Create a Fair, Functional Winter Weather Policy for your Workplace

Create a ritterlich, Functional Winter Weather Policy for your WorkplaceCreate a Fair, Functional Winter Weather Policy for your WorkplaceCreate a Fair, Functional Winter Weather Policy for your Workplace Conlan, Contributing WriterBitter cold, dangerous ice, piles of snowExtreme winter weather conditionscan disrupt the workplace and your business success. Whether youre a small business owner or human resources manager, make sure you have a fair and useful winter weather policy at the ready for employees. Heres what you need to know.Remember the LawThe Fair Labor Standards Act dictates whether a company is obligated to pay employees if the business is closed due to inclement weather, says Jason Carney, HR director of WorkSmart Systems.Under the FLSA, employers are not required to pay non-exempt employees for time in which no work was performed. Some states, however, have report-in pay laws, which say some non-exempt employees must be paid if they make it to work and are later sent ho me.Exempt employees must almost always be paid for the entire day if they are sent home.Reflect your Company CultureOnce youre familiar with the law, put together a policy that reflects your company culture and branding, says Charles Krugel, a management-side labor and employment lawyer.If youre the US Post Office, then your policy should be neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow. A hard-driving, aggressive organization thats big on face time will probably have a different policy than a family-oriented organization or one that prides itself on workplace flexibility.Keep your Entire Workforce in MindOn the other hand, adds Krugel, if you have a diverse workforce that works in a variety of areas, a one-size-fits-all policy probably isnt appropriate.Cathy Ramos, human resources manager for LASIO Inc., agrees. She recommends keeping in mind logistics that employees may be dealing with, such as travel distance, method of travel and caregiving responsibilities. Keep in mind workplace flexibili ty.Include a clear plan of action that takes into consideration business needs, but most importantly, employee safety, she says.Define Bad WeatherDetermine what the cutoff for your organization will be. Is it a certain amount of snow, is it when city officials announce unsafe travel conditions or is it when city schools are closed? Ramos says.Have a Plan of ActionBe explicit in your weather policy and include expectations about what employees should do in different scenarios, Ramos says.Bad-weather policies should include what is expected from an employee in case bad weather results in unsafe travel conditions or school closures, which often impacts employee attendance. It should allot for work that can be completed from home and clearly communicate when an employee can expect to receive an email or phone call on business closure.Most importantly, it should clearly lay out the roles and responsibility of the people who prepare the company for bad weather, which would include notifyi ng employees, setting up automated messages, alerting customers and establishing virtual access to the office, she says.Put Safety FirstCarney recommends managers be flexible with arrival times when the weather is bad and encourage safe driving among employees. Allow working from home as an option if weather is severe, and keep office morale high by offering a relaxed dress code policy, he says.

