Help! I\’m dealing with a disgruntled former employee. She was fine while she worked here, and I even agreed to be a reference for her in the future. But since she left she has bad-mouthed me and my company—even leaving a terrible Glassdoor review. Meanwhile, she quit without a new opportunity lined up and still doesn\’t have a new job. How do I handle this situation?
Barring employees that leave for personal reasons like becoming a stay-at-home parent or moving out of town, someone who quits without another job lined up is either deeply unhappy in their current role, or is simply flaky. I suspect that your former employee was both of these things.
She probably assumed that she would easily land a new job and could just leave all her frustrations behind by quitting. Now she doesn\’t have a job and blames you for her problems.
However, understanding her doesn\’t really help your situation. So what do you do about it?
Nothing. You do nothing. Think about it: if she\’s complaining on social media, it\’s unlikely that anyone outside of her small circle will notice. As for Glassdoor, one bad review will be counteracted by the good reviews you have.
But, if you hire an attorney to send her a cease and desist letter, or furiously Tweet back at her and accuse her of lying, she\’ll feel like this is a battle that she has to win. If you just ignore it, she\’ll get tired of screaming into the wind.
With that said, you should still be proactive about your company\’s presence across social media, online forums and other channels where people talk about their jobs. Building a solid social media identity ensures that if someone starts saying horrible things about your company online, you\’ll have an avenue where you control the information, and where you can direct readers that want to find out more about your brand.
Even if your company is small, create a Facebook page or a Twitter account. Your posts can be boring—in fact, being boring is the best way to stay out of trouble. Just make sure that what you share is positive: \”We are so excited to have Bob\’s House of Pancakes as our new client today!\” or \”We\’re sending out tax forms this week! If your business needs help with their forms, give us a call!\” Think of it as marketing.
Your goal is to have your Twitter account appear in a Google search above a Tweet containing your former employee\’s rants.
Most people are familiar with the role of an administrative assistant. But there are many misconceptions about the skills, training and level of responsibility that come along with the job. Administrative assistants don’t just answer the phone and take notes; they handle a wide variety of tasks that are absolutely essential to daily office operations. Here are some of the most common myths about administrative assistants, debunked and an explanation of what administrative assistants\’ duties really entail.
Myth: Administrative assistants don’t need any training.
Most entry-level administrative assistant jobs only require a high school diploma. However, that’s not to say that training isn’t beneficial to your pursuit of a career as an administrative assistant. Formal administrative assistant training, such as certification programs offered by professional organizations or an associate’s degree in Office Management from Bryant & Stratton College, help you build your employability skills so you can increase your chances of getting hired and do the job right once you’ve secured a spot at a company.
Myth: Administrative assistants only handle clerical work.
Clerical work remains an important component in the daily role of an administrative assistant. But over the years, the job has expanded to include a variety of responsibilities. According to a report from the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), administrative assistants’ workload has increased as companies cut their support staff. In addition to routine clerical work, administrative assistants may also be expected to organize meetings, prepare research reports, do some light project management, and manage other tasks around the office. The word \’administrative\’ means anything related to the running of a business or organization. In short, administrative assistants need to be prepared to “wear many hats” in the office.
To be successful in today’s office environment, administrative assistants need to be able to do it all – and that includes technology. As previously mentioned, “wearing many hats” means being able to handle everything from managing documents and spreadsheets to using contact management software to syncing an employee’s iPhone to the company’s email system. It is important to be comfortable handling a variety of technology needs around the office when applying for a position as an administrative assistant.
Are you looking for administrative assistant training online? Bryant & Stratton College offers an Office Management degree, as well as a variety of online degree programs and certification programs. Online courses prepare students with the knowledge and practical skills they need to start a successful career path. Want to learn more about the programs offered by Bryant & Stratton College? Call 1.888.447.3528 to speak with an admissions representative.
The longer you work, sooner or later it’s going to happen to you: the major mess-up. You did something that was the result of perhaps not quite paying attention, missing a major detail, skipping a step in a work process to beat a deadline, or figuring that it wouldn’t really make that much difference if you just relied on someone else’s information rather than verifying it for yourself. The result: a classic screw up, the kind that’s going to be embarrassing at best, send your boss through the roof at worst.
It’s happened to all of us who’ve spent any time in the workplace, and after being read the riot act several times, you realize that the best way – in fact, the only way – to handle this type of career crisis is head-on. As soon as you realize you’ve made a mistake that may have an impact on the company, you want to pull together the following information, and be prepared to lay it out for your boss:
Identify what the mistake was, and the potential damage that did or may result from the mistake.
Identify what steps you can take or have taken to remedy the situation. (Your boss may have different or additional actions steps for you to take, but it helps if you’ve already tried to come up with some solutions.)
Identify what happened to cause the mistake (focus on the relevant process malfunction or missed step; you don’t need to tell your boss that you missed something because you stayed up all night playing Texas hold’em with your friends and were suffering from major sleep deprivation).
