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#Leadership : A CEO Shares the Letter he Sends to Every Job Candidate before Making an Offer…You are Receiving this Letter Because we Believe You are the Right Person to Lead our Much-Needed Growth at this Important Stage of our Organization, & We are Honored you are Considering Joining the Possible team.

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A few years ago, I Read a Letter a Social Entrepreneur Sent to Every Candidate Before he Made an Offer. It had a profound impact on me even as someone who wasn’t considering joining his team, so we started the practice at Possible.

 

Mark Arnoldy, CEO of Possible.

I wanted to share the letter we use in hopes that it will encourage others to do the same. We’ve found that potential team members appreciate getting this candid, longer-form “inside look” at the implicit expectations of how we operate.

 

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As a result, there are fewer surprises on both sides, and we find people who are able to immediately evangelize for our culture from the moment they enter the organization.

—

Dear John,

You are receiving this letter because we believe you are the right person to lead our much-needed growth at this important stage of our organization, and we are honored you are considering joining the Possible team.

Please know this is not an invitation we dole out liberally. Quite to the contrary, an extraordinary amount of time and energy has been put into identifying and recruiting the very special type of committed individual it takes to do this work, to put our patients first, and to advance our for-impact culture.

The purpose of this letter and the two documents that come along with it is to give you an inside look at the organization as you consider an upcoming offer from us.

Often, it is very difficult to get a sense of certain elements of an organization  —  elements like core values, management style, implicit expectations, and culture.

And second, we’ve taken the time to clarify our approach to management  —  including the goals, tools, and techniques we use. Please also make sure you’ve taken the time to read about The Role of Management at Possible. Please take the time to read through our For-Impact Culture Code, and make certain the principles we operate on resonate with you.

Even after reading these two documents, I think there is a lot of value in you seeing the long-form of a few ideas that are really influential in our organization.

Efficiency as a moral must

It is the job of all team members to turn time into resources and opportunity for our patients. Thus, there is a critical and constant push towards making our individual and organizational systems as efficient as possible. There is a belief here that purpose ought to triumph over profit, thus the need to have clear expectations, 100% follow-through, and efficient systems of management and operations is considered greater than in the private sector.

We aren’t perfect, but that’s the framework we work within. We value hard work and long hours. But we value smart work, productivity hacks, and incredibly well-run meetings even more. We don’t need you to be a martyr or live an extraordinarily austere lifestyle to fit in. We just need you to care about getting the most important work done most efficiently and pushing everyone to be better at doing the same. To keep it simple, a bit crass, and put into popular parlance of the times — we have a “get s— done” culture where concision and results are king.

Deep mission integrity

We ensure that what we think is what we say, and what we say is what we do. We constantly worry about our actual impact rather than appearances, and thus select goals that represent truly meaningful progress, even if they are difficult to achieve or market.

You will pick up a sense of skepticism from team members in regards to work, internally or externally by others, that seems driven too much by hero stories, ego, magic bullets, or marketability without impact. We avoid that and are authentic about our successes and shortcomings. This is why we believe so deeply in … (see next section).

Transparency

We believe in being transparent until it hurts. It is an accountability guarantee against our own human frailties, and it is a way to shift an important global paradigm. We also do not believe that, over the long-term, it serves our movement to make this work appear easier than it actually is.

Hiding challenges and failures for fear of punishment from the media or funders hurts the ability of our own organization and others to learn, iterate, and improve. It also disguises and delays the roll-out of truly effective solutions. The things we believe are most important to be transparent about are our impact data, finances, and failures.

Sense of humility and respect

It takes a special commitment to do this work. We value those who are part of this community and have a commitment to curiosity in order to learn from other individuals and organizations. In any debate or question that comes up within the team, our mission and data provide the metric for the answer, and discussion is founded upon a respect for one another.

Possibility

We bring a sense of possibility to this work and act as if it is within our control to achieve something great and world-changing. Everything is impossible until it isn’t.

Lastly, here are a couple of hints about how we try to operate in terms of decision-making and delegation of responsibility.

Cover photoPossible

Hierarchy vs. collaboration

While we have an extremely collaborative and inclusive culture  —  with a lot of information made available to the entire team and even the public  —  for any given project there should always be one clear decision-maker. Taking this philosophy from Apple, we call this person the “DRI” (or directly responsible individual).

That person will typically listen to all views and then make the best decision they can. We call this “consult and decide.” For this working strategy to be effective, there is an informal social contract that has to be followed by each party.

The ‘decider’ must create an efficient and clear architecture for feedback, listen to understand, and be willing to change. The ‘consulter’ has to respect the decision, regardless of initial personal views, and be committed to implement it with excellence. We cannot have people spending time butting heads on small day-to-day or week-to-week issues or else we sacrifice efficiency and results for the sake of collaboration. We do invite respectful conflicts on big and important issues at sessions and forums dedicated to vision and strategy.

Welcome feedback. Only offer it “in real life” (IRL)

Everyone requires a healthy amount of steady feedback to continue to learn, grow, and produce higher quality work. We’ve set a few ground rules about how that feedback should occur:

  1. Don’t give long-winded feedback on small matters. Lions can catch, kill, and eat mice, but they will die doing so because this is a calorie-negative activity. Instead, they have to hunt antelopes. Give time-intensive feedback on the organizational antelopes, not the mice.
  2. More broadly, we ask that any critical feedback that is unsolicited not be sent over email. Despite any attempts at clarification that can be made, history has shown that there are too many misinterpretations through this chain. The only way we give critical feedback is ‘IRL’ (in real life — call or in-person) unless an individual asks for critical feedback over email specifically. The space for feedback is structured into weekly one-on-one meetings between managers and team members.
  3. Those giving feedback must have the humility to know they could be wrong or that their feedback won’t always manifest in the next decision by the decision-maker.

