important duty may include hazardous duty, duty in a combat zone, certain ship deployments, and more. Whether a duty is hazardous or a service is considered important depends on the circumstances of the particular case, and is a question of fact for the court-martial to decide. Conclusion Regardless, when you sign the contract to enter the military, you will owe a stated time in the service and are expected to honor that contract, just as the military is expected to honor its role as provider for income, pension, health benefits, housing, and food. If you do not honor your end, the military does not have to honor its end and will quit paying you and even place you into military prison if necessary. Usually, however, most members are just kicked out of the military with a less than honorable discharge.

Unlock your potential with a mentor

Unlock your potential with a mentorUnlock your potential with a mentorReap the benefits of professional guidance throughout your entire career.Its Ms. Foundation for Womens Take Our Daughters And Sons to Work Day.This program, which welches expanded in 2003 to include boys, aims to empower children to reach their full potential and live fulfilling lives. As founding mother Marlo Thomas mentions in her article, Take Our Daughters And Sons to Work Day is not your traditional career day its a chance for parents and caregivers to mentor their children and show how women and men come together and share the workplace.This celebration couldnt have come at a better time.With Sheryl Sandbergs book Lean In topping the best-seller lists these days, the topic of mentorship is hotter than ever among the professional community and with good reason. The right mentor can be a powerful tool in your career arsenal. In fact, Sheila Wellington, former president of Catalyst Foundation and author of Be Your Own Mentor, believes its one of the main reasons why men tend to rise higher than women in the workplace men are more likely than women to have mentors throughout their careers.Not only can mentors help shape your professional skills, they can teach you the ins and outs of your industry, help you navigate corporate politics, overcome adversity, and introduce you to the right people and resources to advance your career.If you dont currently have a mentor in your life, use this day an excuse to find one. Click on the following link to read about the five types of mentorship the Sensei, Entrepreneur, Peer, Protg, and the Unconventional Teacher. Identify what type of mentor is right for you and seek that person out.Mentors come in all shapes and sizes, each offering different types and levels of support throughout your career. Remember, mentorship isnt handed to you you have to ask for what you need. Dont be afraid to approach someone you meet and ask the questions you really wa nt to know youll be amazed at what may happenClick on the following links to learn more about Ms. Foundation for Women and the Take Our Daughters And Sons to Work Day program.