Describe what steps you will take in the future to make sure the mistake doesn’t happen again (again, focus on the process – how you will double check the key information, verify that all steps have been completed, etc. No need to mention your pledge to avoid playing cards til 4:00am on a weeknight in the future….)
Your goals in mastering your “I screwed up” statement are to make it clear to your boss that you know you messed up, and you intend to take responsibility for it (thus building your boss’s confidence in your honesty and reliability). Also, you want to make sure that you’re the one delivering this information rather than the woman three cubicles down who’s got it in for you.
Bottom line:
Never let your boss learn of your screw-up from anyone other than you.
Never try to hide information about a mistake; know that it will almost always surface, and in the worst ways at the worst possible time.
Never let your boss get blindsided by something you did and concealed from him/her; it makes bosses look bad, and they’ll never forgive you for it – or trust you again.
So start rehearsing your speech now: “Boss, do you have a moment? I need to tell you about a situation that came up and how I’d like to handle it if this meets with your approval….”
About the Author
Acclaimed Career Coach, Kim Dority is a frequent presenter for Bryant & Stratton College Online. Dority is an information specialist, consultant, career coach, published author and adjunct professor at the University of Denver in Colorado. She has written extensively on career development for students and new graduates and is a frequent presenter, lecturer and panelist on career-related topics. Kim’s areas of expertise include professional branding, career transitions and career sustainability.
By Jen Butson, Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing
The best skiing and riding in the east is in Vermont.
Starting with America’s first alpine ski tow, built on a Woodstock farm in 1934 and the first chairlift in the nation on Mt. Mansfield in 1940, plus the first Nordic ski center at Trapp Family Lodge, the first ski academy at Burke Mountain, and Burlington as headquarters to Burton snowboards – Vermont is a historic leader in U.S. snowsports.
Winter in Vermont
Today, Vermont is a true winter destination. Adventure and relaxation are found in abundance! This is a serious skiing state – with 19 alpine ski resorts, 30 cross-country touring centers and, in total, 6,090 acres of alpine terrain, 1,209 trails, 184 lifts, 1,900 km of Nordic trails. Vermont skiing and riding accommodates every level, from the advanced downhiller to the training toddler, from moguls and terrain parks to quiet cross-country jaunts on back-country skis or snowshoes.
The ten-year average annual mountain snowfall is about 207 inches, and the majority of Vermont’s alpine terrain is covered by state of the art snowmaking. With these conditions, it’s no wonder world-class athletes have grown up and trained in Vermont.
Vermont is home to the first U.S. Olympic gold medal winner in Nordic skiing, Bill Koch, as well as Olympic medal winners Ross Powers, Hannah Kearney, Hannah Teter, Billy Kidd, Andrea Meade Lawrence and so many other successful Olympians.
Beyond skiing and riding, head out on an exhilarating dog sled ride through the snowy fields, join a moonlight snowshoe tour or take a sleigh ride across breathtaking landscapes. Then partake in Vermont’s always fresh, oft fireside dining and engaging arts scene. Enjoy festive villages dressed up for seasonal celebrations, snowman building, ice skating, and all the playful, hillside sledding you can handle in between.
Even though you’re not showing up in person, how you approach your first day of online learning will set the tone for the semester and your class experience. Here’s what you need to know to put your best virtual foot forward from day one.
Complete Your Orientation Here’s your starting point. Your online orientation will cover all of the basic information you need to be ready for your first day. It will introduce Blackboard, the system your online learning will be based on. You’ll learn about the online bookstore, the library, how to find scholarly documents and more on setting yourself up for success. This should take roughly an hour to an hour and a half. Once you’ve completed orientation, you’ll be ready to log in.
Logging In It’s not just a matter of knowing your login, said Ann Shaul, admissions manager for Bryant & Stratton College Online. The online schedule can be a little confusing for first-time students. Because classes run 7.5 weeks, the full roster doesn’t show up that first day, she said.
“When they get into BSC Learn, they only see two of the four classes,” she said. “We get these calls of, ‘Where are my other classes?’ You won’t see them till the next session.”
Be sure you look at the main course page, said Brandy McDonough, associate dean of instruction at online. Your instructor will likely have an announcement posted. It’s a good place to start every time you log in because that’s where important information will be posted, she said. Two days before week one starts, you can get into the introductory folder, which will include documents like supplemental syllabus, tracking calendar, office hours, course materials, grading structure, late policy and other things you need to know about that specific class, she said.
“When students log in week one, that Wednesday, they’ll have access to lecture materials,” McDonough said. “It’s really important for a student to begin right there with that lecture content.”
Know the Lingo Be sure you know the difference between an address bar (where you type in a URL) and a search bar (where you enter search terms on Google, Yahoo, etc.). Know your computer’s operating system (Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 7, etc.). If you run into trouble, that will be one of the first questions the help desk attendee will ask, Shaul said. You also need to know your browsers; Blackboard is only supported in Firefox, which you can download for free.
