Interoception The most effective tool against anxiety

Interoception The most effective tool against anxietyInteroception The most effective tool against anxietyThe strides made in pharmacological psychiatry are not without their cost. One of which is illuminated by a concept called interoception.Interoception, the sixth sensory system delineated bySir Charles S. Sherringtonin 1906, is the somatic mechanism that informs us of all of ur internal sensations. Its a difficult thing to define in laymens terms without appearing like a new-age-nonsense peddler, but the science itself is actually pretty simple.The tiny receptors that reside inside our organs, muscles, skin, and bones are constantly collecting data to send to the brain, which in turn interprets their messages as sensations like hunger, pain, sexual arousal and so on.Various internal responsescoalesce to form emotionsheart palpitations, tingling, shallow breath, and pressure in the sinus cavities is neatly defined as anger for instance. The more efficiently our brain is able to bo th receive and interpret these signals the more oursocial understanding, problem-solving skills, and institution are enhanced.Unfortunately, despite the impressive advancements weve made in molecular medicine, the instruments intended to alleviate suffering has further obscured this vital and underappreciated sense. A collective over-reliance on clinical psychology and pharmaceutical drugs has hindered our flexibility of thought, overcomplicated our theory of mind and dulled our sense of self. Sort of like the tower of Babel a perversion of communication has disrupted their shared goal.Studies reveal the distortion of interoception to be the nucleus of many ailments of the mind anxiety, eating disorders, addiction all afflictions that are in direct conflict with the bodys wants, needs, and perception.The science that fuels convenience is also scorching avenues of correspondence between our bodies and our brainsand I dont see it losing momentum anytime soon.As stated in the report w ritten byDavid Plans of Scientific America of which this meditation is based Our use of drugs to mask symptoms has contributed to a lack of awareness about our own bodies. So has the emergence of technologies such as computers, smartphones, remotes and game controllers, which only involve our bodies- usually just our fingers- as control inputs.A return to mindfulnessWere better equipped to process harmful emotions like anxiety and stress when we understand their agency clearly. Instead of the eagerness to address them exclusively by mitigating their effects, through the use of various medications, most experts stress the importance of reconditioning the language that allows them to run rampant in the first place.Moreover, as Plans points outBenzodiazepines such as Valium dull anxiety but also create profound dependence, and they also can sidetrack investigation and treatment of underlying causes.Mediation seems to be the most effective tool for cognitive reconditioning. In your spar e time, whether for a couple of minutes or maybe even an hour, make an effort to practice mindfulnesslisten to your body. Try and locate your pulse without touching yourself.When met with feelings of anxiety, task yourself with evaluating its rationality. Examine every sensation that accompanies a deep breath in and out. Interrogate every emotion with patience and curiosity.No professional would recommend a resolute rejection of medicationweve come along way, and I for one am very grateful. There are some illnesses that simply cannot be confronted without them. However, even in these instances, its imperative that the mind and body are on the same team.