How to clean up your social media before a job-search

How to clean up your social media before a job-searchHow to clean up your social media before a job-searchStill think hiring managers arent checking your Facebook or LinkedIn and searching your name in Google? Now might be a good time to reconsider that stance 70% of employers in 2017 used social media to screen candidates, according to a CareerBuilder survey.This percentage isnt likely to decrease, but dont let it intimidate you you wont need to delete all your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. Lets take a look at what you can do to prep your social media profiles for a job search, which might entail a background check or a critical look at your zugreifbar reputation.Google yourselfMillennials are the age group most likely to do a Google self-search, but its a good idea for anyone to do one before a job interview to binnenlandlandsee what comes up in search results. Check each page and do some advanced searching youd be surprised what Google can pick up.When doing a self- search, does your personal website show up on the first page of results? Is the content displayed about you positive, accurate, and relevant? These are two important questions you should be asking.Below are some other things to consider when you do a self-search on the Internet.Check for personal information A simple Google search can reveal a lot about you, including your phone number, address, email, location, and any photos of yourself.Always do an Incognito Search Using a private browsing window when you search yourself is particularly important because this allows you to see unbiased results that arent affected by your previous searches, logged in services, or other personalization factors that Google implements. Personalized searching is useful when it comes to searching for relevant products or services, but when preparing for a job interview, you want to see through the eyes of a hiring manager and have unbiased search results.Set a Google alert for your name If you set one, every time your name comes up in a Google search result, you will be notified right away by email. This is particularly helpful for those who blog or are in journalism and want to keep track of their published posts. You can also find out which sites have been linking to your work.If youd like a thorough analysis of your online reputation, background checking sites like BrandYourself.com provide feedback about search results for your name and will help you fix any issues you have.Separate personal from professionalMany of us have two sides to our social media accounts personal and professional. Yet sometimes, the line between the two is blurred. Content that belongs on a private Facebook account might end up on a professional Twitter page and vice versa. So how can you draw the line when it comes to your personal and professional sides?Avoid posting controversial topics, religious and political views, or personal information on professional accounts. Instead, use these platforms fo r engaging in conversations with your connections and sharing your career wins. Keep reading below for examples of what is safe and unsafe to post on your social media accounts.Appropriate things to post on social mediaBusiness updatesSharing nachrichtensendung about your industryPhotos and videos of interesting place or things to do in your cityCurrent events articlesUpcoming conferences, webinars, or other eventsInappropriate things to post on social mediaComplaints about your boss or workPhotos of you partyingPolitical and religious rantsVulgar and violent languageRelationship or personal issuesRemember, you want to show off best qualities to a hiring manager in a job interview, so keep the same practice in your social media accounts. The great thing about having an active professional account is that you can pick and choose what you want to display.Make personal accounts more secureBefore posting onto your personal social media accounts, be mindful of what youre sharing and who is going to see it. Internet content lasts forever, and while privacy settings may protect your accounts from some threats, nothing will ever be truly private.Keeping this in mind, there are some steps you can take to strengthen the security of your personal Facebook and Twitter accounts.FacebookWho can see my stuff This is the primary privacy setting youll find in Facebooks Privacy Settings. You can switch the default public setting on your post under Who can see my stuff? and make your content only visible to friends. You can also choose who will see your post using the audience selector when you make a new Facebook status. The audience selector control remembers what you select, so unless you change your audience, all future posts will be shared with the same people.Limit past posts If you have always made your Facebook posts public and now want to improve your security, limiting old posts will prevent anyone outside of your friends from seeing it.Timeline and tagging You can adj ust these settings for who can see tagged photos of you on your timeline, and also review any photos, statuses and comments that others have tagged you in.Photo settings Even if youve made your Facebook statuses only visible to friends, profile pictures and cover photos are open to the public by default. Check to see if your albums and mobile uploads are set to public as well.TwitterProtect my Tweets By default, your Tweets are all public. Selecting the Protect my Tweets option will make all your Tweets private and only visible to followers youve accepted.Turn off location Twitter gives you the option to add your current location to your Tweet, but it isnt a default setting.Discoverability Disabling this option will prevent anyone that has your email address or phone number from searching and finding your Twitter account.No tagging in photos Like Facebook, turning off this setting stops other users from tagging you in a photo they post.Compared to Facebook, Twitters privacy settings are quite simple. Make aya you understand all the privacy settings of your personal social media accounts, and take the time to review your posts when in the job search process.Keep professional accounts publicHaving no online presence isnt a good sign to hiring managers, as this indicates to them that you arent well-rounded. Showing that you are fluent in social media platforms is also promising to employers after all, being savvy in social media is a desirable skill to have on a resume.For professional social media accounts, its great if you can keep your name public so that it is easily searchable. Keep your Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook content focused on what you can offer in your field and what accomplishments you want to highlight. Be careful of sharing too many details about your career, but also avoid not sharing enough about your job qualifications, as this may keep you from getting more opportunities to network.Finally, remember to update your professional social media accounts frequently. Employers are looking to see that youre engaging in your industry, whether its current events topics or professional development. They also want to see how you are influencing others or what you offer to your field.Polish and clean up your accountsThe last step you need to take to ensure your accounts are job-search appropriate is to do some social media housekeeping. This doesnt just mean removing unsavory photos or inappropriate statuses on Facebook. Check over your LinkedIn and professional profiles so that everything is up-to-date and all the information is accurate.One of the first things a hiring manager will see on your social media profiles is your photo. Having a good profile photo will not only increase your response and referral rates, but also a way to build your personal brand. Research shows that an effective profile photo is crucial for making yourself look competent, likeable, and influential.If you find that going through all your old Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram posts is time-consuming, Scrubber is a handy tool that show you any posts that may be a red flag to employers.ConclusionEmployers can learn a lot about you from your resume and interview, but sometimes it takes a little bit more to sell yourself (although theres a delicate balance between selling yourself and being transparent in the hiring process). Take advantage of the benefits of social media its an often-needed extra step to show what you bring to the table, a way to add flair to your application, and make a lasting impression on your potential employers.This article first appeared on Kununu.

