Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Mon, Apr 23, 2012 @ 02:28 PM
At work it’s important to be a hard worker, organized and productive. But what most people don’t think about is how important it is to be innovative. The new ideas that come from innovation are what can take a business from mere existence to great success.
Though it might seem impossible at times, anyone can be creative. It’s just a simple matter of looking at things in a different light. Bring a new perspective to the table with these helpful tips...
- Don’t allow yourself to get discouraged even if people shoot down your ideas. Instead use their negative attitude and turn it around. Work harder and keep coming up with new ideas.
- Take chances and voice it. Don’t let your fear of being rejected stop you from putting your ideas out there. Even if some of them are disregarded, you never know when you might have a gem.
- It is important to listen to feedback but that doesn’t mean you have to accept everything. When trying to be creative DO NOT let people tell you that you’re doing it wrong. There is no wrong or right way. Everybody thinks and works in a different way, so you aren’t doing it wrong, you might just be doing it a little differently.
- Don’t be caught up in being perfect. Perfection does not matter when you are coming up with ideas. You can have a great innovative idea that may need to be tweaked. During the brainstorming phase that is okay!
- Don’t follow the crowd. Just because someone else thinks it’s a good idea doesn’t mean you have to. Voice your opinion. Because sometimes it’s when you’re trying to work out the problems that something great comes from it.
- Loosen up and play a game. It allows your mind to open up. Stop thinking of work and just let your mind wonder. Start drawing. Throw out those random thoughts… you never know what will come from them!
Remember there are a variety of outlets to be creative. There is no wrong or right. There is no specific way. Just be yourself and find out how you can let your ideas flow!
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Mon, Apr 02, 2012 @ 02:33 PM
Being diligent is an essential skill that you can use in all aspects of your life. It can be especially useful in the office. When you are being diligent you are able to focus persistently, allowing you to complete more in a shorter amount of time. If you’re working diligently to achieve your goals, chances are you’re a highly motivated employee. But how do you become one of these people? Use these steps to work toward becoming more diligent…
- Remove all distractions from sight. Taking a break is important, but browsing the internet or watching videos can quickly take over a good portion of your day if you’re not careful. Don’t hold yourself back from accomplishing your goals. If you’re someone who needs background noise, try putting on some peaceful music. It might even help you concentrate.
- Make a list of all your SMART goals. Doing this helps visualize what you want to accomplish.
- Prioritize. Put your most important goals first. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted by things that can be done at a later time.
- Schedule your time efficiently. Create a plan each week and each day that allows you to accomplish everything in a timely manner.
- Be flexible and realistic. Don’t allow yourself to get caught up on any problems that might occur. Reprioritize and reschedule whatever you need. Then return to the plan.
- Reward yourself. Remaining focused on your goals is time consuming and energy consuming. Rewarding yourself to spur motivation can help when you are feeling discouraged for one reason or another.
- Recognize the value of your hard work. Once you accomplish one goal take time to recognize what you have done. Each time you accomplish a goal, take a moment to recognize the value of the work you have done.
Allow yourself to be the best you can be while at work and home. Shine through all the fog that might be trying to distract you. By using these steps above, you will prove to others and yourself that you are dependable and produce work of high quality... two very important things when it comes to success in the work place. Become diligent and you become the lighthouse that can guide your company to success.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Tue, Mar 13, 2012 @ 02:35 PM
Running a successful company is a tough job, and as an employer you have to invest a significant amount of time and planning into that job. Creating goals for your company, yourself and your employees is key to the success of any organization. Planning out the future of your company allows you and your employees to work together toward a common goal.
Have you ever taken a minute to see how your employee’s future goals affect your company? If someone is looking to be promoted wouldn’t you expect them to work twice as hard as everyone else? What if you were able to focus that drive and energy into the development of a new software or contribute new marketing ideas?