Peer Interviewing

Peer InterviewingPeer InterviewingPeer InterviewingThe question on every HR professional and managers mind is how do you hire, retain, and develop the best employees?Of course, it starts with knowing how to write a job description. And when its time for the interview, theres one interview technique in particular that is becoming mora and more popular peer-to-peer interviewing. This interviewing practice has job candidates meet one-on-one with employees the candidate is able to ask the employee questions about the company and job, while the employee can size up the applicant and then tell the boss his or her thoughts.Peer-to-peer interviewing is an especially successful interview process forsmall companies and for team-based operations, as it allows the organization to get a more complete idea of a candidates overall fit.The Upside to Peer-to-Peer InterviewingTransfer of knowledge. Applicants are able to learn more about the company from employees (who are likely to tell it a little more like it is).Guard is down. Applicants are more likely to let their guard down with peers, so the organization will get a better sense of who their candidates are and how theyll fit.Morale is up. Employees help to select their future coworkers. Being involved in the selection process is good for morale and productivity employees now have more of a stake in the organization. All this strengthens workers commitment to the organization and builds on a community atmosphere, in which peoples opinions do matter.Happy together. As employees are invested in the new hires success (theyve already met them and have a sense of who they are), they are more likely to help new employees. Similarly, new employees start work knowing their peers support them.Is there a downside?The downside of peer-to-peer interviewing can be managed, but should be carefully considered.Two-way street. Its important to remember thatthe candidate is also evaluating the company in the interview process. There have b een cases in which unhappy employees interview applicants, talk about the problems with the company, and end up discouraging the candidates from taking the job, if theyre hired.Solution Be sure that your employees are genuinely positive, happy, and enthusiastic about the company.Personal agendas. Some employees could be threatened by an applicant and not recommend him/her out of their own insecurities.Solution Heres where a bit of managerial intuition comes into play. Beyond that, employees participating in these interviews should get along with their coworkers and be generallylikeable people. Its also a good idea to ensure that employee interviewers represent a cultural cross-section of the organizations workers that is, have an equal mix of ethnicities, races, and sexes. Employees should also have great people skills, be articulate, and understand what company is looking for in its next hire.An interview, not an interrogation. A three-hour, six person interview is not what the can didate will be expecting or appreciate.Solution Peer-to-peer interviewing certainly doesnt mean a candidate should be interviewed by half of your staff. Not only is this intimidating for the candidate, but what kind of message does this send about your organization that any potential new hire should be questioned by everyone in the company? Keep the peer interviews to one or two people per visit.Sure morale is up, but productivity is down. How can peer interviews increase productivity when they take away so much of workers time?Solution Peer-to-peer interviewing can involve a lot of time preparing, conducting the interview itself, following-up with recommendations. Have a list of platzdeckchen questions for employees to ask, and a brief form (of recommendations) for employees to fill out afterward. Set a time limit of 30 minutes on the entire process. Again, this is another reason to keep the peer interviews to an effective and minimal couple of people.TipsInterview training is esse ntial. For example, employees must know what are legal interview questions and which are unprofessional, illegal, and therefore off-limits Do you have children?Keep the evaluative forms quick and effective. Adapt a quantitative approach by using a rating scale (between 1 and 10). Employees should grade the applicant on his/her knowledge, skills, experience, etc.Make it clear that while employees feedback will be taken into high regard, HR and management still make the final decision.Try new approachesThe job interview is as tried and true as the job ad itself, but that doesnt mean there arent new avenues to explore when youre ready to expand your team. Curious to know about different screening strategies?Sign up for exclusive https//www.youtube.com/ adviceand well send you the latest recruiting tips, hiring trends, management strategies, and even some awesome deals. Let the experts at show you how to put a modern spin on the job interview to help you find the best candidates for you r companys needs.

Autonomous Vehicles with Depth Perception, Part 1

Autonomous Vehicles with Depth Perception, Part 1 Autonomous Vehicles with Depth Perception, Part 1 Autonomous Vehicles with Depth Perception, Part 1When we look at something, we see quite a bit more than the object were focusing on thanks to ur peripheral vision. And we can immediately and intuitively tell how far away that something is. Not so with robots.While imaging systems that include cameras and software allow robots to see, they need quite complicated and involved vision systems to see with panoramic vision and to perceive depth.But the wide-screen views and depth perception they typically lack would give robots such as dronesand self-driving cars much more feedback to use as they navigate their worlds, says Donald Dansereau, a Stanford University postdoctoral fellow in electrical engineering.Dansearu was part of a research team at two California universities that developed a 4D camera that includes capabilities unseen in robotic-vision, single-lens image-capture systems.Res earchers with a prototype of their single-lens, panoramic-view camera for easier robotic navigation. Image credit L.A. CiceroThe single-lens panoramiclight-field camera gives robots a 138-degree field of view and can quickly calculate the distance to objectslending depth perception to robotic sight, say researchers at Stanford University and at the University of California, San Diego, which teamed for the project.The capabilities will help robots move through crowded areas and across semi-transparent landscapes obscured by sleet and snow.As autonomous cars take to the streets and delivery drones to the skies, its crucial that we endow them with truly reliable vision, Dansereau says.Current robots have to move and shift through their environment while their onboard imaging systems gatherdifferent images and pieces them together to create an entire view gleaned from separate perspectives, he adds.With the new 4D camera, robots could gather the same information from a single image, say s Gordon Wetzstein, Stanford assistant prof of electrical engineering. Wetzsteins lab collaborated with University of San Diego electrical engineering professor Joseph Ford lab on the project.The extra dimension is the wider field of view.Humans typically have about a 135-degree vertical and a 155-degree horizontal field of visual view. Those numbers refer to the total area across which humans can see objects with their peripheral vision as they focus on a central point, according to the researchers.For a robot, the difference between the new lens and a typically used lens compares to the difference when looking through a window or a peephole, Dansereau says.Researchers in Fords lab designed the new cameras spherical lens, which gives the camera a sightline of nearly one third of the circle around itself. The camera no longer needs the fiber bundles used for a previous version of the camera that the lab developed earlier. Instead, the new lens calls upon several smaller lenses neste d behind it and also uses digital signal processing technology.All of this solved one set of issues. But how would the researchers add another critical component depth perception? To find out, read Part 2.Jean Thilmany is an independent writer. For Further Discussion As autonomous cars take to the streets and delivery drones to the skies, its crucial that we endow them with truly reliable vision.Prof. Donald Dansereau, Stanford University

