First Sun Blog Archives - Page 176 of 235 - First Sun Consulting, LLC | Outplacement Services and Career Transition Firm

#Leadership : What To Do When You Catch A Liar…It’s a Hard Fact to Accept, But your Friends & Coworkers Lie to you Regularly. The Real Challenge Lies in How you Respond Once you Catch Someone in the Act.

April 5, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Some people tell infrequent lies to make themselves look good or to protect themselves. Others are pros. They’ve been doing it their whole careers, they’re good at it, and they’ve learned how to avoid getting caught. That’s why there’s no single solution that works in every situation. The best thing to do is to carefully consider your options, thinking through the pros and cons of each course of action.

Even though most people lie a lot—roughly two to three times during a ten-minute conversation, studies show—you don’t catch them nearly as often as you might think. Researchers from the University of California analyzed the results of 253 studies and found that we only spot about half the lies we’re told (53% to be exact). In other words, we’re about as likely to identify a lie as we are to win a coin toss.

The scary thing is that people who are trained in detecting deception—judges, customs agents, law enforcement officers, and even CIA agents—don’t fare much better. They can only spot a lie about 60% of the time.

When you do catch someone lying to you, it’s usually a real whopper. These are the kinds of lies that are so insulting to be the recipient that it’s hard to think straight. In these moments, you want to keep the conversation constructive, without letting the liar off the hook, which is a difficult thing to pull off.

“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

And what about the times when you have a nagging sense that you’re being lied to but aren’t certain and don’t want to come across as paranoid or accusatory? While too much skepticism is never healthy, a small dose can be a very good thing, especially since we’re so poor at recognizing lies.

The question always becomes, what do you do with a lie? If you think someone is lying to you, do you call them on it? Do you tell someone else? Or do you just go along to get along? There are actually several things you can do, and the right one, or the right combination, depends on the situation.

First, make certain you understand the rules. Before you decide what course of action to take, check the employee handbook and consider the recent history of similar situations. If you’re going to call someone out, you need to know what you’re getting yourself and the liar into. Know the severity of the consequences for lying, and make certain you follow proper protocol for addressing it, or the entire thing could backfire on you.

Like this Article ? Share It ! You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

Option #1: Do nothing. Nobody likes being lied to, and the natural reaction is to call the liar out, but that’s not always the smartest thing to do, especially at work. Before you do anything, ask yourself, ‘What’s at stake besides my ego?’ Carefully weigh the pros and cons before you take action. Consider who, if anyone, should know about the lie and the implications it has for the company. Sometimes, the animosity you avoid by staying silent is worth more than the satisfaction you receive from speaking out. Other times, the lie is serious enough that people have to know.

Option #2: Deflect with humor. Some lies are too big to ignore completely, yet too small to make a big deal out of. When this happens, you can always make a joke of it. Playful comments that acknowledge the lie will usually do the trick. Whether it’s “Hey, I think I just saw your nose grow a little bit” or “I need to get my prescription checked. When I looked at the scorecard, it said you shot 112,” this strategy gives the liar a chance to admit their slip—up without fear of reprisal. The key to making this tactic work is to give the impression that the other person was kidding around or intentionally exaggerating and never expected to be believed.

Option #3: Play dumb. Another way to let someone save face—and this is particularly appropriate for group settings—is to play dumb. Pretend you suddenly suffered a memory lapse or are confused about the facts. Ask lots of follow-up questions. The more details you request, the more likely it is that the truth will come out. Drawing it out gives the liar a chance to admit that they “misspoke” and correct themselves without being called a liar.

Option #4: Call them on it. In situations where doing nothing isn’t a good option, you can always call the liar out. You just need to think carefully about the best way to do this, and impulsively bashing them is never a smart move. You may choose to have a conversation with the liar in private or with others whom the lie affects. In either case, it’s important you have evidence that backs up your claim, or you very well may be called a liar yourself. Just make certain you are honest and direct with the person who lied. Don’t go to others with the lie when you know it’s better handled privately between you and the liar.

There are many times when reporting a lie is the right thing to do, both ethically and practically. Sometimes, not reporting a lie can cost you your job. However, there are a few things you need to think about before you take that step. First, question your motives. Are you thinking of telling someone about the lie out of concern that either another employee or the company could be harmed, or are you just mad? If it’s the latter, you run the risk of making yourself look petty; if it’s the former, stick to the facts. Don’t offer any hypotheses about why the person may be lying because that’s just supposition on your part. Stick to what the person said, what the truth is, and any proof you have collected.

Not optional: Protect yourself. Whether you decide to call a lie or to let it go, once you know you’re dealing with a liar, it’s critical to take steps to protect yourself. One way to do that is to have a witness attest to what the liar said. Failing this, interact with the liar via email or text, both of which create a written record. Though if you’re dealing with a particularly savvy liar, they’re not going to commit to anything in writing. In that case, document the conversation yourself: who, what, when, where, etc., and cap it off by sending your lying colleague an e-mail summarizing the conversation. That’s not as good as having proof in the other person’s words, but at least you’ll be able to make the argument that your colleague had the opportunity to correct you.

Bringing It All Together

Some people tell infrequent lies to make themselves look good or to protect themselves. Others are pros. They’ve been doing it their whole careers, they’re good at it, and they’ve learned how to avoid getting caught. That’s why there’s no single solution that works in every situation. The best thing to do is to carefully consider your options, thinking through the pros and cons of each course of action.

How do you handle liars? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

Travis co-wrote the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and co-founded TalentSmart.

Forbes.com | April 5, 2016 | Travis Bradberry

Your #Career : 5 New Jobs Skills Employers Are Looking For in 2016… So, What are Employers Looking For, and What Skills Do you Need to Make Yourself an Attractive Candidate? Read On to Find Out.

April 4, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

In a rapidly changing world economy, it’s a question that’s consistently at the top of everyone’s mind: what job skills do I need, and which will get me a job? Hunting for a job requires not only a specific set of strategies and techniques, but also a strong sense of confidence in your abilities. But it’s those abilities – which abilities, specifically – that hang up a lot of jobseekers.

We’ve dug into this very topic before, and provided some insight into which job skills will get you hired this year. As the economy is constantly shifting and evolving, and churning undercurrents of consumer behavior call for different types of workers creating and supplying different products and services, it can be really difficult to know what employers want. We’re here to be a compass of sorts, and outline a handful of skills that employers are really scouring the labor market for in 2016, which should give you a leg-up in your job search.

While there will always be a need (until the robot take-over, that is) for menial, low-wage work, if you’re truly looking to give your career a shot in the arm, you’re going to need to put in some time on the side. Investing in yourself by learning new skills can lead you to new, unanticipated opportunities, and ultimately put a lot more money in your pocket. If you want to get serious about improving your earnings potential, this is the place to start.