Responsibility is earned and mission-driven

Possible is a meritocracy  —  within our contracts, everyone’s responsibilities and work are determined by both our capabilities to do an excellent job and by the organization’s needs. Our own particular desires for what we’d like to accomplish play a role, but only within those constraints. We look for people who have the right kind of ambition: ambition for the organization’s success, as defined by remarkable results for our patients.

I look forward to transforming healthcare with you.

Sincerely,

Mark

—

Mark Arnoldy is the CEO of Possible, a nonprofit healthcare company that delivers high-quality, low-cost healthcare in rural Nepal. To date we’ve treated over 275,000 patients, and most recently announced our commitment to rebuild the healthcare system in one of the worst-hit districts since the devastating earthquakes this spring.

Read the original article on Medium. Copyright 2015. Follow Medium on Twitter.

 

Businessinsider.com | August 21, 2015 | Medium

http://www.businessinsider.com/a-ceo-shares-the-letter-he-sends-to-every-job-candidate-before-making-an-offer-2015-8#ixzz3jTutYDWP

#Leadership : Are You A Leader Or A Follower?…Leadership is the Art of Persuasion—The Act of Motivating People to Do More than They ever Thought Possible in Pursuit of a Greater Good.

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It has Nothing to Do with your Title. It has Nothing to Do with Authority or Seniority. You’re not a Leader just Because you Have People Reporting to You. And you don’t suddenly become a leader once you reach a certain pay grade. A true leader influences others to be their best. Leadership is about social influence, not positional power. If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader. —John Quincy Adams

Navy-SEALs-in-water

You don’t even need to have people reporting to you to be a leader. A janitor can influence people and lead just as a CEO can. Likewise, anyone can become a follower, even while holding a leadership position.

If you’re a slave to the status quo, lack vision, or don’t motivate everyone around you to be their absolute best, then you’re a follower. Even if you happen to have a leadership title, people won’t follow you when they see those behaviors present.

A senior executive who creates unnecessary bureaucracy, locks himself in his office, and fails to interact with others in any meaningful way is no more a leader than an antisocial software engineer who refuses to do anything but write code.

Of course, the real question is—are you a leader or a follower?  To find out, you need to ask yourself some very important questions. Think carefully as you respond to each one, and you’ll soon know for certain.

Do you go above and beyond? Followers do their jobs, and that’s it. No matter how good they may be at those jobs, it rarely occurs to them to go beyond their basic functions. Leaders, on the other hand, see their job descriptions as the bare minimum—the foundation upon which they build greatness. Leaders see their real role as adding value, and they add it whenever and wherever they see an opportunity.

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Are you confident? Followers see the talents and accomplishments of other people as a threat. Leaders see those same talents and accomplishments as an asset. Leaders want to make things better, and they’ll take help anywhere they can find it. Leaders are true team players. They aren’t afraid to admit that they need other people to be strong where they’re weak.

Are you optimistic? Followers see the limitations inherent in any given situation; leaders see the possibilities. When things go wrong, leaders don’t dwell on how bad things are. They’re too busy trying to make things better.

Are you open to change? Followers are content to stick with the safety of the status quo. They see change as frightening and troublesome. Leaders are maximizers who see opportunity in change. Because leaders want constant improvement, they’re never afraid to ask, “What’s next?”

Are you decisive? Followers often hesitate to act, out of fear that they’ll do the wrong thing. Leaders aren’t afraid to make a call, even when they’re not sure if it’s the right one. They’d rather make a decision and be wrong than suffer from the paralysis of indecision.

Leaders would rather make a decision and be wrong than suffer from the paralysis of indecision.

Are you accountable? When mistakes are made, followers are quick to blame circumstances and other people. Leaders, on the other hand, are quick to accept accountability for their actions. They don’t worry that admitting fault might make them look bad, because they know that shifting the blame would just make them look worse.

Are you unflappable? Followers often let obstacles and mishaps throw them off course. When something goes wrong, they assume the whole project is doomed. Leaders expect obstacles and love being challenged. They know that even the best-laid plans can run into unexpected problems, so they take problems in stride and stay the course.

Are you humble? Followers are always chasing glory. Leaders are humble. They don’t allow any authority they may have to make them feel that they are better than anyone else. As such, they don’t hesitate to jump in and do the dirty work when needed, and they won’t ask anyone to do anything they wouldn’t be willing to do themselves.

Are you passionate? Followers are trapped in the daily grind. They go to work and complete their tasks so that they can go home at the end of the day and resume their real lives. Leaders love what they do and see their work as an important part of—not a weak substitute for—real life. Their job isn’t just what they do; it’s an important part of who they are.

Are you motivated from within? Followers are only motivated by external factors: the next title, the next raise, the next gain in status. Leaders are internally motivated. They don’t work for status or possessions. They are motivated to excel because it’s who they are. True leaders keep pushing forward even when there’s no carrot dangling in front of them.

True leaders keep pushing forward even when there’s no carrot dangling in front of them.

Do you focus on titles? Followers care a lot about titles, both their own and those of the people they work with. They’re very conscious of who outranks whom, because they lack the skill and motivation to create leadership from within. Leaders, on the other hand, focus on what each individual brings to the table, regardless of what’s printed on a business card.

Are you focused on people? Followers focus on what they can achieve individually. Leaders are team players, because they know that greatness is a collective feat. A leader is only as good as what he or she can achieve through other people.

A leader is only as good as what he or she can achieve through other people.

Are you willing to learn? Leaders, while confident, know that they’re neither superhuman nor infallible. They’re not afraid to admit when they don’t know something, and they’re willing to learn from anyone who can teach them, whether that person is a subordinate, a peer, or a superior. Followers are too busy trying to prove they’re competent to learn anything from anyone else.