“Definitely terminology is very, very helpful,” Shaul said.
Budgeting Time Shaul suggests you plan to spend 12-15 hours per week on each class, and that you be prepared to start working on the first day.
“That’s super-important,” she said. “People just don\’t realize the amount of time it takes, especially for online classes.”
You may find you need more or less time depending on the subject and work flow, but 12-15 hours is a reasonable starting point, she said. Depending on your academic strengths, you may find far more or far less will get the job done, so take note of how quickly you work through that first week. McDonough suggests you plan to hit the books the first part of the week.
“Reading early in the week is very important to set students up for success,” she said. Once the reading is done, you’re in a better position to write and respond to posts, she said.
Be Ready to Work You’ll be expected to start your posts immediately, Shaul said. For most classes, the initial discussion will be some kind of icebreaker. She recommends students write and save a basic introduction that’s about 300 words and describes your background, your interests, your career goals and other basic info. There may be some minor differences in that initial question for different classes, but your mini-bio will come in handy for each session.
“Each instructor will have their own version, but by having that first blurb about yourself, it saves you so much time when you’re logging into classes,” she said.
Ageing is an issue in a society as after attaining 60 years of age different types of problems crop up inter alia of which are health problem, earning problem, dependency syndrome, security of life and property etc. In India according to the website, www.popeindia.org/english/elderly-people, two major socio-demographic changes have contributed to bring about significant changes within the family and are having a major impact on communities. The first one is the increased longevity of people and the second one is a breakdown of joint family and the emergence of nuclear family. Industrialization, westernization and globalization are the major factors responsible for the breakdown of joint family system. Increased individualization and new technologies are also leading for marginalization of the senior citizens and, unfortunately, today they are considered as a social burden. Based on the author’s study, he (the author) has observed that many senior citizens prefer to stay in a gated community because of security, prompt health facilities etc. In this paper, a case of senior citizens staying in a gated community is presented. In Hyderabad city at Bandlaguda Jagir, a gated community is located which is spread over to an area of 17 acres of land having all faculties like basic indoor and outdoor games, gym, park, swimming pool, function hall etc. The gated community can accommodate 192 households; of course around 80 percent have been occupied. This gated community, under the banner of ‘Libdom Villas’ has been constructed under the leadership of Sri G. Vinod Reddy of M/s. Niyas Projects.
senior citizen photo 2020
In the ‘Libdom Villas’ gated community, 19 senior male citizens in between age of 63 years and 84 years have remained active as every day they have been sharing different types of information, news, proverb, ‘dos and don’ts’ etc. by forming one WhatsApp group. In addition, every evening many of them sit and chit-chat in the park and happily passes the time. The author while interacted with them came to know few of them have come by selling their individual house from other place and settled here by purchasing a villa and few have come on rent also. While interacted with them, the author came to know that they are from different service background and either retired on superannuation from service or left business handing over to next generation. Regarding service background, it has been reported that someone worked in Indian Navy as senior officer; few were in nationalised banks in senior position, and few others were in various capacities in State Government and Central Government organisations. Further, all in unison informed that they felt happy to stay in the gated community as all facilities which require for elderly persons, toddlers, children, ladies and youths are available. Also, 24 hours electricity, water, security of the area, maintenance staffs, video call if outsiders come, are accessible at the door step. In case of individual house security, maintenance etc. are great issues. And to meet another person even for time pass one has to go.
Before winding up, it may be concluded that (www.un.org/en/events/olderpersonsday)
between 2017 and 2030, the number of persons aged 60 years or over is projected to grow by 46 per cent (from 962 million to 1.4 billion) globally outnumbering youth, as well as children under the age of 10. The older people have always played a significant role in the society as leaders, caretakers and custodians of tradition, yet they are also highly vulnerable.
The International Day of Older Persons is an opportunity to highlight the important contributions that older people make to society and raise awareness of the opportunities and challenges of ageing in today’s world.
Dr Shankar Chatterjee
Former Professor & Head (CPME),NIRD & PR ( Govt. of India), Hyderabad, India
Former Associate Professor, Eritrea
Former Assistant Prof, Govt. Degree College, Tripura, India
Former Senior Planning Officer, Govt of Assam, India
In a balanced, brilliant and bold decision, the Delhi High Court has just recently on March 12, 2020 in a latest, landmark and extremely laudable 15-page judgment titled Sunil Kumar Mishra vs. State in Crl. Rev. P. 494/2017 which is pertaining to death caused due to rash and negligent driving has very rightly held that lifetime ban on the convict from getting a driving license is too harsh a sentence when his entire livelihood is depended upon driving. While modifying the order of sentence in a revision petition, the Single Bench of Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of Delhi High Court has very rightly and remarkably observed that, “The punishment of cancellation of the driving license permanently and debarring him from obtaining any driving license throughout his life literally amounts to his civil death because he would not be in a position to carry out his profession for life.” Very rightly so!
driving licence
To start with, this notable oral judgment authored by Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of Delhi High Court sets the ball rolling by first and foremost observing in para 1 that, “Petitioner impugns judgment dated 27.02.2017 whereby the appeal of the petitioner impugning order on conviction dated 28.10.2015 has been dismissed, however, the order on sentence dated 08.11.2015 has been modified.”
