Finishing 2007 With A Bang, Prepping For 2008

Finishing 2007 With A Bang, Prepping For 2008 At the risk of diverging too much information about my business, and making it look smaller (or bigger) than what you might think it is, I wanted to share some stuff from my last coaching session. Ive been concerned about making sure that I tie up all my 2007 loose ends, and am prepared to hit it hard in 2008. We spent our last coaching session figuring out what all of this meant, and I left with an action plan so Im pointed in the right direction. Its interesting to note that as we were ending the call I told Kent that I didnt really like the fact that I got so much value out of our coaching sessions. You see, Im quite self-directed, and independent. A lot of the stuff that we go through weekly is either seeing the forest or seeing the trees stuff thats pretty obvious if I would just steal some quiet time and think about it on my own. Kent replied that he finds a lot of his clients get value, like I do, from these sessions. Its not like we are going over anything as profound as physics, but having someone to walk you through the logic, helping you come up with an action plan, eliminate the noise, and hold you accountable later is quite valuable. Kent, by the way, is offering a free coaching session so you can see what its like if you are in need of a job, career or interview coach you can check out my list of partners here. Lets get on to my list, though, as I think this might be helpful for some of you. In order to finish 2007 well Im going to: Finish the Im on Facebook Now What??? book. I wanted to get it do the editor last week but missed that. I need to get it there this weekend, and so this is the main priority for this week. Man, it will be great to have this writing done and not bleed into next year! Wrap up all of my outstanding contacts for prospective partners. If you are a coach or resume writer you *might* hear from me next week (ah, that cat is out of the bag :p). Since early last year Ive made over one thousands contacts with people that might want to partner, but I was rather disorganized in the early days and I know there are many who havent heard back from me after the initial contact. Plus, I have new, cool stuff to offer. Id like to get this figured out and mostly wrapped up this year. Get all my finances in order. I purchased Quickbooks a few weeks ago and have been putting in my expenses, and some revenue items. But I really want to get this all done by year end so that (a) I can know where Im at, (b) have a system so I will be on top of this monthly, and (c) not have to worry about cramming this into next quarter. Understand JibberJobber growth, trends, etc. so that I can plan accordingly on my marketing. Did you know that January is a huge month for people to reevaluate their career and job plans? It was a huge month for us this year, but in going over the numbers, I found that February was about 20% bigger. I want to have a better grasp on these numbers and not just fly by the seat of my pants (who comes up with these sayings??). Spend time on my 2008 goals, strategies, needs, and figure out specific actions/tasks for the first quarter of 2008. I think the most important thing I can do for 2008 is to plan now. I have a lot in place (like my visualization), but having a concrete plan should help a lot. What do YOU need to do this year to wrap it up? What about your 2008 what are your goals for yourself and your career, and what are you going to do? You dont have to leave a comment here, but I found that going through this exercise is extremely helpful! Finishing 2007 With A Bang, Prepping For 2008 At the risk of diverging too much information about my business, and making it look smaller (or bigger) than what you might think it is, I wanted to share some stuff from my last coaching session. Ive been concerned about making sure that I tie up all my 2007 loose ends, and am prepared to hit it hard in 2008. We spent our last coaching session figuring out what all of this meant, and I left with an action plan so Im pointed in the right direction. Its interesting to note that as we were ending the call I told Kent that I didnt really like the fact that I got so much value out of our coaching sessions. You see, Im quite self-directed, and independent. A lot of the stuff that we go through weekly is either seeing the forest or seeing the trees stuff thats pretty obvious if I would just steal some quiet time and think about it on my own. Kent replied that he finds a lot of his clients get value, like I do, from these sessions. Its not like we are going over anything as profound as physics, but having someone to walk you through the logic, helping you come up with an action plan, eliminate the noise, and hold you accountable later is quite valuable. Kent, by the way, is offering a free coaching session so you can see what its like if you are in need of a job, career or interview coach you can check out my list of partners here. Lets get on to my list, though, as I think this might be helpful for some of you. In order to finish 2007 well Im going to: Finish the Im on Facebook Now What??? book. I wanted to get it do the editor last week but missed that. I need to get it there this weekend, and so this is the main priority for this week. Man, it will be great to have this writing done and not bleed