There is no ideal setup that is equally useful for thousands of people working remotely. It varies a lot based on personality, personal preferences, comfort at the working environment, proclivity for social interactions, and other aspects related to a company’s policy and its workflow. That’s one of the reasons why coffee shops and co-working spaces are so popular nowadays.

One of the key benefits of working remotely is the ability to establish more than one office setup while working on different activities. Here are several practical suggestions for constructing a work environment (or two) for the majority of your working hours.

Find or build a comfortable working corner

While allocating a designated room for your business needs is ideal, that’s often not possible for most families. A second best is identifying a comfortable place that allows you to spend a full day of productive work with minimum distractions and impact on your health (such as posture or eye tearing due to room lightning).

Boost your creative juices with creative desks

Stand-up desks are another popular trend in 2017. A bar table, adjustable (flex) desk or even a wide and tall surface in your home may be suitable for a couple hours a day. Switching your traditional desk or sofa may energize you and improve your posture, tone, or metabolism and increase your productivity for certain tasks.

Determine a productive view

Varying assignments may call for change of scenery.An outdoors view could be comforting and recreational, especially during brainstorming sessions and creating activities.A desk facing a wall may limit your distractions and help out with focusing on mundane tasks or high-pressure activities requiring a minimum level of distractions.Find out what works best for you in different cases and take advantage of your freedom while picking the right spot.

Create a good sound environment

A home office could be absolutely quiet while working in a separate room, or annoyingly loud if you share a room with your family.

Prepare a setup for hands-on activities

Regardless of your ideal environment, make sure that you have a designated space with the right setup for best performance. Writing documentation or a blog post, carefully adjusting a pixel-perfect design, or programming complex architecture may very well need a solid desk with a couple of monitors, a comfortable mouse and keyboard, a comfortable chair or anything else that ensures that you are fully productive without any distractions or unneeded consequences for your health.

Gear up

In addition to the hands-on setup, consider an environment that maximize your efficiency.This may include the best computer, monitors, mouse, keyboard, headset. Or a notepad and sketchpad for drawing and crafting mindmaps.There are various gadgets that could be of use at home. A water cooler next to your couch, a USB-powered cooler for your cold beverage, or a whiteboard with sticky notes in front of you.

Smart home fans can purchase an Alexa which could serve as their virtual assistant and even connect it to Wi-Fi powered light bulbs which can switch colors or dim your lights with voice commands. Same goes for room temperature and humidity.

Ensure reliable connectivity

Most office environments are well equipped in the event of power or Internet outages (UPS networks, back-up Internet providers and so forth). Ensuring good connectivity and bandwidth at all times is fairly important for most online workers.This could be implemented through a combination of a back-up Wi-Fi provider, a mobile plan with extra data, or a mobile router which could be used outside of your house or at a coffee shop.

At the end of the day, remote workers should focus on solid communication and professional attitude toward their clients or employer, managing work-life balance and keeping their energy levels in tact. Setting up the right work environment is a personal preference which could be fine tuned after trying out different environments and measuring productivity in various scenarios.

To say that the novel COVID19 pandemic has changed the world would be an understatement. In less than a year since the virus emerged — and just over 6 months since tracking began in the United States — it’s upended day-to-day lives across the globe. 

The pandemic has changed how we work, leran and interact as social distancing guidelines have led to a more virtual existence, both personally and professionally. 

Mental health challenges

Unsurprisingly, the pandemic has triggered a wave of mental health issues. Whether it’s managing addiction, depression , social isolation or just the general stress that’s resulted from COVID-19, we’re all feeling it. 

It seems to especially be hitting younger people. Of those surveyed, 55% reported experiencing mental health issues since the onset of the pandemic, including 74% of respondents in the 18-to-34-year-old age range. 

Pandemic-induced hesitation

While much of the world has come to a stop at times during the pandemic, the need for health care has not. Yet, 38% of respondents said they skipped or delayed preventive health care visits because of the pandemic even though health care providers have gone to great lengths to ensure that keeping those appointments are safe for everyone. 