Interview Questions About Your Qualifications for the Job

Interview Questions About Your Qualifications for the JobInterview Questions About Your Qualifications for the JobThe purpose of a job interview is to demonstrate why you are the right person for the job. The best way to do that is to show how your skills, education, and experience have prepared you to do this job better than any other candidate under consideration. This means relating your qualifications to the job for which youre being interviewed. Its critical to show the hiring manager not just that you have the qualifications, but also that you can apply them. Go beyond simply reminding the interviewer of your relevant certifications, for example, or even the jobs youve held that have prepared you for this role. Be prepared to make a case for why your unique experience makes you the best choice. The good news is that the hiring manager will most likely give you plenty of opportunities to demonstrate your aptitude for the role. fruchtwein job interviews involve a series of questi ons from the hiring manager, some trickier than others. Keep your ears open for questions about your qualifications, and be ready with responses that demonstrate why youre a good fit. Prepare Ahead of Time The best way to answer questions about your qualifications for the job is to prepare. Before the interview, read through the job posting one more time. Make note of all of the requirements for the job. Then, look back at your resume. Think about what skills, experiences, and abilities you have that fit the job requirements. Make sure that, for each of your qualifications, you have at least one example of how you have demonstrated that skill or ability at work. Be sure to highlight these qualifications throughout your interview. Another way to prepare is to research the company ahead of time. Learn about the company culture as well as the companys mission and goals. This will help you connect your abilities and experience to both the job and the organization. Listen One of the most common job interview mistakes is talking too much. Another is not paying attention to what the interviewer is saying. Both are functions of not engaging with the hiring manager. Remember that a job interview is a conversation, not a monologue. Youre there to connect with the other person, and that means really listening to what they have to say. This might require taking notes while the person is talking so that you remember the question being asked. Take Your Time If you dont know the answer to a question, or cant come up with a response off the top of your head, take a moment. It will feel unnatural to you 30 seconds of pondering might feel to you like half an hour of silence but its much better to take a beat than to rush. Its OK to ask for more information, clarification about what the hiring manager wants, or for a moment to think. In fact, doing so may make you seem more confident and trustworthy. Use Examples When answering a question about your qualificati ons, always use examples whenever possible. This helps you go from simply telling the employer why you are qualified, to showing him or her. When giving an example from your past work experience, focus on how your use of that skill or ability brought success to the company. For example, when stating that you are a skilled project manager, you might give an example of a project you managed, and explain how it was completed on time, and how it helped the company either make or save money. Avoid Negativity Dont badmouth your old boss, coworkers, or company. To do so is to tell the hiring manager that you might turn on your new employer at any moment. This is not exactly a selling point. Further, be kind to yourself. If youre someone who tends to beat yourself up a lot when you make a mistake or experience stress, know that and watch out for self-undermining behavior. Remember that above all else, hiring managers are looking for people who will do good work as part of a team. Being positive during the process will show that youre not only qualified to do the job but also that you create an uplifting work environment for the group. Demonstrate Your Qualifications In addition to describing your qualifications for the job, offer to demonstrate them. For example, if youre interviewing for a job that requires superior writing skills, demonstrate your qualifications by providing a writing sample or bringing in a portfolio of your work. (However, if you provide a sample based on an assignment you completed for a previous employer, be sure to redact confidential or sensitive information.) Another example of demonstrating your qualifications is to explain to the interviewer what you hope to accomplish during your first 30 days or 60 days on the job. Expressing your future accomplishments can give the interviewer insight into the type of work youre capable of performing.

Unbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on C3 Jobs

Unbiased Report Exposes the Unanswered Questions on C3 Jobs Because Form 1023-EZ must be submitted electronically, a paper version might not be filed and isnt readily available for download. Because Form 8976 must be submitted electronically, a paper version might not be filed and isnt readily available for download. 1Because Form 8871 must be submitted electronically, a paper edition of Form 8871 might not be filed and isnt readily available for download. 2Because Form 990-N must be submitted electronically, a paper version might not be filed and isnt readily available for download. Ruthless C3 Jobs Strategies Exploited You have a number of the very best gravel roads on earth here and it may be an awful bunch of fun drive on them. Even people that arent directly servicing you always check to find out if youre okay. If you dont have accessibility to a computer, you can stop by a neighborhood library to use a public computer. Utilize ur helpful search feature above to loca te your dream car, within your finances, near you.Its a brief course with a lot to learn in that time period, and its well worth the price. Being without a car for virtually any quantity of time can be frustrating, thats the reason why we provide a pick-up support. Yes, it might take plenty of your time. This is a huge place to be and abflug something new It is also very hard to perform at your very best level at such a particular event. Our goal each and every weekend is to help ensure that every child develops in that leader, and we want you to be part of it Police and organizers are working diligently to make certain this years ACL isnt going to be someones last. Its final day was in August. Other characteristics, like, interface to manage the Job Management, the capability to run, pause and cancel a Job execution might also be implemented. Bear in mind that should you have applied for many jobs, only the most recent resume will be visible with all your applications. Some positions need additional information that cannot be sent as a member of the internet application practice. General staff positions are less difficult to come by in case you have some experience but a lot of folks will be trained for the function. The organization must be realistic. Some C-suite individuals oversee breakout sessions or teach leadership training in their company, while others might meet with different organizations to solidify new small business clients. In large company organizations, a number of these officers work with each other to create a senior executive team. Volunteer opportunities from not-for-profit organizations can likewise be posted. The Lost Secret of C3 Jobs Local schools and services are going to receive a part of the tax revenue. Security is also boosted with an alarm which should also decrease your insurance expenses. We dont ask for banking information to deposit money to an individuals account to obtain equipment. Instead, theyll be repaid by whats called the transient occupancy tax, or TOT. You might also want to consider the advantages of naming a corporate trustee. You dont have to attend so as to apply. Additional information can be found at www.symitar.com. This offer cannot be utilised along with any other promotional offer or discount. The Honest to Goodness Truth on C3 Jobs This is the reason why its very important when you are thinking about a career in child welfare to thoroughly evaluate your own personal characteristics and to understand DFPS work. Taking this self-assessment can help you determine if its the job in child protective services suits you and, in that case, if you are better suited for a certain sort of job. In extreme events, you may have to leave a job for the interest of your emotional well-being or safety. Were able to provide an exceptional assortment of ways for you to grow both in how you do your job for a healthcare professional and in the manner in which you live your life also. This generation isnt on the lookout for morality or ethics, explained Kelsey. No prior experience is necessary. No prior experience is needed C3 has been invented in an entirely new technical software atmosphere. In case you want any assistance with your vehicle, our qualified Citroen After Sales staff will be pleased to assist. The inside of the C3 Corvette must be among the plainest, most un-exotic interiors ever designed. The C3 Corvette, which was commonly known as the Shark generation, was more than simply a re-imagining of the previous C2.