15 Tips for New Managers

15 Tips for New Managers15 Tips for New ManagersBeing promoted to manager for the first time is both exhilarating and challenging. It takes smarts to move up the corporate ladder but transitioning into your new role means mastering a new skill set. No matter what kind of business or field you work in, these 15 tips will help you navigate the managerial waters. 1. Get Ready Before You Get Promoted This may sound counter-intuitive (and many cases it may be too late), but if youre on the cusp of moving up then are things you can do to get ready for your new role including reading up on the topic, taking courses, and learning from others. If youre offered a promotion and youre elend prepared, you may want to kick yourself for leid boning up beforehand. 2. Recognize That Its a New Job Even though you were most likely promoted in a departement where lets say you were the best engineer, you are no longer an engineer youre a manager overseeing engineers. While you may not have master ed your new job, you do have a track record of successin that area, so focus on your ability to master a job. 3. Learn Situational Leadership This is a must-have leadership skill for any manager. Situational leadership is a model for figuring out how to manage each employee, depending on how much direction they need. 4. Get to Really Know Your Employees Spend time with every employee and get to know their jobs, career goals, strengths, and weaknesses, likes, and dislikes but dont stop there. If you also get to know the names of their children and pets, where they live, and anything else thats important to them youll build a solid foundation of trust. 5. Learn and Practice Active Listening If you had to pick just one skill important to your success as a manager, that would beactive listening, which is considered the most important skill to master as a leader. 6. Learn to Let Go of the Details Focus on the big picture and what your employees are accomplishing on a dail y basis and whether or not they are meeting their goals. Remember, youre not being paid to do your old job so leave the minutia up to your staff. 7. Youre a Boss, Not a Friend One of the most frequent mistakes new managers make is that they try to be friends with their employees.It is especially hard when you get promoted over your peers, and youre now managing friends who were once peers. Youre now in a position of power and authority and being friends with one employee, and not another creates perceptions of biasand favoritism. You can be friends outside of the office, but while in the office, keep the interaction professional. 8. Dont Be Surprised by Former Co-Workers Personal Issues New managers are often shocked to discover some of the performance and personal issues the previous boss was (discreetly) dealing with. You may have thought Donna was a funny, well-liked employee but now know that Donna is a Diva and youll need to pick up where your boss left off and deal wit h Donna your way. 9. Learn to Deal With Performance Issues Your previous boss may have been sweeping poor performance issues under the rug. Part of your new job will be learning a consistent and effective way to deal with employees who are not performing up to standard. 10. Treat Every Employee With Respect You may be in a superior position, but you are not superior to anyone. Everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and if you waiver from this, youll end up losing more than your own self-respect. 11. Use the Four Magic Words What Do You Think? This is a favorite quote from management guru Tom Peters. Asking your employees for their ideas is the ultimate display of respect and empowers them to solve their own problems. 12. Pay Attention to Your New Team While you may be the team leader of your team, youre now a member of a brand new team your managers management team. Managing sideways is just as important as managing up and down. 13. Be Available and Be Visible The more involved and engaged you are with your team, the more motivated they will be to do a good job. People like being a part of something bigger than themselves and they also need to know that theres a captain at the helm of the ship. 14. Schedule Solo Meetings as Well as Team Meetings You need to interface with people on a private basis to see if there are any problems youre not aware of, and for bonding time. You also need all the members of your team to interact with each other. 15. Embrace Your Role as a Leader Leading can (and should) be an extraordinary and rewarding responsibility. One should never take it lightly or take it for granted.

20 Ways to Pinpoint Your Job Search Trouble Spots

20 Ways to Pinpoint Your Job Search Trouble Spots20 Ways to Pinpoint Your Job Search Trouble Spots3Looking for a new position, but havent received much attention from the numerous applications youve submitted? It may be time to change your course if youre experiencing job search trouble spots.These questions were designed to form a checklist that will help you overstep any job search issues. Use this checklist to guide you in landing a job with successPinpointing Your Job Search Trouble SpotsIf youre not getting calls after applying___ Are you focusing on jobs that you have a passion for and a strong skill set?___ Have you tweaked your resume and cover letter to suit the position for which youre applying?___ Have you proofread your resume and cover letter for grammatical errors?___ Are you researching each company before writing your cover letters and customizing each resume?___ Have you engaged your network in helping to rckendeckung your mission of landing your ideal job?___ Are yo u offering strong references and notifying these references in advance to expect a call?If youre spending a lot of time on phone interviews, but arent moving on to in-person interviews___ Have you prepared in advance by fielding phone questions from one of your references or friends in a practice session?___ Have you asked former colleagues and your references for their opinion of your greatest strengths so you can share those in the call?___ Have you considered your weaknesses and developed polished responses that make you sound confident and relay that youve overcome these obstacles?___ Are you asking strategic questions that will lead naturally to the next phase of the interview process?___ Are you responding thoughtfully and sounding engaged during the call?___ Have you eliminated background noise and distractions so you can remain focused during the call?___ Have you provided acceptable reasons for any gaps in your education or resume?___ Did you ask about the decision-making p rocess and steps involved before a candidate is chosen?If youre getting up to bat for final interviews, but not making the final cut___ Are you preparing for the final interview by doing additional research about the company and the industry to share in the meeting?___ Are you preparing with practice questions and answers prior to the interview?___ Have you brainstormed ways that you can share relevant work experience examples to share in the meeting?___ Have you reviewed your past experience so you can talk about specific challenges you dealt with and how you overcame those challenges?___ Are you offering thorough, straightforward answers while looking the interviewers in the eye?___ Are you dressed sharply and on time for interviews?___ Are you following up with a professional thank-you message to those who interviewed you and are you re-emphasizing why youre right for the position?Readers, tell us whats helped you get over job search trouble spots and land the right position. Lea ve a comment and let us know