So, what are employers looking for, and what skills do you need to make yourself an attractive candidate? Read on to find out.

1. Social skills

As we covered a little while back, social skills are becoming increasingly important in more and more organizations. At one time, this set of skills was overlooked – even seen as a hindrance to productivity. But as time marches on, managers and team leaders are recognizing the importance of social skills, and how they can shape a workplace. The main reason? Human interaction is hard to automate, and almost impossible for a computer to mimic. As automation kicks in, and social connections become more scarce, they’ll naturally increase in value.

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

2. Industry-related programs

If you know what specific job or industry you’re gunning for, then you’re going to want to have a tool chest full of skills tailored for it. And in a world in which knowledge and software skills are as important as ever, figuring out which programs and skills you’ll need is paramount to getting hired. We put together a recent list of which programs are on employers’ wish lists for this year, so take a look and see which are relevant to your career track. Knowing these programs intimately will give you a big leg-up during the hiring process.

3. Development

These days, the word “developer” means so much more than someone who builds condos. And developers of all stripes are in high demand. In our case, we’re referring specifically to software and web developers, both of which possess skill sets that are highly sought-after by many big, flourishing companies. If this is a career track you’re interested in pursuing, go back to the previous item on our list, and figure out which software programs you need to be well-versed in to start getting successful interviews behind you.

4. Design

In the same way that developers are a hot commodity, so are designers. Designers possibly come in more stripes than developers, as there are graphic designers, software designers, game designers – hell, even fashion companies and automotive manufacturers need designers. Needless to say, the world needs designers. If you want to get specific, the world needs web designers, and algorithm designers. These are skills that will not only land you a job, but likely a pretty high salary.

5. Information security

We don’t often go a week or so without hearing about some giant data breach, which typically puts the personal information for millions of people at risk. It’s happened to big corporations like Target, and it’s even happened to government agencies. Because data is so valuable – and because so many people are out there trying to steal it – information security is something that every organization is quickly trying to beef up. That means there’s a need for information security professionals, leaving an opportunity to learn the skills and get hired.

There are a lot of problems to solve, so don’t hesitate to learn and start applying right away.

Follow Sam on Facebook and Twitter @SliceOfGinger

CheatSheet.com | April 4, 2016 | Sam Elliott

#Leadership : Why Bullies Make Bad Leaders…So Why Do we Think that #Bullies Make for Good #Leaders ? Bullies Might be Good at Gaining Power, But they Make for Terrible Leaders.

April 3, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

There is a dangerous and destructive idea fomenting in American society today, and it permeates almost every aspect of modern life. From politics to business, our society is increasingly mistaking aggression for strength, and bullying for leadership. One need only look at the nature of Donald Trump’s bombastic, aggressive, and wildly popular Presidential campaign for proof of this disturbing trend. In times of difficulty, the allure of bully is seductive yet ultimately disappointing. Bullies might be good at gaining power, but they make for terrible leaders.

My experience in leadership is limited to the world of business. I’ve never led men into battle or won an election. However, I believe that the core principles of good leadership transcend boundaries and definition. It’s up to leaders and followers alike to recognize bullies when they rear their ugly heads and instead put their faith in those who lead by strength, sincerity, and example.

Never mistake aggression for strength

So why do we think that bullies make for good leaders? The blame lies in our evolutionary history. Throughout our time on this earth, the most aggressive, loudest member of the group became leader. As a result, our brains have evolved to associate aggression with high status. That’s why even normally rational people often sympathize with Trump, despite the fact that his proclamations are frequently nonsensical.

I think that the real problem here is that people mistake aggression for strength. In reality, strength of character has virtually nothing to do with aggression. We as a species simply fall victim to our evolutionary biases. Real strength comes from a quiet determination to do what is right, make the difficult decisions, and serve the interests of the team. In my personal experience, the individuals who make the best leaders aren’t aggressive. Instead, their quiet confidence speaks louder than any blustering.

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

Recognize the strength in humility

If you think about the demagogues and bullies we see throughout society, you’ll quickly realize that they have one thing in common: Pride. Arrogance and pride are the hallmark of the bully, and they fundamentally undermine their ability to lead. Instead, I believe that effective leaders are humble in thought, word, and deeds.

I’ve found that it is really difficult to take a back seat, especially for young founders. Throughout my career and early on at BodeTree, I had an underlying fear that my position and authority was tenuous because of my age and relative lack of experience. This previously caused me to jockey for attention and praise in an attempt to find validation. However the more I did this, the less confident I felt.

I’ve since realized two things are necessary in order to have the confidence to always put others before yourself: trust and humility. The inescapable fact is that you are never as smart, talented or lucky as you think you are. Trying to prove otherwise is a recipe for disaster. Having the humility to recognize your own shortcomings is the path to success. This sense of humility, coupled with a team that you trust, respect and admire can make it possible to easily put others before yourself.

Servant leaders succeed where bullies fail

Our society needs more servant leaders, both in business, politics, and personal life. Servant leadership inverts the typical evolutionary concepts of power, where one individual at the top of the heap exerts control over those below them. In contrast, the servant leader shares power and focuses their attention on making those around them successful and happy. In doing so, servant leaders develop true loyalty and support from those they lead and find long-term success.

This is not a new concept, yet it is put into practice far less frequently than it deserves. It was Lao-Tzu who wrote, “The highest type of ruler is one of whose existence the people are barely aware. Next comes one whom they love and praise.Next comes one whom they fear. Next comes one whom they despise and defy.”

It’s time that we as a people fought back against our primal urges and learned to better reject bullies. Instead, we must look to servant leaders who can be successful in the long-term. Whether it’s in business or politics, servant leaders succeed where bullies fail.

Forbes.com | April 1, 2016 | Chris Myers

Chris Myers is the Cofounder and CEO of BodeTree, a web application designed to help small businesses manage their finances.

Your #Career: Best Value Colleges 2016: The 300 Schools Worth The Investment (Entire List)…In the Coming Weeks, High School Seniors, Transfer Students & their Families will Make One of the Most Important Personal & Financial Decisions of their Lives: What College to Attend?

March 31, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

For this reason, FORBES has compiled this newly reimagined Best Value Colleges ranking based on tuition costs, school quality, graduation success rates and post-grad earnings.