4 Times Employee Communications Can Make or Break Your Business

4 Times Employee Communications Can Make or Break Your Business According to anHBR study,the second biggest influence on a companys success is effective employee communications.Wecan see this fact in action in mainstream media Elon Musks tweet about taking Tesla private welches followed by a leaked memo to staff that explained his statements and what they meant for the Tesla workforce. Earlier this year, Google employees protested the companys decision to work with the Pentagon, a project that many felt had not been accurately communicated beforehand.Inmy work with companies across industries, Ive identified four landmark events in which strategic communication is especially crucial a high-profile hire, a product launch, a merger or acquisition, and recovering from layoffs. When dealing with these situations, companies need to go beyond mass emails and trickle-down communications.Heres how they can do just that1. A High-Profile HireAfter a client of m ine has made an executive hire, theyll often ask me something like this We just made an offer to a CMO candidate. Any tips on sending out that email once the ink is dry?My responseRethink that approach.Employees want to know more than what they could find out on their own with a brief glance at LinkedIn. A storytelling strategy can help a business bringits new executive to life, connecting employees to their new leader on a deeper level.Some key questions to ask when creating a storytelling strategy for a high-profile hire includeWhat unique trait or experience caused us to hire this partie?What do our employees value about our culture, and how will this person cultivate that aspect of the culture?What are the three things this person stands for and expects from others?Most importantly, what makes this person their most comfortable and authentic self when in the spotlight?Consider using multimedia channels to tell a new executives story. A succinct, well-done video can make employee s feel like they know their new leader before even meeting them. A live chat session on the company intranet demonstrates that this new executive is approachable. Partner with the PR team to create a buzz in the media and share the resulting articles with employees. A coordinated unveiling creates a human connection thatbreaks the icebefore any big, down-to-business appearances.2. A Product LaunchEmployees are more likely to feel engaged at work if they understand and believe in the goals toward which they work. All too often, internal communication around a new product or service is handled as if it were outward-facing marketing or sales, which makes it easy foremployees to tune it out.To get an audience engaged, consider creative and interactive ways to putemployees in the customers shoes and humanize the problem the company or productaims to solve.For example, lets say a biopharmaceutical company is launching a new medication.The company couldhold an exploratorium where employees learn about the typical patients journey from diagnosis to treatment by traveling through a museum-like gallery.The saatkorn tactics used for a live event can be replicated in a virtual environment through audio, video, and interactive activities. abflug by creating a daily or weekly series to pulse out different parts of the story, ending with an interview with an actual patient that speaks to employees.3. A Merger or AcquisitionCulture can eat a merger or acquisition for breakfast. When Daimler and Chrysler merged in the 1990s, a lack of cultural alignment around things like business formalities, pay, and goals caused employee satisfaction plummeted. Layoffs followed,and ultimately a sale was carried out all within about 10 years.When two companies merge, its an exercise in creating a new culture that amalgamates the old cultures of the two companies. When an acquisition happens, one company usually sets the tone for the other organization. Regardless of the scenario, the questi on becomes How can internal communications help to unify the company and minimize disruption?A communication plan for something as complex as a merger or acquisition should always starts with a unifying human element, like the companys core values.A campaign on company values in action solidifies an important set of expectations around culture and behavior. Beyond traditional tools like handbooks, consider bringing those values to a series of podcasts or videoswhere employees talk about how they put values into practice.Use internal social channels to empower employees to share their own thoughts and build on each others perspectives. Weve seen great engagement when we implement campaigns that give employees a platform.4. Recovering From LayoffsPost layoff, companies are usually grappling with one of two issuesCompany leaders are overcommunicating because they want to be transparent, which often leaves employeesoverwhelmed with information.Company leaders are undercommunicating beca use they are sensitive to the situation and dont want to create more disruption, which leaves employees with unanswered questions.Start from the employees point of view What do they think leadership isnt sharing? What do they think will happen next? When planning, always assess the current emotional intelligence of the business as a baseline.This isa basic concept, but more often than not, companies skip this important step during times of change.Some companies try to find that balance between over- and undercommunicating. In either case, culture-driven messages and activities must remain part of the plan. For example, we worked with a company that wanted to keep its culture in balance while going through a transition. Based on the climate at the organization, a series of engagement activities were put into action across several weeks, including a managers on-the-move program for impromptu conversations with employees, fireside chats and reverse town halls, and even an outdoor celeb ration for National Hot Dog Day. These purposefully placed moments of engagement some with key messaging, some just to listen, and some just to have fun kept the culture in a positive space and ready for transition.While strategic communication is important to employee engagement and therefore to productivity, turnover, and the bottom line in these four specificevents, it is also critical to have a communications plan in placeat all times. If you want to keep employees engaged on a daily basis, your internal communication needs just as much attention, planning, and execution as outward-facing forms of communication.Chris Viscount is head of the internal communications department atBlueprintNYC.