into next year! Wrap up all of my outstanding contacts for prospective partners. If you are a coach or resume writer you *might* hear from me next week (ah, that cat is out of the bag :p). Since early last year Ive made over one thousands contacts with people that might want to partner, but I was rather disorganized in the early days and I know there are many who havent heard back from me after the initial contact. Plus, I have new, cool stuff to offer. Id like to get this figured out and mostly wrapped up this year. Get all my finances in order. I purchased Quickbooks a few weeks ago and have been putting in my expenses, and some revenue items. But I really want to get this all done by year end so that (a) I can know where Im at, (b) have a system so I will be on top of this monthly, and (c) not have to worry about cramming this into next quarter. Understand JibberJobber growth, trends, etc. so that I can plan accordingly on my marketing. Did you know that January is a huge month for people to reevaluate their career and job plans? It was a huge month for us this year, but in going over the numbers, I found that February was about 20% bigger. I want to have a better grasp on these numbers and not just fly by the seat of my pants (who comes up with these sayings??). Spend time on my 2008 goals, strategies, needs, and figure out specific actions/tasks for the first quarter of 2008. I think the most important thing I can do for 2008 is to plan now. I have a lot in place (like my visualization), but having a concrete plan should help a lot. What do YOU need to do this year to wrap it up? What about your 2008 what are your goals for yourself and your career, and what are you going to do? You dont have to leave a comment here, but I found that going through this exercise is extremely helpful! Finishing 2007 With A Bang, Prepping For 2008 At the risk of diverging too much information about my business, and making it look smaller (or bigger) than what you might think it is, I wanted to share some stuff from my last coaching session. Ive been concerned about making sure that I tie up all my 2007 loose ends, and am prepared to hit it hard in 2008. We spent our last coaching session figuring out what all of this meant, and I left with an action plan so Im pointed in the right direction. Its interesting to note that as we were ending the call I told Kent that I didnt really like the fact that I got so much value out of our coaching sessions. You see, Im quite self-directed, and independent. A lot of the stuff that we go through weekly is either seeing the forest or seeing the trees stuff thats pretty obvious if I would just steal some quiet time and think about it on my own. Kent replied that he finds a lot of his clients get value, like I do, from these sessions. Its not like we are going over anything as profound as physics, but having someone to walk you through the logic, helping you come up with an action plan, eliminate the noise, and hold you accountable later is quite valuable. Kent, by the way, is offering a free coaching session so you can see what its like if you are in need of a job, career or interview coach you can check out my list of partners here. Lets get on to my list, though, as I think this might be helpful for some of you. In order to finish 2007 well Im going to: Finish the Im on Facebook Now What??? book. I wanted to get it do the editor last week but missed that. I need to get it there this weekend, and so this is the main priority for this week. Man, it will be great to have this writing done and not bleed into next year! Wrap up all of my outstanding contacts for prospective partners. If you are a coach or resume writer you *might* hear from me next week (ah, that cat is out of the bag :p). Since early last year Ive made over one thousands contacts with people that might want to partner, but I was rather disorganized in the early days and I know there are many who havent heard back from me after the initial contact. Plus, I have new, cool stuff to offer. Id like to get this figured out and mostly wrapped up this year. Get all my finances in order. I purchased Quickbooks a few weeks ago and have been putting in my expenses, and some revenue items. But I really want to get this all done by year end so that (a) I can know where Im at, (b) have a system so I will be on top of this monthly, and (c) not have to worry about cramming this into next quarter. Understand JibberJobber growth, trends, etc. so that I can plan accordingly on my marketing. Did you know that January is a huge month for people to reevaluate their career and job plans? It was a huge month for us this year, but in going over the numbers, I found that February was about 20% bigger. I want to have a better grasp on these numbers and not just fly by the seat of my pants (who comes up with these sayings??). Spend time on my 2008 goals, strategies, needs, and figure out specific actions/tasks for the first quarter of 2008. I think the most important thing I can do for 2008 is to plan now. I have a lot in place (like my visualization), but having a concrete plan should help a lot. What do YOU need to do this year to wrap it up? What about your 2008 what are your goals for yourself and your career, and what are you going to do? You dont have to leave a comment here, but I found that going through this exercise is extremely helpful!