Have you heard, American higher education as we know it is fast approaching the cliff’s edge. Costs are way up, not to mention individual and collective student debt levels (now at $1.2 trillion nationally). State funding remains well below pre-recession levels. While the admissions race for spots at elite universities is ever more insatiable and manic, other schools are facing collapsing enrollment. The classic liberal arts are threatened by a surge in STEM programs, and there is talk of disrupting or “unbundling” college degrees in favor of digital portfolios of marketable skill sets. We idolize millennial billionaire dropouts such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elizabeth Holmes and Palmer Luckey.

A Google search of “is college worth it?” yields nearly 500 million hits. While that’s a pretty good time stamp of the alarm, it’s more abstract than actual.Federal data reveals enrollment among 18-24-year-olds in four-year degree programs holds at 28% for 2013 and 2012 (most recent years available), up from 26% the year this fall’s freshmen were born in 1998 and from about 20% when their parents’ generation graduated in the 1980s. In the case of parents, 94% say they expect their children to attend college, according to the Pew Research Center.

With a college degree still a near universal aspiration in this country, FORBES looks at the U.S. colleges and universities that provide students with the most value for the dollar. In partnership with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, this is our newly reimagined Best Value Colleges ranking, an analysis of the brainiest research universities and leading liberal arts schools, both public and private, that are well worth the investment. (Our methodology appears below.)

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

The Top 10

University of California, Berkeley is the No. 1 Best Value College, followed byBrigham Young University and University of Florida. The top 10 include three more U.C. schools — UCLA (No. 4), U.C. San Diego (No. 5) and U.C. Irvine(No. 10). MIT and Harvard University are the only East Coast private schools in the top (No. 6 and No. 9). The Midwest makes a showing at No. 7 withUniversity of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign while the South’s public Georgia Institute of Technology comes in at a No. 8.

We’ve tapped into something very interesting. The top Best Value Colleges are not bundled in the Northeast and founded prior to 1800. Rather they are mostly West Coast, public and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-oriented.

STEM and Liberal Arts

Research universities make a strong showing in the top 50 Best Value colleges, taking 38 of the spots. Caltech and Stanford University show at No. 11 and 12, respectively, followed by Carnegie Mellon University (No. 27), Virginia Tech(No. 29) and Colorado School of Mines (No.45). Many of the baccalaureate colleges in the top are also STEM-oriented: Harvey Mudd College (No. 13) andCooper Union (No. 38), to name two.

This is a practical issue. Forty percent of bachelor’s degrees earned by men and 29% earned by women (mind the gender gap) are now in science and engineering, driven largely by growth in the “hard sciences.” Thank the explosion of technology and drive for competitive innovation in all industries, along with federal and state incentives (such as performance-based funding), for this increase. STEM is where the jobs (and bigger salaries) are.

The 13 Most Important STEM Colleges For Women

In a testament to the attraction, resilience and value of the liberal arts, this ranking is full of schools that develop the “philosopher’s touch.” Claremont-McKenna College (No. 30), Williams College (No. 43), Carleton College (No. 62) and Davidson College (No. 75) all make the top 100. Even among research universities, not everyone is in the lab or coding: at Rutger’s University (No. 49), one-third of the most popular majors lie outside the hard sciences, while at the University of Chicago (No. 56) some 42% opt for social sciences or English language/literature. That’s far from idealistic or unhireable. As outlined in “That ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech’s Hottest Ticket:”

Throughout the major U.S. tech hubs, whether Silicon Valley or Seattle, Boston or Austin, Tex., software companies are discovering that liberal arts thinking makes them stronger.

Methodology of Best Value Colleges

For this new Best Value Colleges ranking, our sights are set directly on one question: What schools are worth the investment? To answer this question, FORBES partnered exclusively with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity. CCAP gathered data from a variety of sources. The formula, five general categories and weights are noted below:

Quality (35%) + drop-out risk (15%) + graduation time (15%) + alumni salaries (25%) + alumni skills (10%) / gross tuition and fees.

Quality (35%): This is based on the 2015 FORBES Top Colleges ranking. Full methodology is here.

Drop-out risk (15%): This is based not on retention rates but rather the percentage of students who do not graduate in six years. For example, if 80% of students earn their diploma within six years time, our factor is that 20% remaining. This is reported by the schools to the Department of Education database (IPEDS).

Graduation success (15%): Similarly, we look to IPEDS data for the average expected number of years it takes to graduate — of those who do graduate within six years. For example, a stellar school might have an average of 4 years while its not-so-successful counterpart may be looking at a 5.7 year average rate.

Post-graduate earnings (25%): We use our own blended model of mid-career earnings (meaning at least 10 years of working), based both on PayScaleand the new U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Each has its benefits and its drawbacks. PayScale is the market leader in global online compensation data but that data is wholly self-reported. The College Scorecard is based on federal income tax returns. Can you get any more accurate? Well, yes. Because the Scorecard pulls only from former students who received federal financial aid. We feel a blended approach is the most accurate snapshot currently available.

Value-added (10%): Last year our colleagues at Brookings came up with an exciting ranking system of their own, “A Value-Added Approach To Assessing Two- And Four-Year Schools.” Most simply put, this list is “an attempt to isolate the effect colleges themselves have on those outcomes [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][like salaries], above and beyond what students’ backgrounds would predict.”

Gross tuition and fees: Pulled from IPEDS, this is the sticker price without accounting for room and board. For public schools, we account for differences between in- and out-state tuition based on percentage of in- and out-state students. For example, if one state college has 5% out-state students while another has 27%, this would impact our tally of these schools’ tuition.

Think $100K Is Too Much For School? These 25 Colleges Are Worth Every Penny

How Much Do MIT, Stanford And Harvard Grads Earn?

In the last 10 years, students and their families paid out 37% and 25% percent more for a four-year public and private education, respectively. Tuition, fees, room/board is now some $20,000 annually for public students and $44,000 for their private school counterparts. This tab translates into a run on college loans, both in terms of the amount borrowed and the number of students turning to loans. The average borrower from the class of 2015 owes a little more than $35,000, according to an analysis of government data. Going back 10 years, that’s up from an average $20,000. And almost 71% of bachelor’s degree recipients will graduate with student debt, compared with about 64% in 2005.

That is concerning. The median U.S. household income was nearly $54,000 in 2014, the latest data available from the U.S. Census. The issue boils down to whether students and their families can afford to pay some $80,000 to $176,000 (at sticker price) for a four-year college education, more with multiple children in school.

Note: Absent from this ranking are the five U.S. service academies: theMilitary Academy in West Point, Naval Academy, Coast Guard Academy,Merchant Marine Academy and Air Force Academy. These federal institutions charge little to no tuition or fees and instead require a minimum term of duty upon graduation. Similarly, we do not include schools, such as Babson Collegeand the Savannah College of Art and Design, that lie outside the main Carnegie Classifications.