3 Job Search Myths Busted

3 Job Search Myths Busted3 Job Search Myths BustedJob seekers frequently go into the process with assumptions about how to present themselves and what employers want to hear. All too often, preconceived notions need to be challenged in order for a job search to be successful. Here are three things you should clearly understand and act upon to make yourself an attractive candidate1. Yourrsumisnt your professional autobiography. Often, job seekers try to include everything they have ever done on arsum. After all, you never know what will attract someones attention, thereasoning goes. Think differently Consider yourrsuma marketing document that presents your fruchtwein attractive features to the people who are most in need of the value you can provide. Think of your job hunt as aprocess in which you are selling your skills, experience and capacity to potenzial employers. Dont tell them everything you can think of about yourself and make them figure out if and how you might be a fit for their needs. Clear away the clutter of information, and keep your overall message focused. The old adage of less is more turns out to be a more fruitful way of presenting yourself. Figure out what key things you have accomplished that relate to the job you want to do, and focus on them. Tailor yourrsumto each position you seek. When you include too much information, you make it harder for the reader to understand the most salient portions of your background, which are more than likely to have occurred in the last decade and relate to current technologies and ways in which work is currently done.For example, if you are mid-career or an older job seeker, chances are what you did in 1987 is probably irrelevant to a hiring manager in 2014. It is totally reasonable to not include positions that ended more than 12 to 15 years ago. Instead, simply include a line at the bottom of your Professional Experience section that states Details about prior experience are available upon request . You shouldnt necessarily list everything you did or do at recent positions, either. Instead, yourrsumshould highlight the areas in your background that most closely reflect the Requirements and Experiencesections of the job posts to which youre responding.2. Your LinkedIn profile shouldnt just be an online version of yourrsum. When you simply cut and paste yourrsuminto your online profile, you demonstrate a lack of knowledge about how social mediaworks. You also forfeit an opportunity to take advantage of LinkedIns features. You should make every effort to complete all the sections of your online profile and include rich information, such as PowerPoint presentations, portfolios of your work, skills, languages and more. And while you should never put your picture into yourrsum, you should always put a clear, professional-looking headshot of yourself in your LinkedIn profile. In your Summary section, drop stilted language that refers to yourself in the third part. Instead, take p ains to be social and use the first person I have experience in the areas of A, B and C.3. Your interview isnt just about answering questions. Of course, you need to be prepared to answer everything from the standard strengths and weakness and salary questions to more thoughtful behavior-based questions that begin, tell me about a time when But you should turn the interview from a grilling into a conversation by asking questions along the way. For example, after you finish answering a question, you can ask Is this the information you are looking for? Thats a way to make sure you are on topic and have hit the target. At the end of your answer to a behavioral question, you might turn the question around and pose it to your interviewer. Heres howSuppose you are asked, tell me about a time when you disagreed strongly with your boss. As you finish your answer, instead of pausing to wait for another question, instead ask In your companys culture, how are these kinds of situations bes t handled?This way, you can come back and modify your answer or reaffirm how your own style mirrors the company and thereby put that question to rest. When you take the time to step back and think about the process, you can understand how to best relate your experience and value to potential employers. Your communications will come across with greater self-assurance and clarity. And you will stand out in a refreshing way from your competition. Happy huntingArnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping hisJobhuntercoachclients advance their careers by transforming frantic Ill apply to anything searches into focused hunts for great fit opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.