Women are more likely to skip these appointments than men, 46% to 29%, and as many as 15% of total respondents avoided visits for more serious issues like injury or even chest pain. 

Staying healthy during the pandemic

But there is good news as far as respondents’ health is concerned. From lifestyle changes to better eating habits, people are using this time to get healthier in many areas.

Since the pandemic started, nearly two-thirds of the survey’s participants (62%) say they’ve made a significant lifestyle change, including:

• More time outdoors or experiencing nature.
• Improved sleep patterns.
• Starting or modifying an exercise program.
• Other healthy dietary changes.

Eating and exercise are new areas of focus for many respondents. One-third of the participants (34%) say they’re eating more healthy food and most (a whopping 87%) say they’ll keep the habit up. 

Better health awareness

There’s more to healthy living than just exercising and food, though. And 68% of respondents said that the pandemic has them paying more attention to certain risk factors for other health issues. That number is even higher (77%) for those younger respondents, 18-to-34 years old.

Family and the pandemic

Throughout the pandemic, we’ve seen both benefits and drawbacks of being cooped up with family for long periods of time. And there’s certainly been added stress for families who have had to deal with remote learning situations for school-aged children.

Some, though, reported positive experiences with their families in such close quarters. Overall, 34% of those who responded said that they feel closer to their family and, in households with kids, 52% reported feeling like they’ve forged new connections. Additionally, 78% agreed that quarantine made them value their relationships. 

Outlook

Staying vigilant

Of those surveyed, 78% say they won’t spend the holidays as they normally do with only 9% planning to attend holiday church services and only 12% planning to attend holiday parades or New Year’s Eve firework celebrations.

Staying positive

Despite these concerns and the difficulties faced throughout the pandemic, those who responded to the survey also showed that they’ve managed to find positives in their experiences. 

I don’t say “Thank You” as often as I should and I doubt I’m the only one.

In fact, I’m starting to believe that “Thank You” is the most under-appreciated and under-used phrase on the planet. It is appropriate in nearly any situation and it is a better response than most of the things we say. Let’s cover 7 common situations when we say all sorts of things, but should say “Thank You” instead.

1. Say “Thank You” when you’re receiving a compliment.

We often ruin compliments by devaluing the statement or acting overly humble. Internally, you might think this prevents you from appearing arrogant or smug.

The problem is that by deflecting the praise of a genuine compliment, you don’t acknowledge the person who was nice enough to say something. Simply saying “Thank You” fully acknowledges the person who made the compliment and allows you to enjoy the moment as well.

Example: “Your dress looks great.”

• Instead of: “Oh, this old thing? I’ve had it for years.”
• Try saying: “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

Example: “Wow! 20 points tonight. You played really well in the game.”

• Instead of: “Yeah, but I missed that wide-open shot in the 3rd quarter.”
• Try saying: “Thank you. It was a good night.”

Example: “You killed your presentation today!”

• Instead of: “Did I? I felt so nervous up there. I’m glad it looked alright.”
• Try saying: “Thank you. I’m happy it went well.”

There is something empowering about fully accepting a compliment. When you deflect praise, you can’t really own it. When you just say “Thank You,” you let the weight of the compliment sink in and become yours. Saying “Thank You” gives your mind permission to be built up by the compliments you receive.

Getting compliments should be fun and enjoyable, but we often ruin the experience. There’s no need to sabotage compliments that come your way. Accept them with grace and enjoy the moment.

2. Say “Thank You” when you’re running late.

Being late is the worst. It’s stressful for the person who is running late and it’s disrespectful to the person who is waiting.

It might seem strange to thank someone for dealing with your hassle, but that’s exactly the correct response. Most people stumble in the door and say, “Sorry I’m late.”

The problem is this response still makes the situation about you. Sorry, I’m late. Saying “Thank You” turns the tables and acknowledges the sacrifice the other person made by waiting. Thank you for waiting.