Bringing It All Together

Take another quick look at the questions above. There’s not a single one about title, position, or place on the org chart. That’s because you can have the title and position without being a leader.

You may have worked for someone who fits that description. And you probably have colleagues who serve in leadership roles without a title.

Leadership and followership are mindsets. They’re completely different ways of looking at the world. One is reactive, and the other is proactive. One is pessimistic; the other is optimistic. Where one sees a to-do list, the other sees possibilities.

So don’t wait for the title. Leadership isn’t something that anyone can give you—you have to earn it and claim it for yourself.

And please, share your thoughts on the topic in the comments section below as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.

 

Forbes.com | August 18, 2015 | Travis Bradberry

#Leadership : How Servant Leaders ‘Fill The Gap’…Leadership Is a byproduct of Serving Others; It’s the Intangible Value you Create in Others Who Don’t Even Realize They’re Being Led.

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To Fill the Gap Means to Serve Others Before Serving Oneself. Servant Leaders Recognize that Enabling Others Serves the Betterment of the Team while also Building Oneself. To fill the gap is to serve a purpose. What gap will you fill today?

Image credit: Hamed Saber on Flickr

 

Image credit: Hamed Saber on Flickr

Last week, August 6th, was the fifth anniversary of Extortion 17, the helicopter flight that carried 32 of our nation’s most elite counter-terrorism forces to attempt to answer the call to protect their brothers in arms until it was shot down by Taliban forces. Two Army ranger elements, entrenched in volleys of gunfire with Taliban insurgents, each found themselves in situations where they needed support. With US forces and resources spread all over Afghanistan, a quick reaction force of Navy SEALs boarded a helicopter to answer their comrades’ calls.

Working in small numbers already, the SEALs had no choice but to bring everybody. They boarded Extortion flight 17 to help their Ranger brethren and, in the end, paid the ultimate price. One lucky shot made by the Taliban took down the helicopter with a rocket propelled grenade. All aboard perished.

The story of Extortion 17 and the heroes aboard underpin the selflessness that every leader, every organization aspire towards yet few actually achieve: to work and live for something greater than oneself; to “fill the gap” and answer the call for help whenever and wherever it is needed.

Filling the Gap

In ancient Greek battles, Spartans were considered elite through their warrior repertoire of unique fighting skill blended with insurmountable will. They did everything together—eat, sleep, train, fight—which ultimately led to their main battlefield advantage– the phalanx.

Image credit: Gioi-hoplite17 on Flickr

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Forbes.com | August 18, 2015 | Jeff Boss

#Strategy : 11 Easy Ways to Boost your Willpower & Concentration…There are Dozens of Ways to Filter Out Distractions & Improve your Ability to Concentrate for Extended Periods of Time.

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Few things are more frustrating than knowing you need to finish a project and absolutely not being able to focus on it. In these moments, everything — email, Facebook, tying your shoe — seems more exciting than the task at hand.

Messy Desk

Avoid the siren call of email and Facebook.

Fortunately, there are dozens of ways to filter out distractions and improve your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time. To find out what some of these strategies are, we sifted through the Quora thread, “How do I improve my concentration and willpower?” and highlighted the most practical techniques.

Some of them involve small tweaks (think changing the way you write your to-do list), while others involve a bigger commitment (like a daily meditation practice). All of them will make you more productive in both your professional and personal lives.

1. Create a quick-hit agenda.

1. Create a quick-hit agenda.

Flickr/john.schultz

Keep your to-do list short.

If you’ve got 30 items on your to-do list and half of those are things that need to happen sometime this week, it’s no wonder you feel stuck.

A better bet is to give yourself some super-short-term goals. Quora user Ravi Mandliya suggests creating a list of things you’d like to finish in the next 45 minutes.

That forces you to be realistic in thinking about how much you can actually accomplish in a limited time frame, so you don’t end up with something vague and intimidating like “write three project reports.”

2. Work on your most pressing projects first thing in the morning.

Each day is chock-full of experiences that can sap your willpower, from turning down a coworker’s freshly-baked brownies to ignoring the siren call of your overflowing inbox. By the time 3 p.m. hits, it may be hard to muster up the cognitive resources to focus on anything work-related.

That’s why Vince Favilla says, “You need to work on your most important tasks early in the day, while you still have the focus and willpower to complete them.”

Psychologist Kelly McGonigal offers another reason why willpower may be highest in the morning: The brain is refreshed by sleep. (That’s also why an afternoon nap may work to boost your willpower and productivity.)

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3. Practice concentrating for long stretches.

3. Practice concentrating for long stretches.

REUTERS/Gil Montano

Learning to play chess can improve your concentration and memory.

Steve Denton recommends playing chess (or a similarly complex game) with challenging opponents to develop your ability to concentrate for extended periods of time.

In fact, educational organizations across the globe advocate adding chess instruction to school curricula. That’s because it helps increase concentration and memory — skills that can improve performance in other areas of life.

 

4. Start an exercise routine.

Physical activity has myriad benefits — but one of the less obvious is that it helps sharpen focus.

That’s because, according to one study mentioned by Mukul Shukla, regular aerobic exercise may spark development in parts of the brain related to attention and memory.

Other research suggests it might not take too long to reap the cognitive benefits of exercise. Kids who engaged in 10- to 40-minute bursts of exercise showed an immediate increase in concentration and mental focus, probably because of improved blood flow to the brain.

5. Figure out why you’re distracted.

5. Figure out why you're distracted.

jazbeck/Flickr

Don’t beat yourself up for getting distracted.

It’s tempting to beat yourself up when you find yourself scrolling through your Facebook news feed instead of answering client emails. A better bet is simply to accept that you’re having trouble focusing and move on to figuring out why.