While elaborating on the charges against the petitioner and the punishment that he had been sentenced to undergo, it is then observed in para 2 that, “Petitioner was convicted by the Trial Court of the offences punishable under Sections 279/304-A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC for short) and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of six months for the offence under Section 279 IPC and rigorous imprisonment for the period of 18 months under Section 304A IPC.”
While then elaborating on the decision taken by the Appellate Court, it is then brought out in para 3 that, “The Appellate Court, in the appeal filed by the petitioner, considering mitigating circumstances and also the family condition of the petitioner, while upholding the order on conviction, modified the order on sentence and sentenced the petitioner to pay a fine of Rs 1000/- for the offence under Section 279 IPC and in default of payment of fine to undergo simple imprisonment for a period of 8 days and sentenced the petitioner to undergo rigorous imprisonment for a period of 12 months for the offence under Section 304A IPC, instead of 18 months.”
In addition, it is then also pointed out in para 4 that, “The Appellate Court additionally directed that the driving licence of the petitioner shall stand cancelled and debarred him from obtaining any driving licence throughout his life and directed that no fresh driving licence shall be issued to him.”
By all accounts, the punishment that was imposed by the Appellate Court as narrated in para 4 is far too excessive. This has been acknowledged and appreciated even by the Delhi High Court itself in this landmark judgment even though it admitted that the Appellate Court is empowered to debar a person from holding a licence for as long a period as it deems fit. So no wonder that it had to be set aside!
Be it noted, para 29 very rightly states that, “The petitioner is a driver by profession and cancellation of the driving license of the petitioner permanently and debarring him from obtaining a driving licence for life amounts to a punishment that he cannot carry out the vocation of driving throughout his life.”
Most significantly, it is then very rightly conceded in para 30 that, “The punishment of cancellation of the driving license permanently and debarring him from obtaining any driving license throughout his life literally amounts to his civil death because he would not be in a position to carry out his profession for life.” Who can deny or dispute this? Certainly no one!
Needless to say, it is quite remarkable that Delhi High Court has been gracious enough to concede that the consequences of cancellation of his driving license for life and debarring him from obtaining any driving license throughout his life literally amounts to his civil death as he would be decapitated from carrying out his profession throughout his remaining life which certainly under no circumstances can be justified as two wrongs cannot make a right! The Appellate Court certainly did not deliberate much on this! This alone explains why it failed to appreciate what the Delhi High Court has done now so rightly!
To put it succinctly, the Delhi High Court then rightly held in para 32 that, “In the present case, as noticed above, the concurrent finding of both the courts below is that petitioner caused the death by driving the offending vehicle i.e. truck trailer, in a rash and negligent manner and hit against the deceased from the back, in such a manner that it caused the death of the deceased on the spot. Clearly, it cannot be said that the action of the Appellate Court in directing cancellation of the license driving license is unwarranted. However, in the facts of the case and particularly keeping in view the provisions of section 22 of the Act, I am of the opinion that cancellation of the license driving license of the petitioner for all classes or description of vehicles is excessive.”
Finally and no less significantly, it is then held in para 33 that, “Keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case, interest of justice would be served, in case, the sentence awarded by the Appellate Court of cancellation of the driving license of the petitioner and debarring him from obtaining any driving license throughout his life, is modified to the extent that the driving license of the petitioner is cancelled for the class and description of medium and heavy goods and medium and heavy passenger vehicle and he is debarred from obtaining a driving licence for medium and heavy goods and medium and heavy passenger vehicle. For obtaining a driving licence of other description of vehicles he shall have to undergo a fresh test of competence to drive.”
In conclusion, it may well be said that it is a fairly balanced and well concluded judgment. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva of Delhi High Court very rightly acknowledges the power of the Appellate Court to deprive the petitioner of his driving license for life but in the same vein also concedes that it is excessive! This alone explains that why the judgment of the Appellate Court was overturned and the petitioner was granted relief by the Delhi High Court! All the courts must follow the Delhi High Court in similar such cases and take a compassionate view as we see here in this notable judgment!
The average American commutes 24.5 minutes to work—that’s nearly an hour a day. Some may see their commutes as a hassle, but the truth is, a commute can be a great opportunity to dedicate time to activities you normally don’t find time for at home or work.
In fact, if you use these in-between moments wisely, you could give yourself a career boost (not to mention have a great time while doing it). How? Ditch the morning radio, your Spotify playlist, or scrolling through email and start using your commute to learn something new.
Join the Podcast Craze
Podcasts are the mature version of talk radio. Instead of being obsessively focused on politics or pop culture, like most radio or talk shows, podcasts cover everything. You can search for something related to your field specifically, but here are some ideas to get you started.