To Graduates Looking For A New Job

To Graduates Looking For A New Job Ahh spring. Tulips are poking up from the soil. Birds are chirping away in the trees. And many students are graduating and looking for their first full time job.If you don’t have all of the answers to your family and friends seemingly endless questions… “Where will you live?!” “What will you do?!” “When are you going to find a job?!” Congratulations, because you are in a special place my friend. You are in transition from old to new. And new is what helps us expand and grow as people. So to graduates looking for a new job, to answer their questions (by the way, even though it’s annoying, they are just asking because they care about you and know you are amazing and want something great for you), you might say things like “I’m expanding my network on LinkedIn and contacting my connections for potential opportunities.”  Or you can confidently reply, “I have two networking events this week that may lead to promising job prospects.” With your family/friends questions answered for now, you can focus on you. Think back to when you were in a similar position when you were in high school and applying for colleges. It seemed scary to think you wouldn’t get into any colleges at all or into your favorite school. You may have felt fear. But it may have felt exciting too. So you wrote essays, submitted applications, and highlighted your best strengths. Look at me! I got an “A” in AP English! Check me out, I worked for the school newspaper and got a varsity letter in Cross Country! You used your own experiences to help you through the seemingly daunting college application process. And when you got accepted, you probably felt peace. The same fear-peace feelings apply for the college-workforce transition. It can feel scary, but you can make like Tris from Divergent and let this fear wake you up instead of shut you down. Here are a few steps to get you started.  Step 1: Create a  LinkedIn profile (if you havent already)             Highlight your experience and skills in your profile             Connect with your college professors, former bosses, parents, parents friends             Once you’re connected, ask for recommendations from your connections Step 2: Draft a resume             Use bullet points to communicate your experience and accomplishments             Mention all societies, groups, and extracurricular activities (i.e. volunteering)             Highlight any awards and honorable mentions             Save as a PDF (I’d hate for someone to type notes on your word doc resume and fwd along that version)             Don’t stress about itmany believe that resumes are extinct and that a quality LinkedIn profile serves as your resume (See! So do step 1 really well) Step 3: Join in             Go to alumni events, business networking events, and yes even parties with your parents to expand your network             Create a mobile business card to “Share Contact” via text/email at said events             Find an activity that you enjoy…gardening, run club, Toastmasters, intermural ultimate frisbee…whatever your heart sings for, join other people who love doing it too. You will meet new people, expand your network, and have fun. Step 4: Follow up             Hand written thank you notes are classy and gracious. Write them. Step 5: Stay positive             It’s easy to let the worries creep in…”What if I don’t find a job?! What if nothing works out?!!!!.” Take 3 deep breaths and 10 sips of water.             Get a mantra, i.e. ‘I am great!’ and repeat it to yourself frequently (I know…can you tell I went to yoga today?!)             Know that everything will work out for you             Remind yourself that you will learn and grow from whatever new opportunity finds it’s way to you. New will be exciting and cool and good, even if it’s scary at first. How did you find your next opportunity? Let me know in the comments or @kellymc247 Author Archive Photo credit 1 Photo credit 2

How to manage your image