Credits:

Editor: Caroline Howard

Reporters: Jennifer Eum, Natalie Sportelli with Chase Peterson-Withorn

Rankings exclusively compiled by the Center for College Affordability and Productivity (CCAP). Director Richard Vedder and Justin Strehle with the assistance of Joshua Distel.

Below is Entire List:

1. University of California, Berkeley, CA

2. Brigham Young University, UT

3. University of Florida, FL

4. University of California, Los Angeles, CA

5. University of California, San Diego, CA

6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA

7. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL

8. Georgia Institute of Technology, GA

9. Harvard University, MA

10. University of California, Irvine, CA

11. California Institute of Technology, CA

12. Stanford University, CA

13. Harvey Mudd College, CA

14. Princeton University, NJ

15. SUNY, Binghamton (Binghamton University), NY

16. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

17. University of Texas, Austin, TX

18. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

19. University of Virginia, VA

20. Rice University, TX

21. University of Pennsylvania, PA

22. College of William and Mary, VA

23. University of Washington, WA

24. University of Maryland, College Park, MD

25. University of California, Santa Barbara, CA

26. University of California, Davis, CA

27. Carnegie Mellon University, PA

28. Yale University, CT

29. Virginia Tech , VA

30. Claremont McKenna College, CA

31. Duke University, NC

32. Washington and Lee University, VA

33. Georgetown University, DC

34. Brown University, RI

35. Dartmouth College, NH

36. Cornell University, NY

37. Colgate University, NY

38. Cooper Union, NY

39. Tufts University, MA

40. Columbia University, NY

41. Haverford College, PA

42. University of Notre Dame, IN

43. Williams College, MA

44. Virginia Military Institute , VA

45. Colorado School of Mines, CO

46. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, MA

47. Swarthmore College, PA

48. Pomona College, CA

49. Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ

50. The Citadel, SC

51. Northwestern University, IL

52. University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

53. Lafayette College, PA

54. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA

55. Lehigh University, PA

56. University of Chicago, IL

57. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

58. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NY

59. Amherst College, MA

60. University of Rochester, NY

61. Vanderbilt University, TN

62. Carleton College, MN

63. Santa Clara University, CA

64. Villanova University, PA

65. Johns Hopkins University, MD

66. Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

67. California Maritime Academy, CA

68. Boston College, MA

69. University of Southern California, CA

70. Middlebury College, VT

71. Bucknell University, PA

72. University of Georgia, GA

73. Washington University in St. Louis, MO

74. Brandeis University, MA

75. Davidson College, NC

76. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN

77. Bowdoin College, ME

78. College of the Holy Cross, MA

79. Wesleyan University, CT

80. Bentley University, MA

81. Wellesley College, MA

82. SUNY, Stony Brook (Stony Brook University), NY

83. Stevens Institute of Technology, NJ

84. Colby College, ME

85. Union College, NY

86. Boston University, MA

87. Wake Forest University, NC

88. Case Western Reserve University, OH

89. Franklin and Marshall College, PA

90. Kenyon College, OH

91. Emory University, GA

92. New York University, NY

93. George Washington University, DC

94. Barnard College, NY

95. Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

96. The College of New Jersey, NJ

97. Manhattan College, NY

98. Clarkson University, NY

99. James Madison University, VA

100. Vassar College, NY

101. Hamilton College, NY

102. Whitman College, WA

103. Macalester College, MN

104. Centre College, KY

105. Wheaton College, IL

106. Bates College, ME

107. Occidental College, CA

108. Drake University, IA

109. Grove City College, PA

110. Bryn Mawr College, PA

111. Grinnell College, IA

112. University of Connecticut, CT

113. Smith College, MA

114. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

115. Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

116. Trinity University, TX

117. DePauw University, IN

118. Michigan State University, MI

119. University of Delaware, DE

120. New Jersey Institute of Technology, NJ

121. Loyola University Maryland, MD

122. Miami University, Oxford, OH

123. Missouri University of Science and Technology, MO

124. Clemson University, SC

125. St. Mary’s College of Maryland, MD

126. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN

127. University of Richmond, VA

128. Illinois Institute of Technology, IL

129. Oberlin College, OH

130. Providence College, RI

131. Southern Methodist University, TX

132. Scripps College, CA

133. Reed College, OR

134. Wofford College, SC

135. Trinity College, CT

136. Kalamazoo College, MI

137. Gettysburg College, PA

138. Dickinson College, PA

139. Skidmore College, NY

140. Colorado College, CO

141. Rhodes College, TN

142. Pepperdine University, CA

143. Fairfield University, CT

144. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC

145. Denison University, OH

146. University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

147. Syracuse University, NY

148. American University, DC

149. St. John’s University, MN

150. St. Olaf College, MN

151. Marquette University, WI

152. Bryant University, RI

153. Mount Holyoke College, MA

154. Creighton University, NE

155. Stonehill College, MA

156. University of San Francisco, CA

157. Loyola Marymount University, CA

158. University of Tulsa, OK

159. SUNY, Buffalo (University at Buffalo), NY

160. University of Pittsburgh, PA

161. Wabash College, IN

162. Muhlenberg College, PA

163. Furman University, SC

164. Gonzaga University, WA

165. University of Miami, FL

166. University of Scranton, PA

167. Fordham University, NY

168. Hobart and William Smith Colleges, NY

169. University of St. Thomas, MN

170. Westmont College, CA

171. St. Joseph’s University, PA

172. Pitzer College, CA

173. St. Mary’s College of California, CA

174. Sewanee—University of the South, TN

175. SUNY, Geneseo, NY

176. University of Dallas, TX

177. Connecticut College, CT

178. University of Denver, CO

179. John Carroll University, OH

180. George Mason University, VA

181. Tulane University, LA

182. Bradley University, IL

183. Clark University, MA

184. Willamette University, OR

185. University of Mary Washington, VA

186. Yeshiva University, NY

187. University of Dayton, OH

188. University of San Diego, CA

189. University of Portland, OR

190. University of Redlands, CA

191. University of California, Santa Cruz, CA

192. Gustavus Adolphus College, MN

193. Lawrence University, WI

194. St. Lawrence University, NY

195. University of New Hampshire, NH

196. Auburn University, AL

197. St. Anselm College, NH

198. Juniata College, PA

199. University of Puget Sound, WA

200. St. Michael’s College, VT

201. Hampden-Sydney College, VA

202. Florida State University, FL

203. Ursinus College, PA

204. Illinois Wesleyan University, IL

205. Knox College, IL

206. University of Iowa, IA

207. Catholic University of America, DC

208. Siena College, NY

209. St. Louis University, MO

210. University of Vermont, VT

211. College of Wooster, OH

212. Beloit College, WI

213. Lewis & Clark College, OR

214. Emerson College, MA

215. Michigan Technological University, MI

216. College of St. Benedict, MN

217. Hope College, MI

218. Southwestern University, TX

219. University of the Pacific, CA

220. Hanover College, IN

221. Washington & Jefferson College, PA

222. Wagner College, NY

223. Duquesne University, PA

224. CUNY, Baruch College, NY