This podcast is all about managing finances and it’s entertaining to boot. From episodes on “How to Avoid the Big Money Fight” to “Smart Questions People Think are Dumb,” having your financial ducks in a row gives you flexibility and bargaining power in your job. For full disclosure, I do a short segment on this podcast twice a month (it’s a daily podcast), but even if you skip my part, it’s still a fabulous start to manage your financial life.
On this podcast, you’ll hear from marketing experts on everything from “The Future of Movies” to how to “Start with Why” at work. Before you skip to the next topic, remember that every department has a touch of marketing to it—whether it’s marketing to potential or current employees, or marketing your services to other departments. Explaining how HR can make finance’s life better can boost both the career and paycheck of an HR manager.
Few people realize that TED releases an audio-only version of each talk, in addition to their video lectures. You can learn just about anything through this collection of fairly short speeches, including “The Magic Ingredient that Brings Pixar Movies to Life” and “How to Get Back to Work after a Career Break.” While some of them are highly focused on a particular business area, others are personal stories, so you can pick and choose what you feel like exploring in your day-to-day.
Learn a language
Another full disclosure here—I haven’t learned a language while driving, but I did learn a new language as an adult when I moved to Switzerland. From this experience, I know the most important thing when learning a language is hearing it over and over again until the phrases and accents sound normal to you.
If you already have a foundation in a language, try your hand at a podcast to get better. (Check out The Guardian’s list of best podcasts to learn a language—it has everything from German, my new language, to Japanese and Italian.) Or, if you’d prefer a more traditional approach, there are specific courses you can take. Unlike the free podcasts, these will cost you, but also provide more specific lessons (check out Fluent U’s best courses for commute language-learning).
How does learning a language boost your career? Speaking a second, third or fourth language not only makes you more appealing in the global marketplace, it also helps you understand other cultures.
Listen to a Novel
Most people think of reading as a fun pleasure activity, but studies show reading fiction can also build business-related skills like vocabulary, empathy, creative thinking and a better memory.
In addition to learning new skills, listening to a book on tape also takes your brain off the workday. You perform better at work with some relaxation time, but in our knowledge culture, it’s increasingly difficult to get out of office mode. We think about work in the shower. We think about work while we’re listening to our first grader plod through his 20 minutes of reading. We answer emails on our smartphones from our beds. It’s work, work, work, all the time. Taking an hour a day to listen to the latest mystery can provide your brain with some much needed relaxation.
Once you’ve made the commitment to invest time, energy, and money towards completing an accounting degree, it’s important to feel your efforts will be rewarded. Even in these turbulent economic times, getting a degree in accounting is one of the smartest moves you can make. Completing your degree will open the door for career opportunities in a variety of ways – the following five are just the beginning.
Find a Job. News has been dismal for college graduates with bachelor’s degrees in the past few years; however, there are exceptions. In CNN’s 2012 career report, accounting is one of a handful of careers cited which shows a demand for increasing job opportunities. In a poll by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), 54% of employers stated they would hire more accountants or financial experts if they could find qualified candidates
Accounting and/or Auditing. If you’re interested in working specifically as an accountant or auditor, you are in luck. The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the job market for accountants will grow as much as 11% by 2024. As other job markets continue to shrink, astute accounting students should have no concerns about their career prospects after graduation.
Be the Boss. Many companies require their management level employees, from top- and mid-level management all the way up to the executives, to have strong accounting backgrounds. Managers must have an in-depth understanding of numbers, budgeting, and statistics in order to maintain and/or increase the company’s profit margin. Accounting backgrounds provide managers with the ability to see the bottom line and make the critical decisions necessary to preserve it.
Enjoy the Role of Tax Guru. There are only a handful of people who truly understand taxes – and they have accounting degrees. The rest of the world visits their tax accountants with humble gratitude each year to watch the magic unfold. Getting your accounting degree is an employment insurance policy of sorts – you know you will always have plenty of work around “Tax Time.”
Freelance Work. It can be a struggle for working families to make ends meet. Not only is childcare expensive, it’s not always possible to work around childcare facilities’ time constraints. An online accounting degree can allow you to freelance. Many companies are flexible – allowing accountants to work on their books at odd hours or to work conveniently from home.
Regardless of which niche you choose to pursue after attaining your online accounting degree, know that the deck is stacked in your favor. Overall, your future earning potential will correlate with the level of your education. The five ideas for what you can do with your accounting degree listed above are just a glimpse at the professional doors your accounting degree will begin to open for you.
It\’s nearing the end of the year, which for many of us marks a time for reflection and resolution. Where did we succeed in the past year? Where did we fail? What can we do better next year?
But as steadfast as the tradition of New Years\’ Resolutions may be — the practice of making changes in the New Year is thought to have started among the ancient Babylonians —the resolutions themselves are often short-lived. We pledge to finally read those books on our bedside table, propose more ideas during team meetings, actually use our gym membership or take a real vacation. Three months later, the books are collecting dust, Phil is still the loudmouth at the table and we convince ourselves we just don\’t have time to exercise or take a week off.