What You Absolutely Need to Know to Score a Job at Salesforce

What You Absolutely Need to Know to Score a Job at SalesforceWhat You Absolutely Need to Know to Score a Job at Salesforce If you work in sales, live in the San Francisco Bay Area, or keep on top of the latest tech trends, odds are youre familiar with Salesforce . But even if none of those things applies to you, theres still a good chance youve heard of the company behind the worlds 1 Customer Relationship Management platform. With over 150,000 customers, a revenue of 8.39 billion dollars in the 2017 fiscal year, and offices on six continents, the company has certainly built a anthroponym for itself.But Salesforce hasnt just earned a reputation as a strong business - its also consistently been recognized as an incredible place to work. The company has made Glassdoors list of Best Places to Work in the U.S. seven times since 2009, and the list of Highest Rated CEOs every year since the awards inception in 2013. With an overall company rating of 4.2 out of 5, a 98 percent approval rating of their CEO Marc Benioff, and 86 percent of employees willing to recommend the company to their friends, Salesforce is highly attractive to job seekers. And Salesforce, for their part, knows how to treat those interested job seekers. On top of their many other accolades, Salesforce welches just named among the top five Best Places to Interview in 2017. Want to be a part of this hot company? Glassdoors Emily Moore recently chatted with Ana Recio, Senior Vice President of Global Recruiting at Salesforce, to get the inside scoop on what kind of candidates the companys looking for, which questions you can expect to be asked in an interview, and what the best interview answers shes ever heard were. Ana Recio A great interview experience for a candidate is when they feel really well prepared. They know what to anticipate and have context for the role that they are being interviewed for. They understand what the goals of the role are three months, six months an d nine months out. We prepare ur candidates in multiple ways to have a great experience by providing them with demos, videos, competitive information and product positioning, all while seeking to understand what motivates and inspires them. We ask candidates to consider their successes, their failures and to be able to articulate why this role makes sense for them in their career journey.On the flipside, we make sure that our hiring managers are prepared to speak to candidates and we do that by reminding our hiring gruppes that our candidates are also interviewing us - that they have lots of choices, and that we need to both speak to our value proposition on why Salesforce is a great environment as well as demonstrate it during the interview process. We often ask our hiring teams not to hyper focus on candidate assessment, but to speak about their personal journeys with candidates why Salesforce has been impactful to them and their careers. Talk about what milestones they achieved and what they have learned and share that through an anecdotal conversation versus an interview format. Ana Recio Honestly, its just really a matter of timing for most candidates. It may be that we dont have the right role for them right at that very moment, but were growing and hiring like crazy, so it really is just a matter of time. Often the role is filled by an internal individual because we really do try to promote our employees first and consider our employee base before we extend an external offer. Because this often is a factor, I advise candidates to continue networking . The right role will materialize. It really is just a matter of time.For candidates trying to transition into the software industry, we advise that they hone in on their applicable skills or try to get more experience in a particular domain. This could be done sometimes with exposure to our products via volunteering at a non-profit that uses Salesforce, or by attending our world tour events or Dreamfor ce events. Its all about networking, learning, and becoming part of our ecosystem, so when we do call that candidate back in the near future, theyre prepared and theyre ready to shine.Ana Recio Weve all had work challenges when projects didnt quite go as planned. We want to know about what would they do differently in retrospect. This is a great question because it unveils a candidates humility, honesty and ability to reflect and analyze a situation. We also like to ask, what do your colleagues say about you? Which can often elicit funny and illuminating responses. What is your greatest strength? What are you most proud of about your current role? Who was your best boss, and what did they give you that has shaped you today in your career? What is next for you, and if you stay where youre at today, will you get that? We may ask people about how they overcame challenges in pursuit of a goal. And we always close with a gentle reminder on how the opportunity at Salesforce is going to h elp advance their career.Many recruiters on my team like to ask what motivated a candidate to respond to them when they reached out. This gives us a little insight into what the candidate is looking for in their next career step. We ask candidates to describe the schrift of projects they worked on, the scale of those projects, what collaboration was involved as well as the outcome. Salesforce is very much a team sport , so examples of collaboration are important. We always ask of course, why do you want to work for Salesforce? That is always enlightening as well, because it often highlights what inspires them our scale, sophistication, collaborative culture, or perhaps a desire to give back to the community, which is really paramount to our companys values. We always ask what peoples career aspirations are in three, five, ten years, and where do they see themselves at Salesforce in this timeframe. That is also a great opportunity for us to say, We could help you get there, and here are the tools, resources and path.Ana Recio Some companies are known to ask questions like How many gas stations can you find in California? We dont have those types of questions were really into storytelling, and we want individuals to tell us their career journey and what inspires and motivates them. We try to engage in a conversation versus a hardcore assessment. We dont readily employ those kinds of knockout, bizarre questions that candidates dont really know how to answer.Ana Recio I couldnt agree more. As an interviewer, Im always like What is the purpose of that question? If we want to show our personality, its better to do it in a more congenial, authentic way versus in a way that feels like were tricking the candidate.Ana Recio I asked a candidate once if there was one thing that they could do differently to become more efficient and more collaborative in their work environment what would they do? It made me laugh - he said that he would attend more happy hours with his teammates. He wasnt being funny, he was serious about it He said because that is where you build relationships and get to know people and youre able to speak in a little bit of a less formal environment. He felt that while youre going out for lunch or spending time with people outside the office was really the best way to become more efficient and to get things done.I actually had another individual who in an interview process had been asked, What would be your biggest challenge if you took the role? Somebody said containing my excitement which I thought was also pretty awesome. I know that that individual was absolutely sold, and to this day always tells me it was true, that has been his biggest challenge at Salesforce because its such an exciting place to be.Ana Recio I also had a candidate once who we asked if she was ready for her interview and she responded with I stay ready, which was also a great answer Anybody who is that witty needs to be at Salesforce. The recruiter th ought it was great.Ana Recio Ohana means family, and that is the foundation of our values. We ask for examples of teamwork and collaboration and how candidates have worked towards collective goals. Candidates should demonstrate that theyre a part of a larger community - a family - so we look for those themes in their responses and if they have a desire to make an impact both internally as well as in their community. It is always great when candidates are able to speak to our values, understand what resonates with them the most and provide personal examples of that type of contribution. Well ask candidates for examples of their Ohana spirit for example,if theyre passionate about giving back to the community or promoting equality. Those values, along with teamwork and collaboration, are really important to us at Salesforce. We ask lots of questions and prepare interviewers, but we also prepare the candidates too. We make sure that candidates understand our values so when they wal k into our environment, theyre ready to give relevant examples and to shine.