“I think the biggest thing is just acknowledging that you’re distracted and facing it head-on rather than trying to suppress it,” says Vinny Inverso.

Inverso says it’s important to understand whether it’s a physical or mental distraction that’s getting you sidetracked. If it’s mental, try putting away your phone or using a plug-in that blocks certain websites. If it’s physical, consider taking a walk or having a snack.

The point is not to waste time getting upset because you’re struggling, but to get to the root of the problem and eliminate it.

6. Take regular breaks.

A growing body of research highlights the importance of incorporating regular break times into your work schedule.

That’s possibly because prolonged attention to a single task hurts performance. One study found that people who took two breaks during a 50-minute cognitive task performed much better than those who worked straight through.

The question is: How long do you have to toil away before you can take a respite? Some research suggests the perfect formula involves working for 52 minutes and then taking a 17-minute break.

Eric Pepke recommends more frequent pauses: “Take a five-minute break at least every 20 minutes, get up, walk around, and reset your brain. It not only makes it possible to do [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”][the task] for a longer time, but it makes every 20-minute chunk much more effective.”

7. Check emails in bulk.

7. Check emails in bulk.

Shutterstock

Wait until you have ten messages to check your email.

Jan Kulisek says he only checks his email and Facebook when he’s got at least ten new messages. That way, he’s able to resist the urge to continually refresh his inboxes instead of buckling down on whatever project he’s supposed to be working on.

Of course, you should probably tell your coworkers that you’ve instituted this rule, so they know to instant-message you or stop by your desk if something’s urgent.

8. Practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is the general term for cultivating greater awareness of your experiences in the present moment, and it can help you stay focused on the task at hand.

One simple mindfulness practice is to “do what you are doing with full focus,” says Paras Trehan. For example, Trehan says, pay attention to every bite of food you take, including the taste, the temperature, and the texture. Eventually, you’ll get accustomed to zeroing in on single tasks, while minimizing external distractions.

9. Learn to meditate.

9. Learn to meditate.

Flickr/mrhayata

Find a quiet place to sit and concentrate on your breath.

As meditation gains a foothold in Western societies, more people are starting to appreciate its psychological benefits. One study found that people were better able to concentrate after they spent several months at a meditation retreat.

For those who aren’t interested in dedicating that much time to their meditation practice, an anonymous user outlines an exercise you can do for a few minutes every day.

Find a quiet space, sit in a comfortable position, and start breathing. Count to six as you breathe in and six again as you breathe out. Keep doing this for as long as you can. The key is to notice when your mind is wandering instead of focusing on the task at hand. (There are variations on this technique, but counting your breaths is a basic meditation practice.)

 

10. Take an interest in the task.

Deepak Dev has a clever strategy for getting better at focusing: Find out why the task is important.

“If it’s a ‘dry’ subject, get to know the applications of what you’re studying or the history of how the concepts of the subject [have] evolved,” he writes. “Think about what you could contribute/achieve in your field after you acquire deep knowledge in the subject.”

So if your current assignment involves inputting numbers in an Excel spreadsheet, remind yourself how this task fits into your company’s work as a whole. How is your work on this project helping to advance the organization’s mission?

11. Be patient.

11. Be patient.

Albert Gea/Reuters

It takes time to develop a new cognitive skill.

Abhisek Rai Arrant says that when he started playing chess, he would lose some games simply because he couldn’t concentrate for hours at a time. Eventually, through meditation and simply more practice playing chess, he was able to increase his ability to focus.

From this experience he learned that developing any new cognitive skill takes time — and you can’t be too hard on yourself.

“While you’re busy increasing your concentration span, you shouldn’t give up on yourself,” he writes. “Be optimistic and enthusiastic about the progress.”

 

Businessinsider.com | August 17, 2015 | 

http://www.businessinsider.com/easy-ways-to-improve-concentration-2015-8#ixzz3jADbuuGd

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#Leadership : 3 Pitfalls Of Remote Work That You Probably Aren’t Thinking About…Ask yourself a Few Key Questions to Suss Out Whether a Home Office makes More Career Sense than an Open-Concept Office.

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Before you Decide to Accept a Remote Role or To Take Advantage of your Company’s New Work-from-Anywhere Policy, it Makes Sense to Ask yourself a Few Key Questions to Suss Out Whether a Home Office makes More Career Sense than an Open-Concept Office. You know the conventional wisdom about having a dedicated workspace and avoiding taking conference calls in your PJs, but there are weightier factors you should also be considering.

ProductiveWorker

If the concept of workplace flexibility conjures up happy visions of writing code on the beach in Bali or designing marketing materials on your laptop at a Bushwick coffee shop, you’re very likely one of the many, many, young workerswho romanticizes remote working as a golden ticket to having your cake and eating it, too — a steady paycheck and the ability to govern your own daily schedule.

Of course, there is a catch. Not all remote work opportunities are created equal. Even though the growth of the gig economy means that teleworking (including contract and permalance roles) is on the rise, many companies don’t excel at managing a dispersed workforce or prioritize career development and cost-cutting equally and not all remote work setups will benefit your own work style or future goals. Before you decide to accept a remote role or to take advantage of your company’s new work-from-anywhere policy, it makes sense to ask yourself a few key questions to suss out whether a home office makes more career sense than an open-concept office. You know the conventional wisdom about having a dedicated workspace and avoiding taking conference calls in your PJs, but there are weightier factors you should also be considering.

How much is face-time valued at my company?