How to manage your image My mother always told me, Dress for the job above yours. No one will give you a promotion until they can imagine you in the higher position. So when I worked at 31 Flavors in high school, I didnt wear a baseball cap like the other scoopers. I wore a crinkly, white paper hat, with brown and pink polka-dots, because thats what the manager wore. For a while, what I should wear was clear. In college, when I wanted to be David Kramers girlfriend, I wore soft blue sweaters like his fiancé. At my first real job, I was the Internet person at a Fortune 500 company where everyone wore suits and I wore jeans because thats what the guy who ran Netscape wore. At some point, though, I got stuck. At some point between middle management and top management, I couldnt find anyone to dress like. I rarely made deals with women and I rarely encountered a woman as I bounced between investors. When I did encounter a woman at my level, she wore a suit, or a least a jacket, which would not be appropriate at my own scrappy startup. I wanted to wear clothes that would make me feel appropriate in a crowd of 20-year-old programmers and a crowd of 50-year-old venture capitalists. I noticed that khakis and a blue shirt do the job for men: The hip black shoes fit in with the programmers and the expensiveness of the shirt fits with the over-fifties. But khakis and a blue shirt on a woman screams, No style and probably boring especially if she wears it as many days in a row as the men do. Its a double-standard, but it persists, and probably-boring is not a trait people want in a leader. So I hired a stylist. I hired one who dresses sets for sitcoms. But if someones sick she dresses the people. I tried to focus on the people instead of the props and that made me trust her. Her name was Allison. She looked at me as her big break into the high tech industry. She took me to Nieman-Marcus and told me next time to dress nicer so we get better service. I tucked my T-shirt into my jeans. Forget it, she said. She said shoes are most important and my eight pairs of black loafers are not stylish. Glamour is in, she said, and she picked out shoes I would never choose. I thought about the time the dentist told me about his business plan and when he took his fingers out of my mouth I told him ten companies already did that, and he didnt believe me, and I thought he was a fool for not trusting an expert. So I tried to trust Allison. The shoe salesman knew Allison was special. She knew the shoes he had in back. She knew the colors designers favored and said, Dont bother with brown from Chanel. I tried on Fantini heels and teetered. Allison said, You look beautiful. Can you walk? I said no. She said try. I teetered. She said, You walk fine. I said, There cant be a hint of teeter because people already subconsciously think women arent sturdy enough to run a company. Allison sifted though shoes for lower heels. The shoe salesman said, But you dont want the men to think youre a prude. I looked at him. I looked for signs that he was scum. I dont know what I was looking for. I was looking for a reason to scream at him. But he looked so young and innocent. Maybe this was his ice cream scooping job. I said, Would you say that to a man who was buying shoes for work? He said, A man would never buy heels. Allison looked up at me and gave me a sort of its-not-worth-it look. But I persisted until he said, Youre right, in a way that meant, please buy shoes from me. He said, Im really sorry for offending you, which meant, women are so volatile, I wish I were in the tie department. I said, Thank you, which really meant, I am so gracious and you are ignorant and you will marry a woman with no self-esteem so that you do not have to notice your own shortcomings. Allison hustled me through each department. She taught me rules of thumb: DKNY and Tahari are casual but sophisticated and thats the look that lies between dinky startup and Fortune 500. I told the Mac makeup artist that I am a high-tech executive and I need to look a little older than I am. He told me to buy bright red lipstick and black-rimmed glasses. Even if you can see, he said. Allison concurred. I unveiled my new look slowly at work. Lipstick one week. Glasses the next. Shoes on days Id be sitting. I noticed as my wardrobe changed, the women who reported to me changed their wardrobes. Like my mom called them up or something. I tried not to think that Allison and I were making my office look like a sitcom. Soon I started taking my appearance more seriously. And I ditched the glasses because I didnt want any woman reporting to me to think she needed glasses even though she could already see.