The Birth of Simple Resume Format Pdf

The Birth of Simple Resume Format Pdf Resume Samples can allow you to present your employment and education information the suitable way. Work experience ought to be the last issue to write for. Consequently, the resume will keep evolving at each step in anybodys career. The end result is very good to stunning In truth, its not that hard as it might appear to be. A distinctive life situation calls for a unique resume. There are only some of the means by which you may have a resume that is guaranteed for success. The resume format sample ought to be accomplished well. Giving a PDF copy will be a better choice. Simple resume formats assist you in making your resume. Have a peek at these examples to select which format is ideal for you. It is possible to always copy and paste text from a PDF if you are likely to fill in an on-line application and send your full resume in PDF file formatting later every time a hiring manager has invited you to achieve that. ur resume builder supplies you with many distinct formats that youre able to select from and your document can be produced in any format like Word or PDF. ATS software isnt able to read exclusive formatting. While the program proceeds to improve, you should make sure youve got an ATS-friendly version of your resume. Basic doesnt need to mean boring, as you will notice in the wide range of free basic resume templates we offer. If your computer may read the text then youre all set. Icons make it simple to center on each individual resume section. Basic layouts are extremely simple to edit, even when you have never made a resume before. Bookkeeping and accounting are jobs that are simple to demonstrate your value. All information provided needs to be considered fictional. No licensure is needed to become Accounts Payable Resume. Resumes are usually categorized by the way in which the info is presented. Employers find it quite unattractive. By understanding what they are looking for, you can greatly simplify your job hunt. In the event the employer cannot be in a position to comprehend the resume, then you can be certain you wont get the job. In case the applicant has two individual sets of skills in a few kinds of industry, separate resumes that highlight different skills are made to suit each type. Youre the only one in dienstgrad of your search and the pace at which you search for work. There are varieties of general resume types it is possible to follow based on what type of approach you want your resume to have in applying for your preferred job. Your on-line portfolio on portals like behance wherever your employer could see your works and appreciations will provide you an advantage. Based on the business or position youre applying for, it may require that you bring some personality. If work experience isnt your key highlight or whether youve got an inconsistent work history, its best advisable to start your resume with your qualifications. You are going to have lot of alignment difficulties. Whether youre asking for work, a grant, or using your resume to construct your own client base, a skilled and well-organized resume is advisable. Together with mentioning the work type, if you are going to give a tiny description of your work in the cv then it is going to be best too. Its quite tricky for a fresher to have a job, so probably everything is dependent on the particulars resume. Whichever format you select, it should make you become selected for the job youre applying for. Ensure you didnt miss whatever could cost you the job that you dream about

Brainstorming Is Not Always a Good Idea Here Are 4 Alternatives

Brainstorming Is Not Always a Good Idea Here Are 4 Alternatives Nowadays, brainstorming is a highly commonpractice in companies where teamwork is indispensable. The core idea behind the brainstorming strategy is to get access to the groups collective wisdom in order todrum up creative ideas for a project or particular task, develop already existing ideas, or solve problems. Brainstorming has been used for decades, and it seems great wheneveryone feels free to contribute their distinctive strengths to the conversation and build a better tomorrow alongside the team members. However, recent studies show that this strategy is notlage the best way to ensure innovation.Among those studies is one prepared by Nicholas W. Kohn and Steven M. Smith. The authors foundthat brainstorming exercises can result in a fixation on one solution