I knew a manager who was very puzzled by the fact that a survey of his team uncovered the fact that many of them thought they were working harder than their teammates. It turned out that having a flexible work schedule and no set policies governing remote work meant that the employees who came to the office every day for 9 a.m. felt that those who came in later or worked from home weren’t being as productive. Out of sight, out of mind is a real danger for remote workers , especially in companies that have an old-fashioned more time in the office = more commitment and productivity mindset. Think of Yahoo’s decision to halt all remote work in order to improve “speed and quality,” for example. The not-so-subtle message there is that remote work is both less productive and of lower quality than what can be achieved in the office.

Not seeing your team every day does mean that you obviously miss out on spontaneous, synergistic conversations, but it also means that no one sees you performing your job and in-the-moment opportunities to display leadership are much rarer — both factors that affect which employees get recognized and promoted. You might be a valued member of the team, but your ability to be a day-to-day influencer is limited by the fact people don’t see you day to day. If career advancement is one of your goals, understand that moving up the ladder when you aren’t in the same room with it is often a tricky proposition.

 

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Am I good at setting boundaries?

The typical corporate workday provides inherent structure. You start. You go for lunch for a predetermined amout of time. You end the day. In between, you may have meetings, do calls with clients or serve customers. How heavily do you rely on this built-in structure and associated norms to keep you on track? If the answer is “a lot,” working remotely is going to be a big adjustment for you. If you tend to be an overachiever type, the temptation to work through lunch or to keep answering emails into the evening (after all, there’s no commute to worry about) is strong and there’s little to check it but your own willpower. By contrast, if you tend to procrastinate by nature, working remotely removes the checks and balances on this tendency that a formal workplace offers. If you were one of those college students who pulled all-nighters to finish papers and you haven’t built better habits since then, remote working provides a prime opportunity to slip into your old ways.

How much of my social life revolves around work?

As companies increasingly compete on the basis of amenities and perks,especially when trying to attract young talent, our workplaces are morphing into social hubs. And as we work longer hours and take greater advantage of those offerings, more of our social lives become dependent on the office. Sure, grabbing a beer with colleagues is nothing new, but now you can also play on the corporate dodge ball team, join a group of coworkers training for Tough Mudder or take part in the monthly poker night. If you work for one of these super-social employers and/or this is a facet of your working life that you value, be aware that going remote will limit your opportunities for non-work engagement with your colleagues. If you’re a die-hard introvert, you may welcome the free pass this gives you on socializing, but if you’ve been used to converting coworkers into friends, it might be a rougher transition.

Learn more about my work and connect with me on Twitter.

 

Forbes.com | August 17, 2015 |  J. Maureen Henderson

#Strategy : 3 Ways The Internet of Things Will Change Every Business…Have you Entered the Internet of Things Yet? If you Have a FitBit or other Activity Tracker(alarms, thermostat,lights, etc.) that Talks to your Smartphone, you Have.

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Have you entered the Internet of Things yet?  If you have a FitBit or other activity tracker that talks to your smartphone, you have. If you have a thermostat, alarm system, or lights in your home that you can control with your computer or phone, you have.

The line of Fitbit Internet-enabled products (Photo by Eric Thayer/Getty Images)

But even if you haven’t got one of those devices yet, I’m betting you will within the next 3–5 years.

And I’m not making that prediction based on how useful or cool the current Internet of Things products are right now, but rather based on the fact that I believe the Internet of Things is going to change business as a fundamental level.

I believe there are three key ways in which the Internet of Things will change every business:

1. It will allow companies to make smarter products.

It used to be that we only expected our phones to be able to make phone calls. Today, most consumers expect a lot more from the device they carry in their pocket. So, while it might seem strange or unnecessary at first glance to have a smart tennis racket, an internet-enabled frying pan, or a smart yoga mat, these are just the first forays into the world of the Internet of Things.

Only time will tell which will stick and which will go the way of pet rocks, but the point is that businesses will have the opportunity — and eventually, the imperative — to make “smarter,” more useful, more connected products.

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2. Enable smarter business operations and smarter decisions.

A big part of the Internet of Things isn’t so much about smart devices, but about sensors. These tiny innovations can be attached to everything from yogurt cups to the cement in bridges and then record and send data back into the cloud.  This will allow businesses to collect more and more specific feedback on how products or equipment are used, when they break, and even what users might want in the future.

Rolls Royce aircraft engines contain sensors that send real-time data on the engine’s function back to monitoring stations on the ground. This information can be used to detect malfunctions before they become catastrophic, and possibly to investigate — and hopefully prevent — the causes of aircraft disasters. Microsoft uses software that constantly collects data on what features are being used for its products, so it can strip away the least popular ones and focus on the most popular.

3. Change in business model

Above and beyond all this, I believe the Internet of Things will also signal the possibility of a change in business model for some businesses.

 Take John Deere, for example.  For decades, they’ve sold the tractors that make farming on a 21st century scale easier and more profitable. But since 2012, they’ve added data connectivity to their equipment, giving farmers information about which crops to plant where and when, when and where to plow, and even the best route to take while plowing.  They are essentially now in the business of selling data as much as they are selling tractors.

Other similar business models will no doubt emerge.  Fitness trackers like FitBit and Jawbone already aggregate data about our fitness habits and health stats and share these their strategic partners.  There are certainly plenty of organizations that would love to get their hands on that kind of data for marketing and other purposes.

The most important thing to do when considering how the Internet of Things will affect your business is to think bigger — much bigger. It’s not just about what kind of products you can make “smart,” or how information could impact your business efficiencies, or how you might sell that data to customers and partners.

The Internet of Things represents a fundamental tilt in the lens through which we view the world.  The same way most of us would never want to go back to a phone that’s just a phone, soon we won’t be able to imagine going back to a world without smart cars, smart roads, smart infrastructure, etc.

In other words: The Internet of Things could change everything and every business needs to consider its implications.