Example: You walk in the door 14 minutes late.

• Instead of: “So sorry I’m late. Traffic was insane out there.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for your patience.”

When we make a mistake, someone else often makes a sacrifice. Our default response is to apologize for our failure, but the better approach is to praise their patience and loyalty. Thank them for what they did despite your error.

3. Say “Thank You” when you’re comforting someone.

When someone comes to you with bad news, it can be awkward. You want to be a good friend, but most people don’t know what to say. I know I’ve felt that way before.

Often times, we think it’s a good idea to add a silver lining to the problem. “Well, at least you have…”

What we fail to realize is that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to say. All you really need is to be present and thank them for trusting you.

Example: Your co-worker’s mother passed away recently.

• Instead of: “At least you have a lot of fond memories to hold onto.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing that with me. I know this is a hard time for you.”

In times of suffering, we don’t need to hear words to ease the pain as much as we need someone to share our pain. When you don’t know what to say, just say “Thank You” and be there.

4. Say “Thank You” when you’re receiving helpful feedback.

Feedback can be very helpful, but we rarely see it that way. Whether it is an unflattering performance review from your boss or an email from an unhappy customer, the standard reaction is to get defensive. That’s a shame because the correct response is to simply say, “Thank You” and use the information to improve.

Example: “This work isn’t good enough. I thought you would do better.”

• Instead of: “You don’t understand. Here’s what really happened.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for expecting more of me.”

Example: “I bought your product last week and it already broke. I am not happy with this experience.”

• Instead of: “How did you use it? We made it very clear in our terms and conditions that the product is not designed to work in certain conditions.“
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Please know we are committed to becoming better. Can you share more details about the issue?”

Nobody likes to fail, but failure is a data point. Respond to helpful feedback with thanks and use it to become better.

5. Say “Thank You” when you’re receiving unfair criticism.

Sometimes criticism isn’t helpful at all. It’s just vindictive and mean. I’ve written about how to deal with haters previously, but one of the best approaches is to just say thank you and move on.

When you thank someone for criticizing you, it immediately neutralizes the power of their statements. If it’s not a big deal to you, then it can’t grow into a larger argument.

Example: “This might be good advice for beginners, but anyone who knows what they are doing will find this useless.”

• Instead of: “Well, clearly, I wrote this for beginners. This might be a surprise, but not everything was written with you in mind.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing your opinion. I’ll try to improve next time.”

Example: “Your statement is the dumbest thing I’ve read all week.”

• Instead of: “You’re an idiot. Let me tell you why…”
• Try saying: “Thank you for the feedback. I still have a lot to learn.”

Releasing the need to win every argument is a sign of maturity. Someone on the internet said something wrong? So what. Win the argument by the way you live your life.

6. Say “Thank You” when someone gives you unsolicited advice.

This shows up a lot in the gym. Everybody has an opinion about what your technique should look like. I think most people are just trying to be helpful, but hearing someone’s opinion about you when you didn’t ask for it can be annoying.

One time, someone pointed out some flaws in my squat technique in a video I posted online. I responded by sarcastically asking if he had a video of himself doing it correctly. Somewhere deep in my mind, I assumed that if I reminded him that his technique wasn’t perfect, then I would feel better about the fact that mine wasn’t perfect either. That’s an unnecessary and defensive response.

The better approach? Just say “Thank You.”

Example: “You know, you should really keep your hips back when you do that exercise.”

• Instead of: “Oh really? Do you have a video of yourself doing it so I can see it done correctly?”
• Try saying: “Thank you for the help.”

Pointing out others faults doesn’t remove your own. Thank people for raising your self-awareness, even if it was unsolicited.

7. Say “Thank You” when you’re not sure if you should thank someone.

When in doubt, just say thank you. There is no downside. Are you honestly worried about showing too much gratitude to the people in your life?