Get the Scoop on Best Font Resume Before Youre Too Late

Get the Scoop on Best Font Resume Before Youre Too Late There is a good deal of cool fonts that you can be tempted to utilize for your resume since they look both appealing and professional, but should you want to guarantee your document will translate well on Windows and Mac PCs, it is best to choose one which is available on both operating systems. Keep in mind the message you wish to convey with your resume. For instance, you may adore the Palatino Linoschrift on your Windows PC, but since it doesnt have an immediate translation on a Mac computer, it would seem different from your initial copy when its pulled up on anything besides a PC running on windows. Always consider the reader requirements. Be consistent with stylization, and just select one or two to make koranvers your resume appears professional and simple to read. As you can get away with Hind at size 12, you will need to increase Book Antiquas letters as a way to make them simple to read. Life After Best Font Resume Besides font types, the typical font size also needs to be carefully considered when writing an executive resume. Think of size as well if you intend to replicate your resume online. Although 10 is the most used resume font dimensions, this is exceedingly small and raises the prospect of immediate rejection. Use a single option for the principal body of your resume. How to Get Started with Best Font Resume? Garamond is a timeless font that may appear a small out-dated alternative. To some, its regarded as a more modern Serif font when compared with Garamond. One of the absolute most important design choices you can create on your resume is your font. Its correct, you dont need to purchase a premium font to compose a resume. If you input a frequent font this site will inform you other fonts that work great by it. There are quite a lot of fonts for you to pick from, and that could make selecting a font for your resume equally as challenging as writing it. The Good, the Bad and Best Font Resume You will also wish to consider the overall question of what style of font you should utilize. With so many choices readily available, determining the very best font for a resume can occasionally be a challenging choice. Therefore, if you use non-standard fonts, utilize the PDF format. Selecting a font thats easy and simple to read is important. The more pixels, the more particulars of the font youll be able to display. This font type is very modern and is extremely clear, making it simple to read. Whichever font you decide on, remember to remain consistent. Adjusting the font just one-tenth of a point can produce the text fill out the remainder of a page or stop it from spilling over into the subsequent one. For that reason, it is sometimes a good pick for technical industries and technology-focused resumes, generally. The templates are supposed to be a guide to begin, but it needs to be expanded on to make it your own. Recruiters have a notion of the skills they are interested in on a resume, so in the event you try a new style or format it can be tougher for recruiters to locate the information that they are searching for. The recruiter may feel the candidate doesnt focus on the finer details. Best Font Resume Can Be Fun for Everyone If you would like to wind up getting engaged to your dream business, you need to make sure every small detail works in your favor whenever there are lots of fish in the sea they can pick from. There are a lot of pretty fonts, but should you combine them lubberly the entire work wont be well worth any attention. Although its a good option, it may appear somewhat stale and outdated to some. Dont attempt to cram things in to spaces that are too tiny. The Secret to Best Font Resume Lato letters run on the smaller side, so youre going to be in a position to fit all your information in. You most likely have a concept of what some of these fonts are, but here is a list just in case. Em ploying the right font increases your opportunity of being selected for an interview. 1 thing to remember is using applicant tracking systems (ATSs). If you own a lot of experience, it might be an excellent alternative. As somebody who has wrestled with the problem of font selection and legibility for years, I wasnt surprised at the bad performance of OpenDyslexic. Transitively, resumes play a crucial part in someones life.

The Single Most Underrated Career Skill Ever Is #8230;