Bernard Marr is a best-selling business author, keynote speaker and leading business performance, analytics and data expert. His latest books are ‘Big Data‘ and ‘KPIs for Dummies‘.

 

Forbes.com | August 17, 2015 | Bernard Marr

Your #Career : 6 Ways to Take on a Side Project That Doesn’t Take Over Your Life…Taking on a New Project Can—& Should—Be a Productive & Rewarding Experience—If you Do it Right.

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Yes, your Days are Packed, Your To-Do List is Full, & you Might Not Think that you Can Accomplish Another Project without Sacrificing what Matters to You. And yet, successful people do it every day.

Man working on the beach

Starting a New Side Project Always Seems Like a Good Idea. So you buy the materials, or you register the domain name, or you tell your friends and family that you’re booked every Sunday from now until eternity for practice sessions. And then, just a few weeks in, you start to resent the project you were once so passionate about. It’s taking up your time and it’s taking up your money, and you dismiss it as a stupid idea.

But, that’s where you’re wrong. Taking on a new project can—and should—be a productive and rewarding experience—if you do it right. Yes, your days are packed, your to-do list is full, and you might not think that you can accomplish another project without sacrificing what matters to you. And yet, successful people do it every day.

As Albert Einstein once said, “the only source of knowledge is experience.” If you’re toying with the idea of starting a new project (again), get a head start, skip the learning curve, and consider this advice from those who’ve already done it successfully.

1. Decide What You Want to Get Out of the Project

As an event planner and interior designer, Jonathan Fong has a schedule that’s full enough, without adding his book deals and frequent home decor crafts to the line-up. Every time he decides to take on a new side project, he starts with a simple question: What will I get out of this? Your motivators can be anything, from a helpful step toward your dream job to a feeling of self-accomplishment. As long as you have an achievable goal in mind before you begin, you’re going to wind up feeling successful.

 

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2. Make a Thorough Plan and Timeline Before Getting Started

When Susan Purdy decided to take a month off from her full-time job of parenting and lifestyle blogging to completely makeover her outdoor space, she knew it would be a challenge. What she discovered was that success in a side project depends on how well you plan. “I knew I had several items that I needed to spray paint for this project, so I set aside time to complete all the spray painting tasks at once,” she explains.

Coming up with a concrete plan before you begin to develop your project will keep you from wasting time, and it will ensure that things like personal breaks, family time, and even work hours don’t accidently get gobbled up.

 

Career Guidance

About The Author

Tikva is an editor at Hometalk, the largest home and garden how-to community on the web, where millions of people share ideas and advice. Discover how-tos and inspiration to help you better your home.

 

The Muse | August 2015

#Strategy : 23 Fascinating Diagrams Reveal How to #Negotiate with People Around the World…You Can’t Expect Negotiations with the French to be Like Negotiations with Americans, & the Same Holds True for Every Culture Around the World.

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“Determining National Characteristics is Treading a Minefield of Inaccurate Assessment & Surprising Exception. There is, However, Such a Thing as a National Norm.”

Communication Patterns 3x4

Beef up your international deal-making skills.

British linguist Richard D. Lewis charted communication patterns as well as leadership styles and cultural identities in his book, “When Cultures Collide,” which is now in a 2005 third edition. His organization offers classes in cross-cultural communication for clients like Unilever and BMW.

Although cultural generalizations can be overly reductive, Lewis, who speaks 10 languages, insists it can be done fairly, writing: “Determining national characteristics is treading a minefield of inaccurate assessment and surprising exception. There is, however, such a thing as a national norm.”

Scroll down to see Lewis’ insights on negotiating with people around the world.

Americans lay their cards on the table and resolve disagreements quickly with one or both sides making concessions.

Americans lay their cards on the table and resolve disagreements quickly with one or both sides making concessions.

Richard Lewis Communications

Canadians are inclined to seek harmony but are similar to Americans in their directness.

Canadians are inclined to seek harmony but are similar to Americans in their directness.

Richard Lewis Communications

People in the UK tend to avoid confrontation in an understated, mannered, and humorous style that can be either powerful or inefficient.

People in the UK tend to avoid confrontation in an understated, mannered, and humorous style that can be either powerful or inefficient.

Richard Lewis Communications

Germans rely on logic but “tend to amass more evidence and labor their points more than either the British or the French.”

Germans rely on logic but "tend to amass more evidence and labor their points more than either the British or the French."

Richard Lewis Communications

When meeting with the French, be prepared for a vigorous, logical debate.

When meeting with the French, be prepared for a vigorous, logical debate.

Richard Lewis Communications

Italians “regard their languages as instruments of eloquence” and take a verbose, flexible approach to negotiations.

Italians "regard their languages as instruments of eloquence" and take a verbose, flexible approach to negotiations.

Richard Lewis Communications

Like Italians, Spaniards will “pull out every stop if need be to achieve greater expressiveness.”

Like Italians, Spaniards will "pull out every stop if need be to achieve greater expressiveness."

Richard Lewis Communications

Among the Nordic countries, Swedes often have the most wide-ranging discussions.

Among the Nordic countries, Swedes often have the most wide-ranging discussions.

Richard Lewis Communications

Finns tend to value concision.

Finns tend to value concision.

Richard Lewis Communications

Most Norwegians fall somewhere in between Swedes and Finns.

Most Norwegians fall somewhere in between Swedes and Finns.

Richard Lewis Communications

The Swiss tend to be straightforward, nonaggressive negotiators. They obtain concessions by expressing confidence in the quality and value of their goods and services.

The Swiss tend to be straightforward, nonaggressive negotiators. They obtain concessions by expressing confidence in the quality and value of their goods and services.

Richard Lewis Communications

Hungarians value eloquence over logic and are unafraid to talk over each other.