225. Merrimack College, MA

226. Sarah Lawrence College, NY

227. Austin College, TX

228. Butler University, IN

229. Allegheny College, PA

230. Seattle University, WA

231. Elon University, NC

232. Rockhurst University, MO

233. Hendrix College, AR

234. Baylor University, TX

235. Lake Forest College, IL

236. Spelman College, GA

237. St. John’s College, MD

238. Texas Christian University, TX

239. Florida Institute of Technology, FL

240. Washington College, MD

241. Valparaiso University, IN

242. Albion College, MI

243. Iona College, NY

244. Ithaca College, NY

245. St. Norbert College, WI

246. Millsaps College, MS

247. California Lutheran University, CA

248. Seton Hall University, NJ

249. Louisiana State University, LA

250. Agnes Scott College, GA

251. DePaul University, IL

252. Earlham College, IN

253. La Salle University, PA

254. Ohio Wesleyan University, OH

255. Lebanon Valley College, PA

256. Loyola University Chicago, IL

257. Augustana College, IL

258. Hofstra University, NY

259. Northeastern University, MA

260. Ohio Northern University, OH

261. Elizabethtown College, PA

262. Calvin College, MI

263. Xavier University, OH

264. Taylor University, IN

265. Pacific Lutheran University, WA

266. Quinnipiac University, CT

267. Bard College, NY

268. St. Mary’s College, IN

269. University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

270. Linfield College, OR

271. Le Moyne College, NY

272. Milwaukee School of Engineering, WI

273. Whitworth University, WA

274. Goucher College, MD

275. University of Texas, Dallas, TX

276. Marist College, NY

277. Presbyterian College, SC

278. Samford University, AL

279. Drexel University, PA

280. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL

281. Drew University, NJ

282. Chapman University, CA

283. Luther College, IA

284. Hampshire College, MA

285. Seattle Pacific University, WA

286. Cornell College, IA

287. University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC

288. Susquehanna University, PA

289. Marietta College, OH

290. University of California, Riverside, CA

291. St. Vincent College, PA

292. Rollins College, FL

293. Transylvania University, KY

294. Simmons College, MA

295. Coe College, IA

296. Whittier College, CA

297. Iowa State University, IA

298. Sweet Briar College, VA

299. Adelphi University, NY

300. Bennington College, VT

Forbes.com | March 29, 2016 | Chase Peterson-Withorn & Forbes STa

[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

#Leadership : How Being Busy Makes You Unproductive…”Beware the Barrenness of a Busy Life.” –Socrates

March 30, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Being busy has somehow become a badge of honor. The prevailing notion is that if you aren’t super busy, you aren’t important or hard working. The truth is, busyness makes you less productive.

When we think of a super busy person, we think of a ringing phone, a flood of emails, and a schedule that’s bursting at the seams with major projects and side-projects hitting simultaneously. Such a situation inevitably leads to multi-tasking and interruptions, which are both deadly to productivity.

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” –Socrates
Like this Article ? Share It ! You now can easily enjoy/follow/share Today our Award Winning Articles/Blogs with Now Over 2.5 Million Growing Participates Worldwide in our various Social Media formats below:
FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en
Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall
Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc
educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !
Continue of article:

David Meyer from the University of Michigan published a study recently that showed that switching what you’re doing mid-task increases the time it takes you to finish both tasks by 25%.

“Multitasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes,” Meyer said. “Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.”

Microsoft decided to study this phenomenon in their workers and found that it took people an average of 15 minutes to return to their important projects (such as writing reports or computer code) every time they were interrupted by emails, phone calls or other messages. They didn’t spend the 15 minutes on the interrupting messages, either; the interruptions led them to stray to other activities, such as surfing the Web for pleasure.

“I was surprised by how easily people were distracted and how long it took them to get back to the task,” said Eric Horvitz, the Microsoft research scientist behind the study. “If it’s this bad at Microsoft, it has to be bad at other companies, too.”

Beyond interruptions, busyness reduces productivity because there’s a bottleneck in the brain that prevents us from concentrating on two things at once. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully. In a breakthrough study, René Marois and his colleagues at Vanderbuilt University used MRIs to successfully pinpoint a physical source for this bottleneck.

“We are under the impression that we have this brain that can do more than it can,” Marois explained.

We’re so enamored with multitasking that we think we’re getting more done, even though our brains aren’t physically capable of this. Regardless of what we might think, we are most productive when we manage our schedules enough to ensure that we can focus effectively on the task at hand.

We are naturally drawn to being busy despite the fact that this hinders our productivity. As it turns out, you really do have to slow down to do your best. When you don’t, the consequences can be severe.

If you read my recent article on mindfulness, you’ll recall that practicing mindfulness increases your ability to focus and concentrate because it increases brain density in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). As it turns out, multitasking has the opposite effect on this critical brain area. Researchers from the University of Sussex compared the amount of time people spend on multiple devices (such as texting while watching TV) to MRI scans of their brains. They found that high multitaskers had less brain density in the ACC. It’s as if being busy all the time (via multitasking) trains your brain to be mindless and unproductive.

I doubt these findings completely surprise you as we’ve all felt the distracting pull of competing tasks when we’re busy. So why do we keep doing it?

Researchers from the University of Chicago have the answer. They found that the belief that busyness is a sign of success and hard work is so prevalent that we actually fear inactivity. A recent study there coined the term idleness aversion to describe how people are drawn to being busy regardless of how busyness harms their productivity.

The researchers also found that we use busyness to hide from our laziness and fear of failure. We burn valuable time doing things that aren’t necessary or important because this busyness makes us feel productive. For instance, responding to non-urgent emails when you know you have a big project that you need to finish. It’s tough, but you need to recognize when you’re using trivial activities to shield yourself from sloth or fear.

Bringing It All Together

We are naturally drawn to being busy despite the fact that this hinders our productivity. As it turns out, you really do have to slow down to do your best. When you don’t, the consequences can be severe.

How do you keep from getting too busy? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

Travis co-wrote the bestselling book Emotional Intelligence 2.0 and co-founded TalentSmart.

Forbes.com | March 29, 2016 | Travis Bradberry

#Leadership : How To Handle Good And Bad Mistakes…Mistakes Happen. Every Day, they Do. It is What Happens Next That Is the Critical & a Too Often Missed Leadership Piece of the Puzzle.