The Impact of Habit
Why do we wait until January 1 to reflect on our lives and make these changes, only to fade back into our old routine months, or even weeks, later? In some ways, the popularity of the tradition belittles its impact —we make a resolution simply because that\’s what we\’re supposed to do at this time of year. So, last year, I vowed to buck the trend. My resolution? To stop making New Years\’ Resolutions altogether.
It wasn\’t a statement of pride — I certainly have changes I want to make in my life — but an attempt to move from an annual tradition of reflection and resolution to a habit of such. Instead of thinking up and struggling to achieve a few one-off New Years\’ Resolutions, I wanted to establish a consistent, ongoing behavior and practice of reflecting and improving.
In fact, I think everyone would benefit from creating a habit of reflection — especially during the weeks before the holidays (the busiest weeks of the year for many people). It\’s time to make a commitment to be our best selves now — not in a few weeks when the clocks strikes midnight, not next year, but now.
Think Bigger
In the midst of rushing to meet Q4 and end of year goals and deadlines, we tend to put our heads down until we can come up for air. We work to speed through to-do lists, rather than taking a step back and prioritizing our tasks. We put blinders on, but what we really need to do is broaden our perspectives.
I found myself in this exact routine the other day. I was simply milling through my list of tasks to complete before the end of the year, instead of looking at my work holistically. It was overwhelming to gaze at the sheer volume of work. To be honest, there are several things I can probably push to next year in order to hone in on the tasks that truly matter to my current goals. By taking time to stop and reflect on my workload — not after it\’s completed, but while I\’m in the thick of it — I can heighten the quality of my work and my level of engagement on the job.
My year without a New Years’ Resolution has taught me that we should always be reflecting, we should always have resolutions. But power emerges when reflection becomes a practice.
Maybe it is on the treadmill or maybe it is in your car with the radio off on your drive home. When I was a public school teacher, every commute home I would turn the radio off and think about the day; what went well, what didn’t go so well, what I could learn today that would make me better tomorrow. The practice, I believe, made me more in tune with work and my students. It’s the difference between a good leader — someone who gets the work done — and a great leader — someone who goes above and beyond. Instead of pondering your upcoming resolution for 2016, why not try to start something new today: put down the to-do list, reflect and think bigger.
Congratulations! You’re in your first managerial position. With this likely comes more responsibility, a higher salary and subordinates. It’s an exciting time, but it’s also a good time to reflect on helpful career information, like what makes a good manager and consider what your management style will be.
Here are some leadership tips for new managers:
Set the example
You probably already conduct yourself in a professional manner, but now it’s even more important to be a shining example of professionalism in your new role. You are not only a representative for your team or department, but you’re also a reflection of the company more than others. All eyes are on you and your subordinates will notice your demeanor, work ethic, timeliness, behavior and appearance. They’ll follow your lead, so you should be setting the best example for them.
Learn to delegate
You’ve been put in charge because you have the skills and knowhow to get the work done, but you certainly can’t do everything yourself. You should learn to assign tasks to your subordinates by playing to their strengths. Don’t put more on their plates than they can handle, but don’t avoid giving them a challenge either. There are going to be things you can do better and faster on your own, but unless you give your subordinates a challenge, they won’t learn and grow. And you’re there to help them through it. Delegating provides an opportunity for employees to develop their own skills, knowledge and abilities.
Don’t micro-manage
A lot of new managers will find themselves “micro-managing” or focusing too much on the details of every task and project they oversee. It’s probably because it wasn’t long ago you were the one doing all the busy work. But you’re the manager now. Try not to get bogged down in the details of a project or check in with your team every minute until the task is complete. This will not only take you away from your own work, but will make your subordinates think you don’t trust them.
Be passionate in those difficult conversations Having a difficult conversation with an employee about poor performance or a sensitive subject is never easy, but it comes with the territory. Harvard Business Review says to make the communication about them, not you. Try to think about the position they’re in and not let your needs and frustration in the way. Be calm, clear and constructive as best you can.
Ask for Feedback
Whether it’s from upper management or from your subordinates, feedback will help you grow and improve as a manager. You’re going to make mistakes here and there, as we all do. Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses and willing to hear what people like and don’t like about your management style. Great managers develop a flexible leadership approach that can be adapted to motivate and inspire their different employees. Bryant & Stratton College Online aims to help students maximize their employability skills for career success through its Employability Series.
This set of core competencies is integrated in to the College’s online degree programs, to complement occupation-specific training and help graduates get hired. Interested in learning more about the online degree programs offered by Bryant & Stratton College Online? Call 1.888.447.3528 to speak with an admissions representative.
Working within your comfort zone has its moments. There is a period of time (for some it might be months, for others it might be a year or more) when you’ve hit your stride – you’re working efficiently and effectively with no discernible downside. The effort is reasonable, the quantity is manageable, the time spent is acceptable, and the output is respectable, perhaps even impressive. Overall it feels predictable.