The Single Most Underrated Career Skill Ever Is 8230 PowerPoint. Im not kidding (It is a strange one, isnt it?)You probably thoughtit was going to something like initiative or creative thinking or interpersonal skills, didnt you?Let me explain.Im usingPowerPoint as a kind of shorthand. I am not really talking about how to bullet a list or bold a word. Im talking about something a little more.What Are PowerPoint Presentations, Really?PowerPoint is really just a tool.When we say PowerPoint today, we mean a presentation. And when we say a presentation, we usually dont mean public speaking. Who gives speeches at work other than the CEO? No, we mean a report, an update, a brief, or a summary.And by all of that, wemean a structured, written communication that combines words, data, and graphics.At the bottom of it all,what we talk about when we talk about PowerPointis ur value-add our ideas, our recomm endations, and our work in a form that is comprehensible.And that, for our careers, is the whole ball game. Without others seeing, understanding, and recognizing our value-add, our careers will be rather short.Great communication skills are the very foundation of career success.The Role of Communication Skills in Your SuccessCommunication is the core enabler of social enterprises like business.Being a poor communicator hinders your ability to be understood. It undermines your credibility and makes you less efficient. It even lessens your ability to lead after all, people do not follow those whom they dont understand.The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) conducted a survey in 2014 that asked hiring managers what skills they prioritize when they hire college graduates. The top five skills wereAbility to work in a teamAbility to write effectivelyAbility to solve problemsAbility to plan, organize and prioritize workAbility to work with numbers and dataWriting effect ively (2), solving problems (3), and working with numbers and data (5) are all central to strong communication.The Medium Is the MessageWritten business communication happens via business presentations. PowerPoint is the lingua franca of corporate America.PowerPoint has become how we communicate. We used to use typewritten, one-page memos. Now, we use graphs, tables, pictures, and color. We have adopted the convention of slides to structure our communication.Understanding how to communicate is no longer just about being able to write well although that remains critical or speak clearly. No, the bar has been raised considerably.Needed A Distinct Set of SkillsCreating a successful written presentation requires leveraging a broad group of very different skills, includingthe ability to think in a structured, logical mannerthe abilityto write concisely and clearlythe understanding of numbers and datathe ability to communicate data effectivelyand the appreciation for and ability to crea te greatdesigns.1. Structured ThinkingStructured thinking is the process of putting a framework around your ideas. It is an approach in which related detail are designed to support larger, more abstract arguments. Structuring your ideas can be very challenging for many people. It is difficult to do.2. Writing ConciselyOmit needless words. Be clear about what you wish to say. Simplify.3. Data and VisualizationDemonstrate dont justsimply assert. Use facts, and preferably data, to demonstrate. Show data with graphs, charts, and tables. Avoid pie charts.4. DesignSo many people get trapped by the task of designing a presentation.Usually, less is more.If you lack design skills, get yourself a professionally designed template from GraphicRiver or SlideHeroes.What Next?Many jobs require you to use PowerPoint ever day. Learn how to use the tool. Then, go beyond the tool and learn how to communicate powerfully.Learning to create great business presentations can take you a very, very long way. Creating great business presentations requires practice. Here are a few additional recommended resourcesThe Visual Display of Quantitative Information, by Edward TufteThe Pyramid Principle, by Barbara MintoThe Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr.