March 30, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Yes Virginia, there are good mistakes. They need to be handled differently than do bad mistakes. In general, encourage intentional mistakes with minor impact and consider, excuse or prevent the rest.

Mistakes happen. Every day, they do. It is what happens next that is the critical and a too often missed leadership piece of the puzzle. Do we overlook them, acknowledge them, take action to reset the course, and/or learn from them for maximum impact with clear accountability? Therein is the opportunity for the mistake to set the exceptional BRAVE leaders apart.

Intention and impact

While most mistakes are unintentional, evolution and survival depend on continual learning and adaptation – often from intentional mistakes. At the same time there’s a material difference between the impact different mistakes make. One of the Gore Company’s guiding principles is that everyone should consult with other associates “before taking actions that might be “below the waterline”–causing serious damage to the company.” Hence our general guidance above.

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

Encourage intentional mistakes with minor impact

Even if you are sure plan A is right, push your team to test plans bracketing plan A. These might include things like increased and decreased investment plans at the same time as your “right” approach. Two of the three approaches will be mistakes. That’s how you get cheap learning and growth out of intentional mistakes.

Handle intentional mistakes with minor impact by encouraging others to make them.

Consider intentional mistakes with major impact

There are going to be times when you must bet the ranch. There are going to be times when that bet goes wrong. One of the hallmarks of BRAVE leadership is an ability to take and manage those risks.

Handle intentional mistakes with major impact by understanding the risks below the waterline, gathering objective data, consulting with others with diverse perspectives and considering your options carefully. Tapping into diverse perspectives is one of the best ways to get around groupthink. If all you’re going to do is talk to people that agree with you, don’t waste everyone’s time. Instead, listen carefully to those with different points of view.

Excuse or apologize for unintentional mistakes with minor impact

In a recap I circulated about my earlier article on Why You Should Eliminate Your Chief Innovation Officer, I mistakenly referred to eliminating ChiefInformation Officers. Several people pointed out the misplaced word. Many even defended Information Officers. While the mistake was completely unintentional and all my fault, it had the benefit of allowing me to reconnect with all sorts of people. I thanked them, apologized, and moved on.

You can get away with unintentional mistakes with minor impact – once. Own up to the mistake, fix the issue and make sure it never happens again. In these cases it’s never the mistake that gets you. It’s the cover up.

Prevent unintentional mistakes with major impact by deploying redundant systems

These are the mistakes that sink ships or companies or reputations. You read about these every day: the trading company that suffers a computer glitch; the otherwise well-run company that misunderstands the true financials of a big acquisition; VolksWagen completely failing to live up to its own values. These can be what Warren Bennis and Steven Sample refer to as “final failures”.

Handle unintentional mistakes with major impact by mitigating risk. Knowing there are going to be some unintentional mistakes, build in redundant systems to check or protect things. The builders of the Panama Canal had redundant systems all over the place so no ship could unintentionally knock open the door to a lock and wipe out everything down hill. Learn from them.

Here’s the advice:

Encourage intentional mistakes with minor impact.
Consider intentional mistakes with major impact.
Excuse or apologize for unintentional mistakes with minor impact.
Prevent unintentional mistakes with major impact by deploying redundant systems.

Minor Impact	Once	Cheap Learning
Major Impact	Redundant Systems	Considered Choice
	Unintentional	Intentional

East Tenth Group’s Michelle Tenzyk sums it up well:

Mistakes happen. Every day, they do. It is what happens next that is the critical and a too often missed leadership piece of the puzzle. Do we overlook them, acknowledge them, take action to reset the course, and/or learn from them for maximum impact with clear accountability? Therein is the opportunity for the mistake to set the exceptional BRAVE leaders apart.

Forbes.com | March 30, 2016 | George Bradt

#Leadership : Why You Need to Stop Thinking That Geniuses Never Fail….Every Successful Person is Someone Who has Failed Before. The Difference is That they Refuse to Regard their Failure as Fatalistic.

March 29, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

Mozart, Vincent Van Gogh, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Bill Gates–all failed, and failed many times. But these geniuses are great leaders that all have one thing in common: They did not allow failure to keep them down.

What does it take to hold on to your genius through failures and disasters?

1. Find your passion. Passion will move you beyond yourself, beyond your shortcomings, your mistakes, and your failures. To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes an unstoppable reality. At the core of every success is the belief born of passion.

2. Purposefully persevere. Success requires fearlessly facing storms, mistakes, and failures, and staying the course with perseverance. As Winston Churchill said, “If you are going through hell, keep going.” Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose, and many of the great accomplishments of our time were achieved by tired and discouraged people who kept on working.

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

3. Tap into your potential. Potential becomes meaningful only when you do something with it, but sometimes our obsession with instant gratification blinds us to the long-term nature of that process. Continuous effort over time unlocks your potential, and strengthens you at the same time.

4. Transpire humility. Don’t be too proud of what you’ve attained–at the end of the day, success is measured not so much by the position you reach as by the failures and obstacles you overcome. It’s when the world has pushed you to your knees that you’re in the perfect position to get up and succeed.

5. Connect with people. Even if they work independently, no genius ever becomes successful on their own. At some point, someone brought them help, inspiration, or strength. Whether it’s for a moment, a day, or a lifetime, the people who come into your life can teach you, help you, and influence you. We need people who can help us get up when we fall and show us the way out when we fail. And when they come along, we need to accept their assistance.

6. Purge old bad patterns. We all have patterns in our lives–some positive, some destructive. Most start slowly and develop so gradually that they can be hard to perceive. It’s important to grow in awareness so you can recognize unhelpful patterns and replace them with new ones that feed your success. As Aristotle said, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

7. Power yourself with positivity. We all make mistakes; we all have struggles; we have all had failures and regrets. But we find power when we choose not to be defined by those things. Make sure who you are and what you do come from the power of positivity. Our mind is a powerful thing, and when we fill it with positive thoughts our lives start to change for the positive.

We can’t escape failure or run away from our mistakes, but we always have a choice. It is the right mindset that will give us the passion, the perseverance, the people, the potential, the humility, the connection, the new patterns, and the position for us to succeed. If you expect the best, you will be the best. It really is that simple.

The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.

PUBLISHED ON: MAR 29, 2016

Editor’s note: “The First 90 Days” is a series about how to make 2016 a year of breakout growth for your business. Let us know how you’re making the first 90 days count by joining the conversation on social media with the hashtag #Inc90Days.