Aligning employee and company goals is critical to the success of both. Take the time to talk with each employee. Ask them where they want to be a year from now and work with them to align those goals with the company goals. By having your employees set SMART goals you are encouraging them to succeed within the company.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Wed, Feb 15, 2012 @ 02:22 PM
As an employer you want to know that your employees are capable of success. Remember that life throws us curve balls and sometimes they can smack you right in the face. That’s why it’s imp
ortant that you…
- Keep track of your employees. Know what is going on in their lives because sometimes it might seem like they aren’t able to rise to the challenge but in reality it’s something else altogether. Sometimes even the most reliable employee can have a problem that affects their performance at work. Knowing their circumstances can allow you as a manager to better direct them and help them continue to perform at a high level even while they’re dealing with more challenges than usual.
- Teach your employees the importance of organization. It’s important that everyone within the company, including you, sets and keeps a tight schedule because if not it is likely things will be forgotten.
Hiring reliable people can prove helpful in many situations…
- In order to have a successful company you need employees who meet their deadlines, show up to work on time and so on. It is these small things that can make all the difference.
- When looking at your employees you want to be able to say, “Jennifer has wonderful work ethic, is always on time and meets every deadline” not “Jennifer is excellent at her job but only when it is at her convenience.”
- Your employees make up the character of your company. Clients may begin to look elsewhere if your employees don’t follow through on their commitments.
A reliable person has the ability to gain the trust of their employer, co-workers and clients through hard work and dedication to the job at hand. It is this trust that allows your company and the people in it to grow.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Mon, Jan 09, 2012 @ 08:32 AM
Being the boss means you have to make the tough decisions. You’re the one who has to fire and hire people, decide where money is spent, and decide whether or not your employees are performing at the level necessary to make your company succeed.
But even though you’re the boss, it doesn’t mean you don’t make mistakes. As the employer you have people looking at everything you do and judging every decision you make. That’s why it’s just as important for you to GET feedback as it is for you to GIVE feedback. Taking suggestions from your employees does not make you weak. It can actually make you stronger. Most of the time, employees see things that you can’t see yourself.
Start by making a suggestion box and leave it in a common area that everyone has access too. Then once a week check the box and see what changes have been suggested. Even if you don’t agree with them all, sometimes you will find that diamond in the rough.
Asking what the employees think about their work environment and how they feel about the people they work with can help make you a better boss. Become a leader that is confident enough to ask for help because you cannot do everything even though sometimes you might wish you could!
Communication is a two way street and if you don’t ask for your employees to speak openly with you about problems in the office a lot of people might become unhappy creating a hostile work environment for everyone.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Wed, Dec 07, 2011 @ 02:05 PM
It’s coming to the end of another year and the perfect time to set goals for what you want to accomplish in the next. Perhaps you’ve set goals in years past… maybe you’ve called them resolutions… and they somehow don’t seem to get accomplished. But there’s a secret to setting goals that happen. Making your goals SMART will give you a leg up on actually reaching your goals in 2012. Let’s find out how.
What do SMART goals stand for?
S - Specific
M - Measurable
A - Attainable
R – Realistic
T – Timely
How do I create SMART goals?
Get out a pen and paper and make a list of goals you want to accomplish in the next week, month or year. Once you have your goals it’s time to turn them into SMART goals starting with the S.
Specific
You need your goals to be straightforward, focused and underline exactly what you want to happen. By making specific goals that’s exactly what you will do. In order to do this it’s helpful to answer the following questions about each goal:
- What do you want to accomplish?
- Why do you want to accomplish the goal?
- Who is involved?
- How are you going to accomplish the goal?
Remember to keep your goals clearly stated. What’s the difference between a specific and general goal? A general goal might be, “To finish the interviews” and a specific goal would be, “To finish the interviews in two weeks by scheduling two interviews a day.”
Measurable
It’s important to measure your goal because this allows you to see whether you are accomplishing the goal within the time frame created. If you are unable to measure your goal you will have trouble managing it. By choosing measurable goals you will be able to stay on track, reach your target dates and watch yourself reach each goal step by step.
Attainable
If you choose goals that are too far out of reach, you probably won’t commit to finishing them. Although you may start with the best of intentions, the knowledge that it is too much to handle will cause your subconscious to remind you of this and will probably stop you from giving it your best efforts. You want the goal to challenge you a bit but not so much that it is completely impossible.