and the rejection of other inspirational ideas and exciting possibilities . This, in turn, can lead to an entrenched tradition of ideas instead of creating a space for new possibilities.Psychologist Richard Wisemans book 59 Seconds Think a Little, Change a Lotexpresses a similar idea.The author argues that people reach irrational decisions in groups, and strong-minded personalities often pressureothers into conforming, self-censorship, and create an illusion of unanimity. Wisemansays people become more creative and inventive outside of the crowd, and for 70 years, people have been using brainstorming to stifle not stimulate their creative juices.Brainstorming is also problematic for the following reasons- Time ConstraintsBrainstorming sessions are often timed, and team members feel nervous about coming up with bright ideas too late.- Groupthink People oftenagree with their colleagues simply for the sake of avoiding conflict. Moreover, extroverts tend to dominate group sessions.- Fear of CriticismShy employees who prefer working individually may worry ab out the ways their concepts will be perceived by others and keep silent instead of sharing.- Do-NothingismSome participants may bank on others to do all the work and put forth littleeffort, hoping that a wise decision will be reached without them.Does all of this mean brainstorming is totally useless? Not exactly. Forsome teams, this type of activity can really bear fruit, especially when team leaders follow a few easy steps for improving its effectiveness- Give People Time to ThinkThis can be really helpful for introverts and shy team members who need some time to formulate an idea and articulate it clearly without being howled down by others.- Seek AlternativesIf an employee wants to criticize or dismissan idea offered by colleagues, theyshould provide an alternative.- Define RolesTo increase brainstorming effectiveness, you can make use of psychologist Edward de Bonos Six Thinking Hatsmethod and assign particular roles to every member.But ifbrainstorming is not the right fit for your company or team even with these tweaks then it may be time for an alternative1. BrainwritingIn brainwriting, participants formulate ideas and write down their thoughts in silence. Without constant conversation going on, people can concentrate more. Participants share their ideas with the group once they are fully formed.You can also use the note-and-votemethod, where the group reaches consensus by voting on a list of ideas.2. BrainswarmingThis method is analogous to how ants solve problems. While searching for food, individual antsleave traces so that other ants can follow them. Thus, the whole colony can arrive at food sources.Brainswarming begins with writing a goal or a problem on a sheet of paper or ablackboard. Then, all the participants start silently seeking solutions (also in writing). This practice helps to find top-down thinkers who will delve into the goal and define a broad array of sub-goals and bottom-up thinkers who will produce the necessary resources for prob lem-solving and explain how they should be used. The solution is then found in the middleground between these two types of thinkers.You can learn more about brainswarming in this video.3. Idea-BuildingAnother variant is to start with a single idea, write down the basics, and pass the sheet of paper to others so that they can add their thoughts. In this way, you work collaboratively to flesh out a shallow idea and turn it into a strong concept.4. Passive Brainstorming With this technique, you leave an empty poster on the wall or an empty blackboard in the middle of the office and ask your employees to write down whatever comes to their minds (related to the project) over the nextfive days. Team members will have enough time to mull over their concepts and can amend their ideas with details they might have missed earlier.A company shouldchoose the way of creative thinking that fits its style and isnt in conflict with its corporate culture. Furthermore, a company always has the option to seek the help of experienced developers who can offer sophisticated software aimed at improving the problem-solving process.Yana Yelina is a tech journalistat EffectiveSoft, a lieferant of innovative business intelligence softwarewith specialists in a variety of domains, including healthcare, HR, trading and finance, logistics, and eCommerce. You can reach the author atcontacteffectivesoft.comor connect with her via LinkedIn or Twitter.