In.com |

BY LOLLY DASKAL

President and CEO, Lead From Within@LollyDaskal

Your #Career : How to Craft the Perfect #ElevatorPitch ….An Elevator Pitch can Be Scary. But Once you Start Investing your Time & Effort, You’ll get More & More Confident. That Process of Building Confidence Starts by Squaring Away What you Want to Say, Getting Used to Saying It, & Speaking it to People Outside of your Current Circle.

March 28, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

An “elevator pitch” is so called because you’re supposed to be able to summarize your pitch so quickly that you can effectively get it across in an elevator ride. The idea here is if you’re ever lucky enough to trap Richard Branson in an elevator for three minutes, you can pitch him on your killer idea and get him to lavish you with riches to make it a reality.

This concept works whether you’ve actually got Branson cornered, you’re a guest on “Shark Tank” or you just want to explain to someone what you’re dedicating your life to.

The crux of it this: People are busy, so you it’s best to present ideas in the most succinct manner possible. What’s more, if your idea is as good as you think it is, you ought to be able to present it in a minute or so. Simple ideas that connect sell. So here’s how to boil your pitch down to its barest essentials.

What your elevator pitch needs

There are three things your pitch needs to communicate:

Your qualifications

One question you need to ask yourself is why you are the person to make this dream a reality. What makes you qualified — uniquely qualified — to be in charge of your project.

The up-front value

Your project has to have a tangible value you can express in a single sentence. This is the value you’ll be delivering to your potential investor or partner. Take it as a given they know you’re passionate about your own project. What’s in it for them?

What you want

Frankly, a partner or investor who doesn’t want to know what’s in it for them isn’t a very good partner. Similarly, you’re not going to make a good partner or investment if you’re not clear about what you want out of the project.

There are as many answers to these questions as there are people running around with dream projects. The problem most people have is that they can’t even begin to answer these questions. When you start honing your elevator pitch, these are the three questions you need to answer at a bare minimum. This is what you need to communicate.

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

Start working on your presentation

All that covered, answering these questions isn’t your presentation. This is simply the research you have to do before you can even begin working on your presentation. A presentation is far more than the words that come out of your mouth.

It’s everything you have to say, but also the way that you say it. This includes your tone of voice and your mannerisms.

If you’ve ever given a presentation, you know that they can be a little nerve-racking. This is 1,000 times more true when you’re talking about trying to sell someone on your dream. You’re going to feel pressure like you’ve never felt before.

That’s not going to make your project any more attractive. On the other hand, if you’re able to get your presentation down pat, you’ll be able to go into your elevator pitch with confidence. And confidence is probably the biggest asset you can have on your side.

Three things you should be doing while you work on your presentation include:

1. Memorize your pitch

Memorizing a pitch is a bit like learning how to tell a joke. You don’t want to memorize a script. You want to memorize the bullet points, the broad strokes, and fill in the rest on the fly. That’s going to make your pitch sound a lot more natural, organic and fluid when the time comes to actually deliver.

2. Say your pitch out loud

Even when you have your talking points memorized, you still might be nervous. Saying your pitch out loud, a number of ways and preferably to an audience is the best way you can start making that nervousness go away.

Record yourself and listen to your pitch. Take notes, then act on them. Toastmasters is a great way to get objective feedback on your presentation itself, but not necessarily on your pitch. Friends can give feedback that keeps your personality in mind.

3. Practice makes perfect

Eventually you’re going to have to deliver your pitch to someone. Otherwise, it’s just a good idea, not a pitch. In Social Capital, Jordan talks about how networking events are often seen as a sort of business equivalent of “singles events” filled with desperate, low-hanging fruit. In a sense, this makes them the perfect dress rehearsal for your elevator pitch. Even if no one bites, so what? You’re just practicing for the moment when someone with a higher value does.

Don’t worry about making mistakes

Here’s a little secret we’ve been teaching guys on our field nights for the better part of a decade: For the most part, people only remember crushing victories and incredible disasters.

Your elevator pitch will either fall somewhere in between, in which case no one is going to remember the line that you flubbed in the middle, or else it’s going to be a rousing success and you’ve closed the deal.

Even though it’s easier said than done, you shouldn’t be nervous when you’re giving your elevator pitch. You might make a mistake here and there, but so what? If that’s what people remember, your pitch wasn’t honed enough anyway.

Everyone is out there doing the best they can. When you pitch to networkers in your scene, you might not be closing the deal, but you are networking and meeting new people. At the very least you’re practicing your pitch. This time is only wasted if you allow it to be. If you can learn from the experience, it’s valuable.

Try and have fun. It’s all practice until the day you actually strike gold.

Be honest with yourself about what changes to make

Honest, truly reflective self-analysis is what separates the men from the boys. If you can’t give yourself honest feedback, your pitch is never going to improve. Beating yourself up isn’t going to make things any better than pretending that everything you just did was perfect. You need to shoot for the middle ground where you’re able to see what you did right while at the same time recognizing where there’s room for improvement.

A simple method for constructive self-criticism is:

The positive

Start by finding at least one thing you did you did well. That can be difficult for a lot of guys, because we’re not used to tooting our own horn. That’s OK. Finding one, two or even three things is the best way to start self-criticism.

Remember that self-criticism isn’t about beating yourself up. It’s as much about looking at what you did exceptionally well and capitalizing on that as it is about improving areas that need it.

The negative

There’s always room for improvement. So when you’re done seeing what you did correctly, you’ll want to look around to see where you could improve.

The point here isn’t to beat yourself up anymore than the part where you look around for the positives is about empty self-congratulations. Instead, you’re looking for areas where you can improve what you’ve already done.

Focus

One of the reasons that we concentrate on one or two or at most three areas is because you want to work on specific aspects of your pitch. Don’t try and tackle everything at once. Look for your greatest strengths and the biggest opportunities for improvement. That’s the best way to ensure your pitch is always getting better and better.

Try and view this as an experiment. You want to plan, test and then report to yourself on the results. It can be hard to have this kind of emotional detachment from a project that you’re passionate about.

However, the more that you can view things objectively, the more you’ll be able to improve your pitch. The more you improve your pitch, the closer you’re going to be to the day when your elevator pitch finally connects. That’s the point of all of this.

An elevator pitch can be scary. But once you start investing your time and effort, you’ll get more and more confident. That process of building confidence starts by squaring away what you want to say, getting used to saying it, and speaking it to people outside of your current circle.

Businessinsider.com | March 27, 2016 | Johnny Dzubak, Art of Charm

Your #Career : 10 Signs You’ve Stayed at Your Job Too Long…So How Do you Know it’s Time to Move On & Try Something New?