You can accomplish practically any goal you set when it’s attainable. Goals that seemed out of reach will eventually move closer and become attainable because you will grow and expand to the challenge.
Realistic
For a goal to be realistic it must represent an objective which you are both willing and able to work toward. Remember that even though a goal is challenging it doesn’t mean it isn’t realistic. You have to be the one to decide whether or not you will be able to handle the pressure. If you can meet the challenge that’s when you know the goal is a realistic one. A goal is probably realistic if you believe it can be accomplished.
Timely
Every goal you make needs to have a time frame in which it is going to be completed. If you don’t have a time frame for your goals there will be no sense of urgency. Without a time frame you will just keep saying, “I’ll finish this goal someday.” But if you create a specific day then you can be held accountable for keeping to that timeline.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Wed, Nov 16, 2011 @ 04:16 PM
I cannot even count how many times I have heard people tell me to “think outside of the box.” It seems easy enough but when you actually have to think of something new you realize it’s not as simple as one, two, three. So how exactly do we “think outside of the box?” Here are six ways to help open your mind and spark that creativity you may not realize you have:
- Learn something new! Take a class or watch a webinar online about something you aren’t an expert in. This can help you to understand different aspects of your industry and can help you to expand the way you look at problems and the possible solutions you could come up with. Looking at the same problem you are faced with from a different perspective can help open your eyes to the solution.
- Write it down! You are always thinking and sometimes you will be getting your coffee and come up with a great idea but by the time you get to the office you completely forget about it. Don’t let this happen to you because sometimes the greatest ideas come to you in the most unlikely ways. Make sure you write it down! Sometimes just making a list of ideas can help you actually see it and sometimes putting them all on one paper can help you make connections and see things differently.
- Switch it up and flip it around! Sometimes when trying to come up with a new idea you start traveling in a circle getting stuck within the same thinking and can’t get any new ideas. It can be helpful mix it up a bit. Draw a picture, flip your paper upside down, try working backwards, or change your environment. Working in the same place every day is not always good when you’re trying to get your creative juices flowing. So take walk, do a puzzle or watch a funny clip. Just do something that can take your mind to a different place because sometimes the best ideas aren’t the ones you can find easily.
- Make mistakes and relax! Today, people associate mistakes with doing something terribly wrong and when we do something wrong we get stressed. But the truth is mistakes help us realize things that before we couldn’t see. So relax and make mistakes because sometimes making mistakes can lead to something greater. Let yourself be free to mess up!
- Be Curious! Sometimes acting like a kid and asking question after question can be the greatest thing when trying to “think outside of the box.” Keep it simple by asking questions that start with why, when, what, who, where, or how. The answers you get will help you too see the whole picture and sometimes might help you realize something you never did before.
- Get comfortable with being uncomfortable! This is probably the most important thing because in order to “think outside of the box” you have to defy the social norms! No one has ever been called original for doing the same old thing. You have to do something new and daring. Just be random!
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Wed, Oct 26, 2011 @ 04:55 PM
People like routine. It’s like a security blanket to most people and if that blanket is shaken a lot of people try to hold on tight and resist the change. This can be a problem when a company is trying to grow and its employees are reluctant for change to occur.
A lot of people will resist change because they don’t think it is necessary, they feel like they’re losing safety, security, their ability to perform at their previous level and in some cases it might feel as if they no longer have a place in the company. If these feelings take over it can cause employees to become resistant. A lot of times employees will start to perform poorly, try to interfere, refuse to participate, or even quit depending on the kind of change. Change can cause problems but there are some ways that will help get your employees to embrace change within your company.
- Leadership! The leaders within your company must support the change or your employees will feel that they do not have to either.
- Trust! If you and your employees have mutual trust change will be more readily accepted. Employees need to feel confident that the leader has their best interests in mind. Trust in leadership = Success.