When in doubt, be generous The biggest secret to success

When in doubt, be generous The biggest secret to successWhen in doubt, be generous The biggest secret to successWell, today is the day where we wrap up this 10-part series. Have you enjoyed it? I sure hope so. Ive had a blast sharing all this stuff with you.And if you havent checked out Michael Hyatts5 Days to Your Best Year Ever, it has been a sort of unofficial sponsor of this series. Its the best goal-setting program Ive ever done, and this is my third year going through it.I highly recommend it.Click here to learn how to have your best year ever.All right, on with the final lessonLesson 10 Be generousDo you know what the biggest secret to a successful life is?Be generous.Its so simple and yet so easy to ignore. Heres whyWe think that being generous is something we do once we get famous. And thats bedrngnis how it works at all.A friend of mine just shared thisAnytime I start getting scared of running out of something, I give away something. I have more than enough love, money, wor k, friendship, food, time, and energy to share. Always.I agree. The secret to getting more is to give more. The most successful people I know are leid hoarders. Quite the opposite, in fact. And heres my belief on thatSuccessful people are not generous because theyre successful. Theyre successful because theyre generous.Certainly, you run across your occasional Scrooges. But in my experience, those people are the exception, not the norm. Thats just what Ive seen in my whole life, so Im not speaking for everyone, obviously.But thats enough experience to convince me of an important lessonWhen in doubt, be generous.When you have an opportunity to get versus give, go ahead and give.Generosity as a growth strategyI remember starting my blog back in 2010. It wasnt growing, people werent reading, and I wasnt having fun.So I decided to shift something. Realizing I wasnt doing my best work, I decided to do the opposite. I was afraid that if I gave away my best writing on my blog, no one would want to pay me for my best work. But that kind of scarcity thinking wasnt really working. So I made one simple shiftI decided to start giving away my best work for free.Heres what happens when you do that. Two things, actually1. People start to notice when you give your best work away for free.Why? Because its generous. It makes people think, She gave me all this for free? Wow.Not only that, they trust you even more, believing that paying you would bring even greater value.Which brings me to point 22. You do better work.Look. You dont have a ceiling on what youre capable of. You can keep improving.When I started giving away A+ content on my blog, I started writing better content. When the time came to write a book, I was a much better writer.As you give your work away, your capacity to do better work increases. It has to.So thats the simple short lesson here todayDo your best work for free right now. Give it all away. Jeff GoinsBut wait a second, Jeff, dont you say to never work fo r free?Thats right. InReal Artists Dont Starve, one of the rules is just that. Dont work for free.But heres the catchYou need to always work for something, and that something doesnt have to be money.When you share a photo on Instagram, you are practicing in public. You are putting your work on display for people to see. You arent working for free. Youre earning peoples attention.The same principle applies when you write on your blog for free. Youre working for email subscribers (or at least, you should be).So, yes. Value your work. But always be generous with it. Give it away in the places where people will pay attention to you.That doesnt mean you have to give all your work away or that you cant charge for what you do at the same time. It just means that when in doubt, its almost always a good rule to be generous.Why?Because, as my friend said, it sets you free from fear. It makes you a better person.Generosity sets you free from fear. Jeff GoinsSo, pay for that friends lunch today when you both awkwardly look at the check. Spend some that extra bit of time (in spite of feeling busy) with someone who is hurting. Give it all away.Ive always loved this Annie Dillard quote. Its about writing, but really, I think it applies to any of us who have a gift to share with the world spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.And when you feel fear telling you this is not a good idea, remember thats what fear does. It tries to keep you quiet. Anything you hold on to eventually turns to dust.So, what are you going to give away today?Thisarticlefirst appeared on Goins, Writer. You can listen to the audio version of this lessonhere.

Learn to Use Strong Language at Work

Learn to Use Strong Language at Work Learn to Use Strong Language at Work Have you ever noticed that some people command respect when speaking while others dont? It all comes down to the power of strong language.Strong language is the difference between telling your boss that you need the day off and asking if it would be possible to take the day off. While its neverokay to disrespectyour superiors, it is important to take charge and act on what you need.The power of strong language can be a hard concept to grasp and even harder to implement if you arent used to actively telling people how you feel and what you need. However, once you have learned how to use strong language in your professional life, youll see an immediate and noticeable difference in how others treat you. If you draw clear boundaries every time you speak, people will have a much harder time taking advantage of you.Strong Language inActionAssume you are a manager. Think about how you would react if someone asked y ou this Can I take the day off? If its too busy or you cant make it work, thats fine.This statement implies that the person would like the day off but doesnt care much about it. You may decide that it isnt worth going out of your way to make it work for them. You would probably check what the schedule looks like for that day before letting your employeeknow if they could take the day off or not.Now, think about how you would respond if an employee said the following insteadI need to take this day off because I have a personal obligation to tend to.Chances are that you would react very differently.When you make a statement instead of posing a question, people tend to accept it instead of questioning it. When youtell someone that you need to take the day off for personal reasons, you are activelytelling them the situation instead of passively asking if the situation is possible.This leaves them littlechoice but to accept the statement or put up a fight about it. fruchtwein employers w ould rather not start the fight. Theyll understand if you need to take a day off here or there provided you give ample notice, of course.Saying No Strong Language Is the KeyAnother situation in whichstrong language is criticalis when you have to say No to someone.I actually found myself in this situation recently, and I acted incorrectly but the good news is you can learn from my mistakeIm usually pretty firmwhen it comes to telling people I cant do something,but an unexpected engagement sort of blindsided me into using weak language. Lo and behold, I didnt end up getting out of it.I was asked if I could come to an event. Even though I had other plans, I responded with the following If you really need me and want me there, I can come. As Im writing this, I see clearlyhow weak and unassertive Isounded. How I should have answered was, Ive made other plans because I wasnt aware that you wanted me to be there.NoteOne very important thing to knowis that you dont owe anyone at work an e xplanation if you need time off or cannot do extra work that is above and beyond your original agreement. Simply saying I need time off or I cannot do that should suffice. Ifsomeone prods you for more information, all you need to say is Its personal or Id rather not discuss it.The bottom line is that we all find ourselves in situations where we need to assert our wants, needs, and boundaries,but it can be hard to articulate these things. Using powerful language shows others that you arent going to back down and let them choose for you.Whether you are at work, with friends, or even with your family, strong language can help you take control of your life no matter the situation.Michele Lando is a certified professional resume writer and the founder ofWrite Styles.