March 26, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

According to Business Insider, the average person spends 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime. Since work comprises most of our lives, it is critical that you spend time at the right company, pursuing the right opportunities. Among so-called middle-class wage earners, work is glorified. People vie to be the first in and the last out of the office or laboratory in order to prove their dedication (The Harvard Business Journal).

Americans don’t just spend physical hours at work. Work also composes our mental energy even when not in the office; stressing, reminiscing highlights, reflecting, or replaying exchanges with our bosses and co-workers.

So how do you know it’s time to move on and try something new?

You dread getting out of bed in the morning

There are times when we simply just don’t want to go to work. But when the thought of going to work is filled with loathing, or you are constantly convincing yourself that you are just having a bad week or month, then it’s more than likely that your job isn’t the right fit.

FSC LinkedIn Network: (Over 15K+ Members & Growing !) www.linkedin.com/in/frankfsc/en

Facebook: (over 12K) http://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Sun-Consulting-LLC-Outplacement-Services/213542315355343?sk=wall

Google+: (over 800K)https://plus.google.com/115673713231115398101/posts?hl=en
Twitter: Follow us @ firstsunllc

educate/collaborate/network….Look forward to your Participation !

Continue of article:

You are not included in key meetings and decisions

This is a telltale sign that you are being phased out. When your expertise is no longer needed or valued, chances are you are no longer seen as an asset to your employers.

Your work performance and productivity has slipped

You stop coming in early, staying late or taking on extra projects to get ahead. The work you produce is not something you are very proud of, often put off until the last minute. However, it is enough to keep you from getting reprimanded for not doing your job, and also not stand out enough to warrant being assigned additional tasks and/or projects.

Technology will soon make your job obsolete

Technological advancement is occurring rapidly. Many jobs that once relied on the skills of a single person may not be the case anymore. It is important to consider training and/or retraining in your field to continue to make yourself valuable to your company. Additionally, with the rise of technology it is important to consider that your skillset may need to evolve beyond your scope and line of work and into another discipline.

You frequently waste time surfing the internet and social media outlets

You spend less time working and more time surfing the internet, watching videos, or in the break room. Much of your time is spent intentionally distracting yourself from your job duties as you count down the minutes until you can leave.

Your personal life is suffering

Business Insider has observed that couples in which one partner spends 12+ hours more than the usual 40 hours at work divorce at twice the average rate. So, whether it’s the physical hours you spend at work, the time at home engaged in work-related projects, or the time you invest your mental energy distracted or stressed about work—when work permeates into your personal life, it is time to consider new options.

You are not learning or growing

You are not challenged by your work and your skillset is not being fully utilized. Your work should enhance your skills, ultimately adding to your value as an employee. Trainings are review, not applicable to your work, or nonsensical for one reason or another. As a result, you frequently try to concoct doctors appointments or other personal reasons as to why you cannot attend company meetings, trainings or events.

You harbor resentment for your boss and colleagues

Regardless of your place in a situation, you blame your boss and/or colleagues for your lack of success, not being promoted, or your shortcomings. Often times, you find yourself bitter and jealous of others.

Staff and budget cuts

When budgets and staffing are cut, you and your team are still expected to produce the same amount of work with significantly less manpower and financial means. Meeting deadlines will be challenging and work quality will certainly suffer; ultimately putting your job at risk.

You are no longer passionate about your work

Your job and the work associated with it just doesn’t interest you anymore. The corporate culture doesn’t seem to fit your personality. Even after a vacation, or time away from your work; you come back feeling deflated, uninspired, and disconnected upon returning to the office. If recharging doesn’t reinvigorate your passion or interest for your job, it is time to investigate things that may do so.

Forbes.com | January 26, 2016 | Jennifer Cohen

#Leadership : The 5 Worst Body-Language Mistakes you can Make in a #Meeting …It’s All In the Eye of the Beholder, So it’s Not What you Mean When you Do Something, It’s How Others are Going to Perceive It.

March 25, 2016/in First Sun Blog/by First Sun Team

It’s Monday morning and you’re slouched in the corner of the team meeting, still slightly stuck in weekend mode. You may think that your grogginess doesn’t really matter, and that your contributions will speak for themselves. However, the way you carry yourself is often just as important as what you say and do.

Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D., a body-language expert and the author of “The Nonverbal Advantage: Secrets and Science of Body Language at Work,” says things like posture, angling, and eye contact can all have unintended consequences in a meeting setting.

“It’s all in the eye of the beholder, so it’s not what you mean when you do something,” Gomansays. “It’s how others are going to perceive it.”

Since body language influences both likability and success, here are five common mistakes you’d be wise to avoid:

Strelka Institute for Media, Architecture and Design/flickr

1. Crossing your arms

In many settings, there’s nothing wrong with crossing your arms — you may be cold, or it may just be a comfortable resting position.

In a meeting, though, you should always avoid sitting with your arms crossed, Goman says. Most people are going to interpret that gesture as you being resistant or closed off.

Flickr/US Embassy Canada

2. Slouching in your seat

Good posture is important wherever you are, but especially so in meetings where you’re sitting for an extended period of time. Slouching can translate to a lack of respect for the speaker and communicates an apathetic attitude.

“Sitting in a condensed posture, where you’re slouching or hunched over, rather than in an expanded or open posture is a big mistake,” Goman says. “It makes you look submissive and like you don’t have much to offer, and that’s not a good look for anybody — particularly if you’re trying to have leadership presence in your organization.”

Inspired by the work of my friend, Andrea Nierenberg, author of Nonstop Networking, I’ve created a few networking thoughts, or NT for short. Please, try these at home.

Sean Gallup / Staff

3. Texting or emailing on your phone

Anything that takes your attention away from the speaker is a big no-no in a meeting, Goman explains. High on the list of diversions: texting or checking email on your smartphone.

“It’s just such a huge sign of disrespect. People justify it with, ‘Oh, but I can still hear! I’m still listening!'” Goman says. “But that has nothing to do with it. You’re still taking attention away from the speaker.”

flickr / San Francisco Foghorn

4. Losing eye contact with the speaker

Goman says that failing to keep your eyes on the speaker during a meeting is just as bad as checking your phone.

“This is one of the biggest mistakes I see,” Goman says. “It sends a message to the person speaking: I’m not interested in what you have to say.”

flickr / VFS Digital Design

5. Not speaking up early enough

In any meeting, sitting silently for too long can be perceived as disinterest in the discussion. Speaking up in a room full of people can be difficult if you’re shy, but it’s important to contribute early on.

“Say something early, just get your voice out there, even if it’s something that’s not crucial to the conversation,” Goman says. “You need to be vocal and jump in, because it’s often more difficult to interject as the meeting goes on.”

Businessinsider.com | March 25, 2016 | Katherine Noel