January News and Updates for PGRs University of Manchester Careers Blog

January News and Updates for PGRs University of Manchester Careers Blog A big welcome to all the new PGR students who’ve just arrived at the University of Manchester! Spring is in the air. It’s true. Leaving work in the evening, I’ve detected a glimmer of sunlight lingering in the western sky.  More significantly, snowdrops, that well known harbinger of British Spring, have appeared in our garden (we live 200 m higher than Manchester, so I come into work to get warm). Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672) was an early English poet in North America (unusual for being a published poet at a time when, according to her contemporary, Edward Hopkins, Governor of Connecticut (my home state for anyone interested) writing and reading should be left for men, “whose minds are stronger”).   Amongst her literary legacy, a particular quote of Mrs Bradstreet’s seems apt as we perch on the threshold of Spring 2017: “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. Anne Bradstreet, Meditations Divine and Moral The work of the Careers Service is designed and delivered to give you control over your career (= job + life).   None of us can ever have 100% control but through self-awareness and other skills of career management, you become more able to adapt and overcome adversities that are out of your immediate control, and able to seek guidance for support and advice for dealing with things both in and out of your control. With this in mind, I’ll be re-running some of the Careers Essentials workshops in February, for anyone who missed them last time around. You can find out more on our Postgraduate Events page: Careers Essentials for Postgraduates http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/postgraduates/events/ For new PhD students â€" don’t miss: 10 and a bit things you should know about the Careers Service: https://manunicareersblog.com/2016/09/14/10-and-a-bit-things-phds-should-know-about-the-careers-service/ Would building better relationships help you adapt and be resilient? Read this guest blog post on by Sue Colbeck to find out more about the skills of relationship building with colleagues: https://manunicareersblog.com/2015/03/20/relationships-are-they-a-skill/ Getting ready for making applications? Not sure where to start? A first port of call is the Applications and Interviews section of the Careers Service website â€" find out what you do know, what you don’t know, review your application and interview strengths and weaknesses â€" then take action before that crucial deadline. http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/applicationsinterviews/ International students â€" Don’t forget about the 12 month visa extension for PhDs.   Find out about this and more on our International pages: http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/international/ All Postgrad-highlighted Postgraduate Applications and interviews career planning postgraduate

IEP Goal For Resume Writing

IEP Goal For Resume WritingIEP goal for resume writing is to convey your personality as an individual. To get a firm grasp of your own personality, you have to be aware of what drives your actions and if these are sincere or not.The other aspect is how the goals are defined. What's the objective? Who are you trying to reach?To get a clear understanding of the goal, you need to make it very specific. Your goal should state the exact action required to achieve that goal. This will help in driving your action.While the job market is witnessing a steady growth, there are bound to be no jobs available for everyone who applies for them. To qualify for the positions, it is essential to possess a particular skill. Hence, the IEP goal for resume writing is to come up with a set of skills which will be specific to the type of position you are looking for.While your goal is to maximize your potential, the IEP goal for resume writing is to maximize your opportunities. It is your mission to optim ize your market potential by maximizing your value as an individual. If you can do that, you have many chances to earn plenty of money. The ability to offer relevant products or services is the primary aspect to optimize your business prospects.There are many different things to focus on in developing your career goals. You can focus on academic achievements, the kind of employment you are looking for, the geographical location and the actual or perceived competition. These are your prospective goals.If you have an expert, trained and experienced, the person who can give you professional and expert advice, then it is appropriate to put theIEP goal for resume writing on his or her profile. The consultant can create solutions for your problems and provide solutions to your strengths. He or she can help you in becoming a better person by redefining your capabilities. You can also gain valuable experience in ways of self-discipline, hard work and effective communication that will help y ou in realizing your potential.At times, career goals tend to be vague. In such situations, it is best to focus on an actual problem that you need to resolve. With this, your focus will be fixed on specific tasks, which need to be completed and accomplished within a given time period.