4 Signs That Your Leadership Approach Is Not Working

4 Signs That Your Leadership Approach Is Not Working4 Signs That Your Leadership Approach Is Not WorkingFew things in life or business work out as planned, especially in the life of a leader. Whether you are new to leading a kollektiv or simply new to leading, it pays to be on the lookout for these 4indicators that you might need to rethink your approach. 1. The Results Are Falling Short of Expectations In business, results are the ultimate measuring stick, and if your kollektiv is consistently falling short of targets, its time to admit theres a problem and start looking for a solution. However, before you rush to shake things up, it is important to look closely at your behaviors. Consider Resist the rush to judgment. Consistently subpar results are an indicator of a problem or, more likely, a confluence of problems.Avoid blaming factors outside your control. Its tempting to point fingers at the new product your competitor just launched or the problems with suppliersor quality y our firm is having. However, you need to resist the temptation to point. Its time look at the gruppe around you and importantly at the leader of the team staring back at you in the mirror.Explore the symptoms outlined in the balance of this article and cultivate an informed perspective on the root causes and needed changes. Remember, you are the leader of your team. When the team succeeds it is because they did their job. When they fail, its your fault. 2. The Flow of New Ideas is Weak to Non-Existent When ideas to solve problems or innovate to improve operations arent flowing, theres usually a leadership factor involved. The leader is responsible for forming and framing the working environment, and when the people in that environment go quiet on offering ideas, its time to change your approach. Consider Perhaps youve fallen into the trap of telling instead of asking. Resist the urge to issue orders and instead of describing what to do, ask people what they would like to do.Expl ore whether you are intimidating people or, worse yet, inciting fear in the workplace. If your behaviors in the past have involved punishing or chastising individuals who tried new things, you should expect the culture to go quiet on you. You need to model patience and showcase support for people experimenting and failing with new approaches. Position every failure as a lesson learned and encourage people to keep looking for solutions. 3. Your Team Seems Distant and Standoffish If you perceive you are getting the cold shoulder, you are probably right. This situation is particularly common for leaders new to a team. Consider You are likely navigating a trust issue with your team members, particularly if you are just getting started working with them. Often, leaders do a little dance with trust, suggesting or telegraphing by actions and words that people have to work hard to earn their trust.To strengthen the team chemistry faster, quit putting people on trust trial and instead, offer your trust to them immediately. People will understand your positive gesture and good employees will move mountains to not let you down. If someone does let you down or betray your trust, well, thats another issue. However, it is worth the risk. Trust first 4. Your Team is Just Going Through The Motions No leader wants to admit that her team is just going through the motions, but it happens. And while it is tempting to look at the people or overall workplace factors as the root causes, you control the energy switch for your team. Consider If people are not excited about their work or, if they do not clearly see how their efforts connect to the larger corporate mission and key goals, work seems just likewell, work. It is incumbent upon you as the leader to bring a sense of mission and purpose to the challenges your team faces.Conduct regular business updates with your team. Make certain they understand the overall company or group performance and strive to tie-in the teams results to the bigger picture results. If your firm uses a scorecard or tracks key metrics, teach your team how to understand those tools and share the latest results with them. Invite your executive or executives from other groups to visit with the team and share insights about the firms strategies and key initiatives.Encourage your team members to identify opportunities to strengthen their support of their internal or external customers and go to bat to gain approval for new projects or initiatives. Let your team members serve as active project participants.Celebrate more. Often we are so focused on our daily firefighting that we forget to acknowledge the victories- small and large. Find opportunities to celebrate accomplishments and milestones and become your teams biggest cheerleader. 5 Key Actions to Help Strengthen Your Teams Performance Theres always an explanation for poor results. While there may be external factors, chances are, there are leadership, resource, and pr ocess issues at work creating the challenges. Now that youve looked at some factors under your direct control, its time to get the team involved in helping diagnose the cause and develop the cure. Be transparent with your team about the poor results. They deserve to understand that things are not working and that management is looking for improvements.Resist the rush to frame your view to the problem. Ask the team to explore the areas where performance is weak and offer their analyses. Listen more than you talk.Once the team develops a hypothesis on root causes, encourage them to detail their ideas for potential solutions. Help them prioritize the ideas.Provide ownership of the ideas for improvement to your team members. Ask them to own the implementation and on-going monitoring and tuning of their ideas. This sense of ownership for improving their overall performance will address many of the issues identified throughout this article. Celebrate the victories and place your team mem bers in the spotlight with senior management. Remember, when things go right, it is because of them, not you. The Bottom-Line Its frustrating when things are not running right with your team. As the leader, you control many of the variables that impact morale, teamwork, innovation, problem-solving and performance. Before you rush to blame factors outside your control, pause and take a step back and look carefully at your behaviors. You will be surprised how small changes in your approach will yield significant results.