Entry Level Operations Research Resume Template 2018s Top Format

Entry Level Operations Research Resume Template 2018s Top FormatEntry Level Operations Research Resume Template - 2018s Top FormatCreate ResumeSophia Johnson100 Main Street, Cityplace, CA, 91019 (555) 322-7337 example-emailexample.comProfileWell-qualified professional with over 10 years combined experience in the pharmaceutical and research industries. Looking to find work where I can use my expertise and skills to ensure work of the highest quality.SkillsExceptional leadership, organizational, oral and written communication, interpersonal, analytical, and problem resolution skills.Quick study, with an ability to easily grasp and put into application new ideas, concepts, methods and technologies.Able to work independently as well as in a team setting.Tolerant to stressed situations.WordExcelOutlookPowerPointProfessional ExperienceClinical Trials Assistant 07/2010 to 11/2013 ICON Clinical Research Brentwood, TNAssist the clinical research teams in ensuring the most effective and efficient conduct of clinical research studies by providing administration and project tracking support.Entry Level Clinical Research Associate 01/2013 to 06/2013 ICON Clinical Research Brentwood, TNBecome familiar with all applicable regulations and ICON SOPs/WPs relevant to the start-up, conduct monitoring and closeout of clinical studies. Become proficient and self-sufficient in conducting all procedures in relation to monitoring clinical studies, in particular to become experienced in the review and evaluation of clinical data.Certified Pharmacy Technician 02/2001 to 02/2011 CVS Pharmacy Nashville, TNReceive and fill prescription requests for patients under the direction of a registered pharmacist. Duties include inventory, handling insurance claims, completing cash register transactions and customer service.Education and TrainingBachelor of Science Chemistry 2010 Tennessee State University Nashville, TN, USA3.4 GPAGeneral course work with laboratory research experienceCertif icationsBoard Certified Pharmacy TechnicianPTCBCustomize ResumeMore Science Resume TemplatesOperations Research Resume Templates