How to Be More Productive

How to Be More Productive How productive are you? What I mean is how much stuff do you get done, is it the right stuff, and how much time and energy does it take (or give you)? If I were to grade myself on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest, then I’ve been as low as 2-3 and as high as 8-9 when it comes to productivity. Sometimes in the same day! Getting the Right Stuff Done I’ve always been best at the first part: getting things done. Give me a task, and I can grind it out and get to a result or produce a finished product that’s at a high standard. It might even be perfect. But in my case, it’s not always the right stuff that gets done. That’s because I find it hard to resist the latest fire to fight. I like challenge, racing the clock, and getting things accomplished. Then going “ta-da!” as I unveil my finished opus and get a pat on the head. All of which makes it harder for me to be discerning about what I take on, and not just do what pops up in front of me. In fact, for most of my career, I was so immersed in the battle of the moment that I didn’t come up for air to think about whether it made sense for me to spend that extra 3 hours at the office, much less whether someone else could do it better or whether it needed to be done at all. And that’s the case even though I always tried to be the best I could be. Related to that, the amount of time and effort I was willing to devote was pretty much infinite. It was about getting the thing done and done “right”, whatever the cost. You know that “point of diminishing returns”? Well, let’s just say that’s a space I know well! It’s like being in battle when the commander says, “take that hill,” and I’m off sprinting to get it done whatever the cost. I would have made a great foot soldier. The Low End of Productivity When I’m doing things that matter and using my special strengths, I can easily get to an 8 or 9. But by the same token, you can see how easy it is to dip down to a 2 or 3. The thing is, the more time you spend at that low end of the productivity scale, the more likely you are to stay there. Regularly redoubling your efforts to do things that don’t move the needle uses up your valuable time and energy. It creates a vicious cycle that’s exhausting. And that won’t lead to a satisfying life or career. Be Intentional Instead, what I’ve learned the hard way is that you need to stop and be intentional about what you choose to do, how you choose to do it, and how to improve. How about you? How are you going to be better next week? Next month? Next year? It won’t happen by accident. It’s all about being on purpose. That’s the basis for creating productive habits that work for you and not against you. Want to be more productive? Be intentional about what you choose to do and how you choose to do it Productivity Strategies that Work What works for one person may be different from what works for another. The key is to find the productivity strategies and tools that will work for you. Even with the most rigorous research-based advice, it’s about translating that into your daily life and implementing and improvising. You have to try different things and see what works for you. With that caveat, here are four categories of things I’ve done that have helped me to be more productive. To manage my energy Take a break and go outside. Whenever things got a bit overwhelming and my energy was flagging, it worked wonders for me to go for a walk outside and breathe some fresh air, feel the wind and sun on my face. Go for your 20 minutes in the sun. It’s better than having more caffeine. Exercise. This was essential once I hit the age of 40. Before I started exercising, I had all sorts of back and neck problems. But once I built 20-30 minutes of exercise into my day, my body and mind both felt better. For me, it was optimal to do it in the morning before work before the day got away from me. Or sometimes I fit it in at lunchtime by taking a run outside. Remember, doing something is better than doing nothing. Go for a walk outside, get some fresh air, feel the wind and sun on your face. It’s better than having more caffeine. To beat procrastination and just get started Do just 5 minutes. When our kids had piano lessons and didn’t want to practice, we’d tell them to practice for just 5 minutes and then they could go out and play. Once they sat down for 5 minutes, they usually kept going for another 10-15 minutes because they got engrossed. Turns out that worked for me at the office too. So if there’s something you’ve been putting off until you have more time, get started by doing “just 5 minutes”. Break it into smaller tasks. That made projects seem less monolithic and I could more easily fit the tasks into smaller chunks of time. And sometimes it would be more efficient as parts of the bigger task could require different activities and use different parts of my brain. For example, conceptualizing the outline versus doing the research. It also made it easier for me to delegate pieces rather than hold onto the whole project and block the team’s progress. Use time slivers. Related to breaking things into smaller tasks, I learned from my father that it can boost productivity significantly if you use those “in between” times. Sometimes these slivers of time are expected, like the time between meetings or when you’re waiting in the dentist’s office. Other times they’re not, like being stuck in traffic in the back of a taxi. But you can be prepared. Whether it’s a book to read, a pad and pen to jot thoughts, or a document to edit, I always liked to have something with me just in case. Productivity Tip: If there’s something you’ve been putting off doing, get started by doing just 5 minutes'. To get out of my own way The Mantra. One of the biggest obstacles to my productivity was what went on in my head. You know, negative self-talk. Worry. Fear. Perfectionism. Procrastination. The whole lot. Putting together a