“Should I send a Thank You card in this situation?” Yes, you should.

“Should I tip him?” If you don’t, at least say thank you.

Say thank you, more often.

While it may not rise to the level of being illegal, unethical behavior in the workplace can have serious consequences if unaddressed. And it can create a toxic work environment in which your employees and business ultimately suffer.

When the authors of Crucial Accountability gave an online survey to more than 900 working people in 2016, the three most common unethical workplace behaviors cited were taking credit for someone else’s work, indulging in extra long breaks and calling in sick when actually well. One-third of the respondents reported having witnessed at least one of these violations the week prior to participating the survey.

At large businesses, a human resources department or manager can provide a way for employees to voice their concerns about unethical behavior of colleagues and provide policies, procedures and training. At smaller businesses with few resources and little or no HR support, creating an avenue for reporting or disclosing unethical behavior is challenging, as is putting in place the proper guidance for addressing such behavior.

If your business lacks robust HR support, it’s critical for employees to have an easy way to report their concerns and for your company to put in place policies, protocol and training related to unethical behavior. Entrepreneurs can take the following steps to proactively address unethical behavior at work:

1 Create a code of ethics.

Set the tone for behavior in your workplace by creating a code of ethics. A code of ethics establishes the values that are important to a business and creates a common framework for understanding the boundaries within the organization.

Codes of ethics should be written in broad, idealistic terms to communicate the company’s ethical vision, yet be succinct enough to be contained in a values statement. If it makes sense, include ethical expectations in the company’s mission statement and employee handbooks.

Be sure to involve key employees in the process of drafting and formalizing the code of ethics. This will ensure that leaders are on board with and committed to the values.

2.Establish a protocol.

Include in your code of ethics instructions about how to report unethical behavior. For example, set up an anonymous ethics hotline as well as a clear protocol for reporting, such as requesting a private meeting with the appropriate manager or supervisor.

Additionally, if a concern or violation is reported and the company lacks internal HR resources, ensure that the person tasked with responding is the furthest removed from the concern.

Delegating someone as far removed as possible sets a tone that the concern will be taken seriously and creates trust in your company’s ability to address the matter fairly. If retaining an appropriate internal person isn’t an option, consider investing in an external HR partner who can bring impartiality to the process.

3.Empower Employees

Grant staff the know-how to appropriately identify and handle ethics violations. Accomplish this by implementing ethics-training programs for all new and existing employees to increase the effectiveness of the code.

Ethics courses are available through books and other written materials as well as through online, private or live instruction trainings. You might even choose to tie to ethical behavior some compensation incentives, such as an end-of-the-year bonus or additional paid time off, to further increase the code’s relevance to employees.

4. Continuously review the code.

Keeping the code updated is an important step in keeping a company’s ethics top of mind. Each year, share copies of the code of ethics with every employee or communicate it through a brown bag lunch and learn or workshop.

Ensure that your employees confirm their understanding of the code by requiring them to sign a form of acknowledgement afterward. In doing so, you’ll proactively set up an atmosphere, reinforced by both formal and informal measures, that promotes the values you’ve set forth. 

If you disregard the importance of developing an ethical culture, lawsuits, high turnover, low morale and even the demise of your business could result. A smart business leader should champion a written code of ethics from the outset, establish protocol and continuously review and promote these guidelines.

This will show staff that you’re serious about creating a positive and ethical workplace. At the same time, you’ll also set clear, specific expectations that everyone can understand. Ultimately, the outcome will result in better business processes, as well as happier and more secure employees and therefore a more successful business.

How smart do you have to be to succeed?

How intelligent do you need to be to become a successful entrepreneur? How good does your training program need to be to become an elite athlete? How perfect does your weight loss program need to be to burn fat?

These are questions that we don’t often ask ourselves, but they are built into our beliefs and actions about many phases of life. We often think that the reason we aren’t succeeding is because we haven’t found the right strategy or because we weren’t born with the right talents.