Schools and Flocks Inspire Wind Turbine Design

Schools and Flocks Inspire Wind Turbine Design Schools and Flocks Inspire Wind Turbine Design Schools and Flocks Inspire Wind Turbine DesignJohn Dabiri may not be able to talk to the animals, but, in a way, theyve started talking to him. He realized that the kind of flowing motion birds in flocks and fish in schools summon might just be applicable to the world of wind turbines.Big questions ultimately included How will wind do when a turbine isnt next to an open field but next to a building? says Dabiri, who was teaching at CalTech when he was first inspired. He is now a professor of mechanical, civil, and environmental engineering at Stanford University. The work early on, as it often does, involved doing a computer model. The numbers were promising.It might seem strange to contemplate that grouping things close together would work for turbines. After all, conventional thinking for turbines holds that they should be set far apart to avoid the airflow being influenced by other wind t urbines. The theory holds that this preserves the performance of the downwind turbines. Dabiri believes there is power in numbers.We noticed birds or fish are contending with the fact that neighboring birds or fish are disturbing the air or water, he says. Rather than spreading out as far apart as possible, they align themselves in pretty regular geometric patterns, such as staggered formations. What theyre doing is finding locations in the area around their neighboring animals where the flow thats created by the neighbor can actually improve their performance.His teams wind turbinesgo against popular wisdom with their vertical axis, Dabiri explains.Engineering Professor John Dabiri stands in front of his wind-turbine test site. Image Stanford UniversityThere are regions to the side of the turbines where the flow actually accelerates as it passes around the blades, he says.It shows you can put a second turbine in those regions of accelerated flow. In those cases, even though a turbi ne might be farther downwind from an upstream turbine, the downwind turbine can actually produce more power than the upstream turbine by taking advantage of those flow acceleration effects. So that local acceleration of the flow is one distinction between the vertical axis and the conventional horizontal.Another distinction, he says, is in how quickly the wake recovers. Even in that region behind the vertical access turbineswhere you would get decreased wind speed, it tends to recover, he says. The winds tend to increase back to where they were before the wind turbine influenced them over a much shorter distance. Again, you can put the turbines much closer together than you could in the conventional horizontal axis systems.Because there is a handedness to the rotation, that rotation can allow the wind to be steered as it passes through the wind farm, he says.Turbines were tested on land purchased by the school Dabiri was later teaching at, Stanford. That land became a good spot to s et up wind turbines to see what was there, Dabiri says. Now we were getting more of a sense of the possibilities.The stage for Dabiris current work has moved to the Alaskan village of Iguigig, which is about 70-people strong and has a need for improved energy, he says. The turbines there are only six feet high, to make them easier for the local population to maintain, he says. Keep it simpler, he says. Theyve been patient with possible problems and are committed to this. This is another important step.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionWhat theyre doing is finding locations in the area around their neighboring animals where the flow thats created by the neighbor can actually improve their performance.Prof. John Dabiri, Stanford University