- Communication! Leaders within the company can use communication to gain employees’ trust. It’s important that leaders be honest! If you don’t confront the issues head on, rumors will spread and people will make up their own answers to the unanswered questions. Let them know that the losses such as feeling like a beginner to new software are okay because everyone is feeling the same way.
- Clarify! Let your employees know why the change is occurring, what the intended outcomes are and how it can benefit them. Your employees need to understand in order to accept!
- Time! Give your employees time to wrap their minds around the change. Don’t just spring change on your employees. Give everyone a heads up on what’s to come.
- Listen! Show your employees that you care about them and that their concerns and opinions matter to you!
- Control! Create a suggestion box. Allow all employees to play an active role in the change by giving them a voice. If they feel like they are a part of the process, they are more likely to embrace the change. However, only ask for their opinion if you plan on considering it.
- Positivity! Make sure you are giving positive feedback about the progress. Celebrate ALL successes!
- Competence! Help your employees gain the skills, knowledge, and abilities they need in order to deal with the upcoming change. If it’s a new software make sure they get the proper training and that everyone feels they have received the training they need to succeed.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Mon, Sep 26, 2011 @ 02:18 PM
Achieving balance between work and home is an ongoing process of juggling responsibilities between the two. Mastering this skill can reduce frustration and help you excel in both areas. The first step to accomplishing this is to periodically step back and analyze how everything in your life is going. Then you can assess what you need to change.
Here are three areas to examine:
- Separation between work and family is extremely important. Work can get hectic and sometimes it can even start to take over your home life. You don’t want to come home and have to go straight back to work after a long day. When work ends that means it’s time to spend time with your family. Learning how to say “no” to work and letting go of workplace worries is a skill that is difficult to do, but worth working towards. Try to schedule your time so that you are able to finish your work while at work. Then, home time can be family time. If that becomes a regular practice, when work does need to take priority, it’s the exception rather than the rule.
- Values are something you should follow whether at work or at home. Sometimes decisions can be difficult to make and knowing exactly where you stand can make tough choices easier and help to steer you in the right direction. Sticking to your values helps you to keep who you are intact in what can be a hectic work environment.
- Organization is the most important aspect to gaining balance in your life. The best way to start is to get a calendar or planner. Write down what you have to do every day, even if it seems of little importance. It is usually the little things that get overlooked. Keeping a planner also allows you to look ahead and make sure you allow enough time for everything you have coming up. Remember that things can change or come up last minute so it’s important to revisit your schedule periodically and make necessary adjustments.
Remember that distractions and procrastination happen to everyone, but it’s important to focus on and keep to your schedule. Plans are just plans until you execute them. If you are able to balance work and family you will be able to enjoy each one more.
Posted by Elizabeth Berlin on Tue, Sep 06, 2011 @ 03:47 PM
Learning how to increase your employee’s performance is a matter of two things: motivation and the employee’s aptitude. Let’s look at the latter.
It can be difficult to know whether an employee is a right fit for a position and for your company. Not every employee you hire is going to work out. That’s why it’s important to take the time to see how each employee is doing. If you don’t take the time to check their progress on an ongoing basis, you may not realize an employee is not working out until something goes really wrong.
There are many ways to overcome employee performance problems. Here are a few you can try.
- Look at the tools you have provided. Do your employees have what they need to perform to their fullest? If not, ask them what they would need to get the job done. But before you take the time and money to fix it, do your own investigation because sometimes people will place the blame on an external source, when in reality the responsibility lies with them.
- It is always a good idea to provide additional training to your employees. Technology is continuously changing and sometimes it can be difficult to keep up. That’s why it’s important that as an employer to provide the opportunity for employees to retain and keep their skills current.
- If the first two stops don’t work, it’s time to consider reassigning parts of your employee’s job in order to find a better fit. Find out where they have excelled and where they have fallen short. Then see if you can switch the responsibilities of your employees based on their individual strengths.
Remember that keeping an employee in a position that is not the right fit for them will not only cause challenges for the company but it doesn’t serve the employee well either.
What are some strategies you have used to turn poor performance around in your organization?