For many ambitious people, there comes a time when you eventually bump up against the walls of your comfort zone. You might act complacent, describing your ability to do your work “with your eyes closed” or “with both hands tied behind your back.” Yet these statements most likely expose a person who is becoming constrained, bored, and potentially on the verge of disengaged.
Thankfully there are options.
Initiate – do something no one asked you to do
Volunteer – respond when someone asks for help
Lead – be an informal / unofficial leader or mentor
Change – pursue a new opportunity
There’s a mutual benefit to these suggestions. First, it gives you something to engage your brain and reignite your passion and commitment. Second, it shows others your assertiveness, intelligence, and awareness (amongst other skills), which could lead to new opportunity.
What’s Stopping You?
Another condition of the comfort zone is when you get trapped inside it for fear of trying something new and different; being viewed as less competent compared to your current status. Again, let’s look at the choices.
Stay where you are and watch yourself slip backwards from lack of challenge and engagement until your daily routine is so mundane that you take your foot of the gas and coast into apathy. Know anyone like that? Want to work with that type of person?
Take a chance (whether offered to you or on your own initiative) to develop a new skill – take a course, work on a different project, apply for a new position. Unless your aim is widely off, you’ll likely relish the freshness of new ideas, interactions, and routines. You start and end the day with a sense of energy and curiosity for learning and understanding the big picture. Know anyone like that? Want to work with that type of person?
When you make the move to break out of your comfort zone, recognize there’s a learning curve. If expectations (of yourself, by others) are appropriately set, leverage the time it’s acknowledged to take to be fully up-to-speed, operating independently, and producing high-level results.
A Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Moving outside your comfort zone is a risk. Depending on your propensity for risk-taking, your next step may be more or less calculated and gradual in terms of the path you choose. For example, signing up for an online course in project management while keeping your current position versus quitting your day job and moving to a new city without lining up a new job. Both may lead to a greater sense of engagement and new opportunity; they may also involve a few obstacles to overcome so the importance of knowing your objective will help you stay the course.
When you think about top performers – athletes, musicians, dancers, scientists, researchers, leaders (of companies, causes, and countries), parents, and many others, they push themselves until it hurts or they’re exhausted, they repeat the process over and over, and measure progress no matter how small the increment. For these individuals, it’s not just a single moment that defines their accomplishments, but rather the entire journey, a cycle of hard work, obstacles and challenges to overcome which stimulate the mind and the body, awaken passion, and call upon every ounce of grit and determination. The reward is a greater sense of self – confidence, learning, respect, awareness and strength.
As you navigate your professional journey, you’ll encounter milestones that may reveal a fairly linear progression. Or you may arrive at an intersection and decide to take an alternate, somewhat circuitous route. You might even consider how to follow two paths concurrently. No matter your choice, you’re in motion – pursuing, experimenting, problem solving, participating. Instead of idling, which we all know is bad for the environment and equally unhealthy for the mind when it occurs for too long, you move beyond the predictable boundaries of your comfort zone and test the waters outside.
Imagine finding a way to get outside your comfort zone. Brush up against it. Poke a hole in it. Try something on for size. Or maybe you bust the wall down. Run through it. Take a giant leap.
Wherever you are and however you get there, thrive.
Rachel DiGiammarino is a learning and development professional and serves on the UVM Continuing and Distance Education Advisory Board. She is director of business development at Accordence, Inc., a global training company helping employees enhance their professional skills.
Downsizing a company provokes anxiety at all levels – from those who will be let go to those managers who are responsible for carrying out the layoffs. As a business leader overseeing this process, it is important that you work to retain your managers and build their commitment to the organization’s future.
By understanding how workplace tensions impact managers’ views of you and the company, and working to support managers through this challenging process, you can engage them in leadership and use this transition as an opportunity to elicit greater commitment to your company’s future.
Are you leading your company through downsizing? Here are five tips effective leaders can use to engage managers in this process, based on research into the roles of lower- and mid-level managers who work at companies undergoing downsizing:
Be sure to incorporate managers’ knowledge in your layoff decision-making. Everyone knows that layoffs are not unusual in a competitive global marketplace. Your company is one small part of a complex economy where buyer preferences shift. Your managers often have a perspective that needs to be considered in the decision-making process.
Use your managers’ understanding to hone your message. Explaining how the layoffs contribute to the company being stronger going forward is crucial. Credible communication depends upon accurate representation of the situation facing the company and upon the strategy that will be used going forward. Give your managers a chance to probe the future business logic before you place them in the communication hot seat. If they have had an opportunity to air and reconcile their own misgivings they will be more capable of addressing the misgivings of others.
Be honest with your team as you come to terms with and accept your role in the layoffs. Were you deeply involved in top-level decisions leading up to the downsizing? Or were you put in a position of being giving a choice between initiating layoffs or keeping your job? Accept your role and explain it to your managers. Doing so will help you, personally and professionally, in the long run.