Create Value With Human Resource Measures

Create Value With Human Resource MeasuresCreate Value With Human Resource MeasuresAre you interested in how to measure the impact of Human Resources leadership, management, actions, policies, and assistance in your organization? A significant component of your Human Resource business planning is identifying what Human Resources metrics to collect. The Goal of Human Resource Measures When you consider measuring the wertmiger zuwachs of your Human Resource department, developing the appropriate set of metrics forms the cornerstone. Your selection of metrics should be driven by two factors. You want to contribute to the overall success of your organization and the attainment of your organizations most important goals. You want to provide the Human Resources department with measures that you can use for continuous improvement. Once upon a time, four vice presidents called their consultant to ask about measurements for the training programs they had purchased. They were meeting to ass ess the effectiveness of the provided training and consulting activities and they made the age-old mistake of measuring actions, not results. They proposed that the consultants accountability would be the number of training sessions presented, the number of employees who attended the training sessions, and the number of improvements employees made in their work areas. The consultant told them she could begin to work with them on the third metric, but the first two had nothing to do with the results they wanted to achieve. What impacts human resource measures? This story has played out in workplaces perpetually it seems. Part of the problem is that HR staff members get so busy just providing services, that collecting data and measuring success and contribution, in addition, is a stretch. At least in small and mid-sized companies, this is true. Larger companies and organizations such as universities or state departments collect mora data but often have less of a need to prove cont ribution. Many of the smaller companies and organizations are so grateful to have a group that deals with the employees that they fail to ask for Human Resource measures. One of the metrics that HR has collected data on, with a track record, is cost-per-hire. SHRM has spearheaded an effort to develop a new human resources standard for measuring cost-per-hire, the first of its kind in the United States. Youll want to see what such a standard entails for measurement in your organization. Another metric that organizations should consider is time-to-hire. Yes, you dont control all of the factors that go into creating the timeline. Measuring the length of your hiring process gives you a baseline for improvement in which you can enlist the help of others. In general, you dont want to start a training and continuous improvement process without determining the desired outcomes or deliverables. Sometimes, youre just honest and decide that providing management development is about ideas and p rogress- not necessarily, easily numerically measurable- is charted in each managers performance development plan. Other HR processes organizations have been known to measure include the impact of a continuous improvement process on cost savings and the improvement of work processes in the time taken or steps involved. In one example, a department of eight HR employees charted out the steps they took in their ?hiring process. They found that they took 248 steps to hire an employee. Analyzing the steps, they determined that many of them could be discarded or consolidated. Weeks later, they had eliminated half the steps but the process still took the same amount of time. They discovered that they had an empowerment problem. The HR director added ten days to the company time-to-hire because he required his signature at certain milestones in the process. The paperwork was buried on his desk for days, and the staff did not have permission to proceed without his signature. His priority wa s the executive team on which he served. Once be truly empowered his staff, hiring managers company-wide were thrilled with the improvement in time-to-hire. Measure the Contributions of HR to the geschftliches miteinander You definitely want to measure HR not just for the efficiency and quality of the department and its services but for the impact of the departments work on the business as a whole. These are the measurables that will gain the attention of the CEO and the senior team. According to Dr. John Sullivan, a respected HR thought leader Unfortunately, most of those who create metrics in HR and recruiting dont really understand the strategic mindset of CEOs. And, as a result, the metrics that are reported to CEOs and the executive committee result in no positive action being taken. That is because CEOs are laser-focused on the strategic goals of the organization. So, if your metrics dont directly and unambiguously cover strategic goals like increasing revenue, productivit y, or innovation, they simply wont drive executives to act. Sullivan recommends that HR departments measure and share factors such as these. Revenue per employee Widely accepted by CFOs as a standard workforce productivity measurement. It focuses on the value of the output of an organizations workforce.The improvement in the quality of new hires (quality of hire improvement) he says, focus on those jobs that are already measured in dollars or quantified with numbers, like sales, collections, and call centers reps.Loss of top performers in your key and hard to replace jobsUse an employee survey to identify which HR programs helped to increase your organizations productivity, quality, or another key identified factor. The percentage of the HR strategic plans goals that were accomplished. How to Decide What Measurements to Use in HR Due to the number of functions that the average HR department serves, it is not possible to measure everything that you do. In choosing what to measure , business needs assessment in your organization will inform you about what your employees, colleagues, and executives believe are your most important Human Resource measures. A second option is to look at what processes are critical to your organizations success. A third consideration is to determine which HR processes cost your organization the most money. A fourth is to determine which human resources measures will help you most successfully develop the skills and contribution of your employees. From these factors, develop a doable HR scorecard, or key performance indicators (KPI) and begin to establish base measures for each process you decide to measure. Start with just a few and dont overwhelm your time and staff with more than you can do. It is better to consistently measure one or two operations than to poorly use Human Resource metrics in many. Examples of What HR Departments Measure Here are specific examples of factors that Human Resource departments can measure. Thes e are just a few of the areas that you can consider for the development of your Human Resource metrics. Cost per hireTime per hireNew hire failure rateDiversity hires in customer-facing positionsEmployee turnover rateEmployee turnover costPreventable employee turnoverApplications received per current employees per weekPercentage of performance development plans or appraisals currentCost of training and development activities with respect to company goal attainmentEmployee satisfactionLength of employmentComponents of the compensation system such as the cost of benefits per employee The more specifically your HR measures fit your company goals, the better your measurements will serve you and your organization.