Hungarians value eloquence over logic and are unafraid to talk over each other.

Richard Lewis Communications

Bulgarians may take a circuitous approach to negotiations before seeking a mutually beneficial resolution, which will often get screwed up by bureaucracy.

Bulgarians may take a circuitous approach to negotiations before seeking a mutually beneficial resolution, which will often get screwed up by bureaucracy.

Richard Lewis Communications

Poles often have a communication style that is “enigmatic, ranging from a matter-of-fact pragmatic style to a wordy, sentimental, romantic approach to any given subject.”

Poles often have a communication style that is "enigmatic, ranging from a matter-of-fact pragmatic style to a wordy, sentimental, romantic approach to any given subject."

Richard Lewis Communications

The Dutch are focused on facts and figures but “are also great talkers and rarely make final decisions without a long ‘Dutch’ debate, sometimes approaching the danger zone of over-analysis.”

The Dutch are focused on facts and figures but "are also great talkers and rarely make final decisions without a long 'Dutch' debate, sometimes approaching the danger zone of over-analysis."

Richard Lewis Communications

The Chinese tend to be more direct than the Japanese and some other East Asians. However, meetings are principally for information gathering, with the real decisions made elsewhere.

The Chinese tend to be more direct than the Japanese and some other East Asians. However, meetings are principally for information gathering, with the real decisions made elsewhere.

Richard Lewis Communications

People in Hong Kong negotiate much more briskly to achieve quick results.

People in Hong Kong negotiate much more briskly to achieve quick results.

Richard Lewis Communications

The Indian English “excel in ambiguity, and such things as truth and appearances are often subject to negotiation.”

The Indian English "excel in ambiguity, and such things as truth and appearances are often subject to negotiation."

Richard Lewis Communications

Australians tend to have a loose and frank conversational style.

Australians tend to have a loose and frank conversational style.

Richard Lewis Communications

Singaporeans generally take time to build a relationship, after which they can be shrewd negotiators.

Singaporeans generally take time to build a relationship, after which they can be shrewd negotiators.

Richard Lewis Communications

Koreans tend to be energetic conversationalists who seek to close deals quickly, occasionally stretching the truth.

Koreans tend to be energetic conversationalists who seek to close deals quickly, occasionally stretching the truth.

Richard Lewis Communications

Indonesians tend to be very deferential conversationalists, sometimes to the point of ambiguity.

Indonesians tend to be very deferential conversationalists, sometimes to the point of ambiguity.

Richard Lewis Communications

Israelis tend to proceed logically on most issues but emotionally on some.

Israelis tend to proceed logically on most issues but emotionally on some.

Richard Lewis Communications

Businessinsider.com | Aug. 14, 2015 | GUS LUBIN AND JENNA GOUDREAU

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-negotiate-around-the-world-2015-8#ixzz3ioiPQ258

#Leadership : Nice Women Win: Why Being Nice is a Business Strength…Nice Does not Mean Answering “Yes” to All Requests. Rather, Nice Means Turning Down the Requests you Cannot Meet Respectfully.

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Have you Ever Met for the First Time a Businesswoman you Admire, & Been Surprised at how Nice She Was? Next time consider whether she’s nice in addition to her other impressive accomplishments, or whether her niceness helped her to achieve success in the first place.

thoughtful young entrepreneur

While attending a networking event, I recently met a young woman who hoped to transition from her position as a journalist to a career in business. We exchanged business cards and she promptly reached out asking to meet for a coffee and for some advice. She asked insightful questions, her resume was well-formatted and contained great content, and she was competent, polished, and friendly. While considering why she hadn’t landed a new position yet, she surprised me with a question I’ve never been asked before: “Do you think I’m too nice?”

My gut reaction was frustration: I doubted this would have been a concern if she were a man. But I paused and told her with utmost certainty, “No. It’s good to be nice in business.” Although most people are socialized to associate being nice with being weak or accommodating, niceness is actually a powerful tool for achieving your professional goals.

Nice people are likeable

And people want to work with people they like. Now more than ever, “cultural fit” is a key factor in many organizations’ hiring decisions. Nice workers get along with their team members, take the time to mentor junior employees and promote positive attitudes in the workplace. Assuming equal qualifications, I’d hire a nice candidate over an unpleasant one any day. Wouldn’t you?

Nice people say thank you

And saying thank you builds businesses. Having worked in the recognition industry for much of my career, I’ve seen first-hand the power of a simple thank you gesture in strengthening relationships, encouraging repeat business and increasing sales. In fact, sending thank you notes is one of my first suggestions when asked how to improve a sales team’s performance.

 

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Nice people work better in teams

The ability to work well within a team is critical for success in today’s workplace. Employers value diversity within the workforce, but to harness the competitive advantage of diverse viewpoints and backgrounds, team members must feel comfortable sharing their strengths and opinions. Nice people are quick to give credit for good work, contribute positivity to the team dynamic, and “play well with others,” allowing the team to function efficiently and accomplish more.

Nice people build rapport

Any sales manager will stress the talent of building rapport as a key skill required of top sales professionals, but the ability to build rapport can drive success in customer service, human resources, and executive leadership roles as well. Nice people genuinely care about others, listen to their needs, and instinctively want to meet those needs, which, in turn, forms the foundation of trust for successful business relationships.

Nice people make better managers

Perhaps you’ve heard the popular saying: “People don’t leave their companies. People leave their managers.” As it turns out, nicer managers have more engaged employees. Included inGallup’s Q12 assessment of employee engagement are questions such as “In the last seven days, I have received recognition or praise for doing good work” and “My supervisor, or someone at work, seems to care about me as a person.” Nice managers care about their staff, notice their contributions, and are quick to praise good work. In turn, companies withengaged employees have better productivity, profitability and customer ratings, and lower rates of turnover, absenteeism and quality issues.