3 Ways to Fix Your Resume

3 Ways to Fix Your Resume3 Ways to Fix Your ResumeYour resume is the first impression you make to an employer, networking contact or your boss when youre asking for a raise. It should represent your skills (hard and soft skills), your experience, education and your brand and is a critical piece to any job search or request for promotion.Most professionals know how important a resume is, but many of them struggle to ensure it tells the right story. Why is it so hard to make sure your resume is in good shape? Keeping your resume up to date and truly effective for your search is difficult becauseIt requires being detail-oriented, which is bedrngnis everyones strength.You have to be objective about yourself, which is not always easy.You have to sell yourself, and many people hesitate to brag about themselves.See The 25 Best Jobs of 2018.All of this can feel daunting and like too much pressure, especially when you consider very few business leaders have a solid and defined personal brand, and employers spend 10 to 15 seconds scanning a resume before they decide to consider or toss a candidate. Here are three ways to fix your resume to ensure that it properly represents you and stays out of the toss pile.First of all, develop your personal brand. If you arent sure what your personal brand is, start by asking friends and family members what makes you unique. What are your strengths? Many times we discount what comes naturally to us, and that impacts our confidence and ability to sell ourselves. You could also ask co-workers or teammates what they appreciate about you. See Tips for Surviving a Career Transition.Once you have a better understanding of who you are and what you have to offer the professional world, you can start to form your branding statement. Your branding statement is composed of four parts who, what, how and why. Who do you serve or who is your target market? What unique value do you provide? How do you deliver? Why should they believe you? When you have formed your branding statement, you will want to include it on your resume. For example, it could be part of your professional summary. Your summary lets fhigkeit employers know right away who you are and your expertise. The next thing to watch out for is formatting mistakes. Formatting mistakes can includeUsing too many font styles and sizes. Pick one font and size for the heading and one font and size for the body of your resume. This keeps your document easy on the eyes. Inconsistency when using tabs, punctuation, spacing and bullets. Follow the same rules throughout your resume.Margins that are too small. Page margins should be a minimum of 0.6 inches. leid using enough white space on the page. White space is your friend. It can be used to emphasize or play down information. Without white space your resume becomes difficult for potential employers to scan. Underlining information. We recommend that you skip underlining, since this can distort information when scanned in to an applicant tracking system. You can use formatting properly to play to your brand. You can do this by making sure your name stands out. Dont be afraid for your name to be larger than the rest of the content. Once you have decided on a header that properly represents you, make sure to use the same header on your cover letter. Remember, these documents are your personal marketing materialsSee 8 Ways Millennials Can Build Leadership Skills.Finally, when working on your resume, keep in mind that it is not a one-size-fits-all document. You will want to tailor your resume to each job you are applying for to ensure you highlight that you have the relevant skills and expertise needed for the position. If these items are not clear to a potential employer, no matter how great your resume looks, it will be put aside. To make sure your resume is tailored to the position you are applying for, analyze the job description to find the skills, expertise and any key words and phrases used to des cribe their ideal candidate. That is the information you will use to make sure your resume is concise, targeted and relevant to that specific role. We recommend creating a master copy of your resume and then saving other versions of your resume for different positions.