Top Employee Complaints in the Workplace

Top Employee Complaints in the Workplace Top Employee Complaints in the Workplace Knowing what makes employees unhappy is half the battle when you think about employee work satisfaction, morale, positive motivation, and retention. By listening to employees and providing opportunities for them to communicate with company managers, you can foster a positive work environment where production rises along with morale. HR Solutions Inc., a Chicago-based management consulting firm that specializes in employee engagement surveys, analyzed recurring themes in employee surveys and compiled a top 10 list. The job satisfaction study included more than 2.2 million respondents with 2,100 organizations representing various industries. How many of the top responses are true in your workplace? 1. Higher Salaries Pay is the number one area where employees seek change. You can foster a work environment in which employees feel comfortable asking for a pay raise. It helps employees feel that they have recourse when they are feeling underpaid. 2. Internal Pay Equity Employees are concerned particularly with pay compression, the difference in pay between new and longer-term employees. With the average annual pay increase for employees around 2-4 percent, some employees perceive that newcomers are better paid- and, often, they are. Remember that employees have every right to discuss pay, even if employers wish they didnt. 3. Benefits Programs Specifically, many employees feel their health insurance costs too much, especially prescription drug programs when employers pass on part of their rising costs to employees. Employees want comprehensive benefits at no extra cost. 4. Over-Management Workplaces that foster employee empowerment, employee enablement, and broader spans of control by managers will see fewer complaints. A popular word- micromanaging- also expresses this sentiment. 5. Better Guidelines for Merit Pay Increases Employees believe the compensation system should place greater emphasis on merit and contribution. Employees find pay systems in which all employees receive the same pay increase annually to be demoralizing. Such pay systems hit the motivation and commitment of your best employees hardest as they may begin asking what’s in this for me? A transparent system wherein employees know what merit increases are based on also is important. As you adopt a merit pay system, one component is education so that employees know specifically what behaviors and contributions merit additional compensation. Employees who do not meet the standard must be informed by their manager about how their performance needs to change to merit a larger pay increase. 6. Human Resources Department Response to Employees The Human Resources department needs to be more responsive to employee questions and concerns. In many companies, the HR department is perceived as the policy-making, policing arm of management. In fact, in forward-thinking HR departments, responsiveness to employee needs is one of the cornerstones. 7. Favoritism Employees want the perception that each employee is treated equivalently with other employees. If there are policies, behavioral guidelines, methods for requesting time off, valued assignments, opportunities for development, frequent communication, and just about any other work-related decisions you can think of, employees want fair treatment. 8. Communication and Availability Employees want face-to-face communication time with both their supervisors and executive management. This communication helps them feel recognized and important. And, yes, your time is full because you have a job too. However, a manager’s main job is to support the success of all his or her reporting employees. That’s how the manager magnifies her own success. 9. Heavy Workloads Departments are understaffed, and employees feel as if their workloads are too heavy, and their time is spread too thinly. This complaint becomes worse as layoffs, the economy, your ability to find staff, and your business demands grow. To combat this, each company should help employees participate in continuous improvement activities. 10. Facility Cleanliness Employees want a clean, organized work environment in which they have the necessary equipment to perform well. They appreciate not having to share or borrow or bring equipment from home more than you will ever know.