mantra â€" a set of sentences to say to myself â€" and saying it regularly to myself throughout the day helped me become more confident and no longer consumed by doubt. Write it down. It helped me to write down everything I was worried about. Getting it out from my mind and onto paper made it less daunting and took a lot of the power out of the things I feared. Then I could move forward and be productive. Talk it through with someone. I think better when I’m working with others. So if I needed to figure out the best option out of the many ideas bubbling in my mind, I would stroll down to a colleague or team member’s office for a brainstorming session. To concentrate and focus Hide away. When I needed to concentrate, it often helped me to have a change of scenery and go to a place where I was not going to be interrupted. That meant working in a conference room away from my phone and desk, which forced me to concentrate. When you do this, make sure your assistant or boss knows how to reach you, but make sure he or she only contacts you in an emergency. Clear the desk. Being easily distracted, I found it hard to work when there was a swamp of papers on my desk. I needed a clean, clear surface to work on and would start with that. As a caveat, this worked well for making me productive in the moment, but it wasn’t a long-term solution since I ended up moving everything into piles elsewhere in my office, which I’ll get to in a minute. Do something physical. I found that doing a short, sharp burst of physical activity really reset my brain so I could concentrate. For me, it could be jumping jacks, push ups, dancing to music, sprinting down a stretch of sidewalk, bouncing on a Swiss Ball. Anything that got my blood pumping and oxygen flowing. It may be a different version for you, and as they say, “consult your doctor before engaging in any physical activity”! Productivity Tip: Do a short burst of physical activity to reset your brain to concentrate. What Doesn't Work (at least for me…) Equally important to finding things that work for you is to know what doesn't (at least not yet) so you can stop beating yourself up about it. Two things I tried but haven’t yet worked for me have been: Eliminating interruptions. I’ve always been easily distracted and frankly welcome distractions as a form of procrastination. It’s amazing that I consistently seem to need another cup of tea, to go to the bathroom, take a walk to get fresh air (that one’s okay). In the end, I stopped fighting this and allowed myself to use those opportunities to take breaks, which has been proven to help productivity. Keeping my office tidy. What can I say? I like to “dump and run”, filing is not my thing, and I don’t trust others to do it for me. But I haven’t given up. Here’s my current attempt: I’ve got someone who’s a great organizer and who I trust (my daughter) and she is helping me get my office space set up for greater productivity. So, stay tuned! Work Smarter, Not Harder If you want to be more productive and work smarter, collaborate smarter, and lead smarter, then join the Work Smarter Summit. The Work Smarter Summit is a free virtual event on how to do more great work, make more money, and enjoy more of your life. I’ll be sharing my advice alongside 40 thought leaders who are the best in the world of leadership, management, teamwork, and personal productivity. Each speaker will share powerful strategies that helped them excel in their career, and proven tactics that you can apply to find similar success. The insights on this summit can change how you work for the better. My interview airs on Wednesday, February 22nd â€" you won’t want to miss it! Register for the free Work Smarter Summit here (Note: If you can't make each session of the Summit, but want the benefits of all this knowledge, then get the All Access Pass. You'll be able to watch and study all of the powerful sessions on your own time. Just make sure to get the All Access Pass right away to get the best value since the price goes up on Monday February 20th.) What productivity strategies and tools work for you? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Meet The PortaBoss - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

Meet The PortaBoss - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Meet Pawel, the CEO of IT company Lunar Logic in Poland. Unlike most CEOs he doesnt have a fancy corner office. In fact, he has NO office. Heres how it works: A laptop desk, a bean bag and a recycled cardboard box ? that?s all he needs to set up a flying office. He can usually be found in a few rooms in our office, shifting his spot couple of times a day. Or a week. The pattern changes. Not only because of a possible back pain ? there are several reasons for him being in motion. Some of which have already changed our company. I think its a great experiment. Does it work? Heres what Pawel says: I can grab my flying office in my hands and move it to the place where I?m needed or I feel like I can be helpful. I need just a bit of space in a corner or by the wall and done ? a new office set up. Surprisingly, sitting in the corner and almost on the floor has a few unexpected advantages . First, you need very little physical space, which means you will fit to almost any room (unless it is already packed beyond any healthy limits). Second, this way you become almost invisible, which definitely helps if your goal is to understand how the team functions, and not just scratch the surface. Third, and arguably most importantly, you strip yourself from status symbols. Instead of a huge desk dubbed by your colleagues as the airstrip, a leather armchair and a locker just the simplest set that does the job. All in all, you?re way more accessible and much less intimidating. Isn?t that something every single leader should strive for? Read all about it here to find out what his employees honestly think about it. Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related