Connect and network with other leaders outside your industry who are experienced with downsizing. How do they see your proposed downsizing as fitting into its overall strategy and marketplace position? Hearing their perspectives may help you understand the challenges of using downsizing to business performance. Connecting with others also might help you if you need to look for another job.
Study the severance packages in detail to prepare for questions from managers. Again, consider the global economic context in which the layoffs were made and consider how generous the severance packages are. If you believe the packages are fair, communicate this to employees. If you don’t believe they are fair, and you find yourself becoming angry with your company, then it’s probably time to look for another job – or even think about leaving the industry. You can be support your employees, organization or business if you feel good about the manner and work you are achieving.
It goes without saying that downsizing can be stressful for everyone involved. However, it’s part of reality in today’s global marketplace. As a leader, your organization will benefit by your preparedness and level of engagement with this critical process. By following these practices you can plan ahead for how you might deal with downsizing, should it occur in your company.
Some students may wonder why there is such a focus on reflection. Reflection is not only about helping you remember what you learned, it is learning. The results from a Harvard Business School study confirm that reflection is essential to learning. A study was done with two groups of people. Both groups were given a test. One group was asked to write down strategies that would be helpful in a future test. The other group was not. The group that reflected performed significantly better (Christensen, n.d., para. 5). You can follow the link below to read more and also follow a link to the study itself.
Reflection serves two main purposes. By reflecting on content again, you are helping it move from short term to long term memory. Connecting learning to how you will use it in your field helps it become more relevant. Also, by reflecting on strategies, you are becoming a stronger learner. This process is also known as metacognition, which is thinking about thinking. This sounds really academic, but it means asking questions like “Did I study enough? Did I study effectively? What can I do differently next time?”
While courses are structured to encourage reflection, students will get the most benefit by putting reflection into action. At the end of session, many students say they will log in to the course on Sunday to look at the week’s assignments, or begin assignments sooner. Obviously, this knowledge is only valuable for students who actually implement these strategies.
Even beyond courses, the habit of reflection is part of being a successful professional. In the workplace, there will be approaches to procedures. Taking the time occasionally to examine whether or not a process could be improved is valuable. Also, after a problem arises, reflecting afterwards can help prevent the same issue from occurring. This would be asking questions like “Is email the most effective way to handle this issue? Should a manager have been alerted sooner? “ An article titled “Understanding Yourself and Increasing Your Professional Value through Self-Reflection” offers some additional insight on what it looks like to reflect in the workplace and why the skill is valuable. Read about it here: http://intercom.stc.org/2014/01/understanding-yourself-and-increasing-your-professional-value-through-self-reflection/
By taking full advantage of the opportunity to reflect and make changes based on those reflections, you will be able to present that critical thinking skill to future employers in an interview. Reflection is one more skill to set you apart from other candidates!
We often hear the saying, “it’s not what you know; it’s who you know,” an idea that may ring true for many job hunters. In addition to learning and developing valuable skills, polishing your resume and preparing for job interviews, it’s important to use your interpersonal skills and tap into your network of personal and professional connections when applying for a position. Getting a referral from a friend or colleague is one of the best ways to get your foot in the door at a company. Not only that but you could be doing your friend a favor since many companies have an employee referral program policy that could lead to a referral bonus for your friend.
Even so, when asking for a job referral, it’s important to think things through. Here are four tips on how to score a quality referral.
1. Utilize your resources. In the digital age, one of the best ways to figure out where your connections are is to use social media. LinkedIn allows you to see which of your contacts are associated with the companies and professionals of your interest. LinkedIn also allows you to display your professional skills and qualifications, as well as your education and employment history so that your contacts have easy access to this information.
2. Think before you ask. When identifying an individual to reach out to, it’s important to think before you ask. Does this person know you well? Are you on good terms with this person professionally and personally? Make sure their referral will be of value – if they say yes, but aren’t a strong enough contact, it may result in a half-hearted referral, which won’t do you much good in your job search. It’s also important to be realistic, and know the power and reach of your contacts. Just because someone has ties to a company doesn’t mean they can introduce you to the CEO.
3. Ask in writing. Whether you choose to reach out via a letter, an email or a message on LinkedIn, asking for a referral in writing is always best. Doing so gives the individual a chance to think things through before they give you an answer. If they feel uncomfortable providing you with a referral, it’s easier to say “no” in a written response. This ensures you will get an honest answer, and therefore a more meaningful referral from the person who says “yes.”
4. Be clear in your intent and provide necessary information. When asking for a referral, give a brief explanation of the job you wish to apply for, state why you think you would be a good fit, and attach a copy of your resume or a link to your profile on LinkedIn for the person to reference. Regardless of how well you know the person, don’t assume they know everything about your professional background.
Professional development is an important component to look for in a college program. Bryant & Stratton College offers a variety of online degree programs that incorporate career preparation into the coursework in order to ensure that students are ready to enter the job market upon graduation. To speak with an admissions representative, call 1.800.895.1738.
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