Perhaps that is true. Or, perhaps there is an untold side of the story…

“The Termites”

In 1921, there was a psychologist at Stanford University named Lewis Terman who set out on a mission to conduct a research study unlike any before it.

Terman began by finding the 1,000 smartest students in California between the third grade and eighth grade as measured by IQ. After much testing and searching, Terman gathered a final sample of 856 boys and 672 girls. The children became known as “The Termites.”

Terman and his team began testing the children in nearly every way you could imagine. They tracked their IQ, analyzed how many books each student had in their homes, took their medical histories, and on and on. But that was just the beginning.

What made Terman’s study unique is that it was the first longitudinal research study, which meant that Terman continued to track and test his subjects for years afterward. The study, which is now famously known as Genetic Studies of Genius, collected data from the students throughout their entire lives. Terman collected additional data in 1928, 1936, 1940, 1945, 1950, and 1955. After Terman died in 1956, his colleagues continued tracking The Termites in 1960, 1972, 1977, 1982, and 1986.

To summarize, the study started with the smartest group of children in the entire state of California and then tracked their success throughout their entire lives. Decades later, the researchers had discovered something very interesting.

Threshold Theory

The surprising discovery that came out of Terman’s study is best described by creativity researcher and physician, Nancy Andreasen as Threshold Theory…

“Although many people continue to equate intelligence with genius, a crucial conclusion from Terman’s study is that having a high IQ is not equivalent to being highly creative. Subsequent studies by other researchers have reinforced Terman’s conclusions, leading to what’s known as the threshold theory, which holds that above a certain level, intelligence doesn’t have much effect on creativity: most creative people are pretty smart, but they don’t have to be that smart, at least as measured by conventional intelligence tests. An IQ of 120, indicating that someone is very smart but not exceptionally so, is generally considered sufficient for creative genius.”

Being in the top one percent of intelligence has no correlation with being fantastically creative. Rather, there is a minimum threshold of intelligence that you need to have, and after that it comes down to a lot of deliberate practice, putting in your reps, and developing your skillset.

Some psychology professors like to use the analogy of an NFL football player to explain the role of intelligence and success. If you were to analyze the productivity and effectiveness of all offensive lineman in the NFL and compare it to their weight, you would probably see results all over the board. It is very unlikely that the heaviest lineman in the NFL is also the best lineman. Productivity does not increase linearly with weight.

But nearly every lineman in the NFL is over 300 pounds. There is a threshold that you have to cross to get the job. After that, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be the best. We can think of intelligence in a similar fashion.

Threshold Theory in Everyday Life

If you look around, you’ll see that Threshold Theory applies to many things in life. There is a minimum threshold of competence that you need to develop in nearly any endeavor. Success is rarely as simple as “just work harder.”

Beyond that threshold, however, the difference is between those who put in the work and those who get distracted. Once you have a basic grasp of the right things to do, it becomes about the consistency of doing the right things more often. Once you understand the fundamentals, it comes down to your habits.

Some examples…

Weightlifting: Assuming you’ve met some minimum threshold and are doing reasonably effective exercises with reasonably effective form, the details don’t really matter that much. Once you’ve passed this basic threshold, what makes 95% of the difference is this: Are you showing up to the gym and putting in your reps?

Writing: Assuming you understand the core principles of writing and the basics of grammar, what determines your ability to write well more than anything else is writing a lot. Once you reach the threshold of writing a decent sentence, the thing that leads to success is writing more.

Entrepreneurship: Assuming you know what the most important metric is for your business, what makes the biggest difference is focusing on that metric every day. Once you cross the basic threshold of knowing what to work on, the most important thing is continuing to work on that one thing and not something else.

If you’re brand new to an area, then it’s possible you haven’t learned enough to cross the threshold yet. But for most of us, we know what works and we have enough knowledge to make progress. It’s not about being more intelligent or more skilled, it’s about overcoming distraction and doing the work that already works.