But is there such thing as being too nice?

In the wake of recent discourse surrounding the overuse of “I’m sorry”, women are becoming even more aware of how our words and actions influence perception in the corporate world. Niceness, however, does not need to mean weakness. It’s possible to eliminate self-defeating language while still being nice. Being nice is not incompatible with maintaining boundaries. Nice people can voice their opinions, stand up for their beliefs, and even disagree, but nice people do so with kindness and grace. Nice does not mean answering “yes” to all requests. Rather, nice means turning down the requests you cannot meet respectfully.

Have you ever met for the first time a businesswoman you admire, and been surprised at how nice she was? Next time consider whether she’s nice in addition to her other impressive accomplishments, or whether her niceness helped her to achieve success in the first place.

Kathryn Kerns is an expert in employee engagement, sales management, and business development for startups and small businesses. She is currently serving as Director of the Corporate Division at the New York-based flower delivery service Ode à la Rose.

 

Forbes.com | August 13, 2015 | Kathryn Kerns

#Leadership : How To Stay Ambitious In Business Without Burning Out…To #Succeed Without Sacrificing Yourself in the Process Means you Need to Set Boundaries & Take Care of Yourself Along the Way.

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How Can You be Successful & Have an Impact in Business Without Sacrificing Yourself or Your Sanity in the Process?  I’ve spent the last several years studying neuroscience, mindfulness, high performance leadership, and several other healing modalities to figure out how to create success with ease.

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Image: GettyImage

Image: GettyImage

Here is what I’ve discovered:

1. Set Clear Goals….Then Be Flexible.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t get there. Be very clear and specific with your goals, these are the anchors that will steer your ship.

You will encounter storms and rough waters as you sail towards your goals, so it’s important to be flexible and open to changing course as needed.

2. Visualize, Visualize, Visualize. 

One study with basketball players showed that one hour of visualization was the equivalent of seven hours of physical activity! There is incredible power in the mind/body connection. Once you have a goal, for example; “having one million customers for my new product,” you need to be able to see this goal as if it has already happened. What pictures and images represent this goal to you?

Spend at least three minutes each day visualizing success, and suddenly you’ll be having coffee with a friend when an amazing new business opportunity falls on your lap. Or you’ll meet your future soul mate at the grocery store.

 

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3. Feel Success.

The secret ingredient to visualization is to be able to feel your goal as if it has already occurred. Your subconscious mind responds to feeling more than words, and your body cannot tell the difference between an imagined feeling, such as thinking about licking a lemon, versus the reality of licking a lemon.

When you act as if you have already achieved your goal, and you feel that way in your body, your subconscious mind will respond to create those circumstances for you. If you have a goal of making a certain amount of money, and you can’t really get jazzed in your body just thinking about a pile of money (most people don’t), think about what you want to spend that money on or which charity you want to donate it to…and notice how that feels in your body.

4. Don’t Give Up…But Do Take A Break.

The key to success is to be persistent in the long run. However, you also need to make sure you’re refueling along the way so that you don’t burn out. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint.

If you refuse to give up, you will eventually get there. The destination may look different from your original goal, and the path may have lots of twists and turns, but you will succeed if you never give up. Some days you may feel like quitting, and it’s ok to take a break when you are frustrated. Go on a run, paint, meditate, meet a friend for coffee. Don’t push the river upstream when it isn’t working. And, just because you’re having a hard time doesn’t mean you should stop rowing all together.

5. When Someone Has What You Want – Be Happy For Them.

Competition and jealousy hurt you more than the other person. Your subconscious mind is very literal. If your goal is to become a partner at your firm and someone else gets the promotion first, you may think “that sucks.” When you have the thought “that sucks,” your subconscious mind actually associates promotion = that sucks.

Your conscious mind has the ability to discern and judge things, but the subconscious mind does not. It cannot tell that the situation sucks because theother person got the job. Instead, the subconscious mind will assume that the job itself sucks and that you don’t want it, and it will act accordingly. This is one way that we unknowingly sabotage ourselves.

So when you see someone get something that you want, be happy for them! Imagine that it’s you who has that thing instead of them, and think about how you will feel having that success yourself.

6. Only Fools Go It Alone.

It takes strength to get support. I recently watched the last episode of Jon Stewart in which he took a camera crew backstage to introduce and thank every single person on his team. It was a huge team. I had no idea it took that many people to produce The Daily Show.

All truly successful people have a team of rock stars behind the scenes. Find yours, appreciate them and allow yourself to receive their support. Giving and taking support should be balanced, don’t give more than you take.

7. Don’t Be Everything To Everyone. Learn How To Say “No.”

One woman at a retreat I led for working mothers shared a story that her husband picked their son up at daycare one afternoon and arrived an hour early because he had the time wrong. When she asked him what he did, he said “I got a beer.” She responded, incredulous, “You got a beer?! At 3pm in the afternoon before picking our son up from day care?!”

Every woman in the room was astounded. I asked the women, what would you have done? Everyone said “Run errands, checked email for work, gone to a grocery store nearby to buy toilet paper, etc.”

Then I said, “Instead of judging the husband saying ‘who does he think he is to get a beer in the middle of the afternoon!?’ Maybe we should be looking at ourselves and thinking ‘who do I think I am not taking some time for myself in the middle of the day?!’ Why am I filling every spare minute with errands, work and chores? When was the last time I took an extra hour and got a pedicure or did something just for me?’”

To succeed without sacrificing yourself in the process means you need to set boundaries and take care of yourself along the way. Get a massage, take a bath, and learn to say “no” to other peoples’ requests in order to create space for your needs to be met.

 

Forbes.com | August 12, 2015 | Vanessa Loder

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