Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Sniffing Out Danger

Sniffing Out Danger Sniffing Out Danger Sniffing Out DangerBoth the federal government and the private sector are always looking for better, safer ways to inspect dangerous or challenging terrain, or to look for hidden explosives. One area that engineers and scientists turn to for inspiration is the highly developed sense of smell in animals. Currently, the canine olfactory system is the state-of-the-art sensing system for many engineering applications, including homeland security and medical diagnosis. However, it takes considerable time and resources to train and condition these animals, and field deployment can be challenging.Now, a team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has turned to insects to develop a more sensitive detection system, specifically, locusts.Baranidharan Raman, associate hochschulprofessor of biomedical engineering, is working with the Office of Naval Research (ONR), Arlington, VA, to use the highly sensitive locust olfactory system as the basi s for developing a bio-hybrid nose. Raman has been studying the insect sense of smell for over a decade. The sense of smell, he notes, being a primitive sense, is highly conserved across different species. There are striking similaritiesboth anatomical and functionalbetween insects and other higher species. It is also one of the hardest systems to replicate.If you ever want to humble an engineer, ask him/her to build an electronic nose that has the same capabilities as the insects, says Raman. This is one of the main projects that I have been working on since my graduate student days, and it is a humbling experience for sure.A small chip connects to the brain of the locust. Image Washington UniversityResearch ApproachRaman has been studying how sensory signals are received and processed in the relatively simple brains of locusts. He and his team discovered that odors prompt dynamic neural activity in the brain that allow the locust to correctly identify a particular odor, even with other odors present. Locusts trained to recognize certain odors can do so even when the trained odor was presented in complex situations, such as overlapping with other scents or in different background conditions.We hope to take advantage of a biological solution, Raman says. Even state-of-the-art miniaturized chemical sensing devices have a handful of sensors. On the other hand, if you look at the insect antenna, where their chemical sensors are located, there are several hundreds of thousands of sensors, and a variety of types.To convert locusts into biorobotic chemical sensing machines, three integrated components are requiredA minimally invasive surgical procedure to implant arrays of electrodes into the insect brain (particularly a ort called antennal lobe, which is one relay downstream to the sensory neurons on their antenna). This allows the research team to interface with the locusts sophisticated olfactory system and read out signals for odorants in their environment.A low -weight backpack to which the electrode arrays are connected. This will allow us to monitor, log, and transmit neural data in an online fashion, says Raman. In addition, we will develop an algorithm that interprets neural activity to determine if a target chemical is present or not.A plasmonic tattoo made of biocompatible silk applied to the locusts wings will generate mild heat and help steer locusts toward particular locations by remote control. The tattoo will be studded with nanorods to rapidly convert light at a specific wavelength to heat. It will also be used for collecting samples from the region of interest, which can then be analyzed by researchers using more conventional methods to determine chemical composition.PotentialThere is a growing need for safer, cost-effective, non-invasive chemical sensors for biomedical and homeland security applications. Raman fully expects to develop and demonstrate a proof-of-concept, hybrid locust-based, chemical-sensing approach for explo sive detection. He continues to be surprised and impressed by the elegant, yet sophisticated, approaches nature uses to deal with the many practical challenges in smelling.Think about the smell of a chocolate chip cookie, he says. It is the same whether you smell it in the coffee shop or grocery shop different background odorants, whether you smell it in winter or summer different ambient temperatures, on a rainy day or on a sunny day humidity is a killer for chemical sensors, or a windy day or not-so-windy day the temporal plume structure will change. Each of these tasks is by no means an easy feat of engineering, Raman adds. Yet, this is resolved easily by the first few neural circuits in the insect olfactory system. Most engineering problems have already been encountered and solved by biology, although, to be fair, biology does have a lead of a few million years over us.Mark Crawford is an independent writer. For Further Discussion If you ever want to humble an engineer, ask him/ her to build an electronic nose that has the same capabilities as the insects.Prof. Baranidharan Raman, Washington University

Thursday, December 26, 2019

The science-backed way to plan the perfect vacation

The science-backed way to plan the perfect vacationThe science-backed way to plan the perfect vacationOh sure, we can plan a vacation - book some flights, a place to stay, a plan on where to eat and drink - but lets admit were all winging it. What does science say about the best way to truly plan a vacation?With a nod to the great minds at TED Ideas, here are scientific ways to make sure your time off is as rejuvenating as can be.Start visualizingyour relaxing trip beforehandThe best part of your vacation may not be anything you do, but the anticipation you feel beforehand while youre planning it. So, while picking flights and imagining yourself in different pension rooms, savor the preparations for a trip.An article in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life explains why. The researchers studied how vacations and happiness are related. They asked 1,530 Dutch people, 974 of whom went on vacation during the study. The researchers asked the travellers questions on how they fe lt beforehand and following the trip).This study demonstrates that vacationers are happier, compared to non-vacationers, the researchers found, unsurprisingly.But, they added, the happiness did not come from the trip itself, usually, unless the trip was extremely relaxing.A holiday trip does not add much to their happiness. Generally, there were no differences between vacationers and non-vacationers post-trip happiness. Only vacationers on a very relaxed holiday trip benefit in terms of post-trip happiness. The pre-trip happiness difference between vacationers and non-vacationers could be an indication of vacationers looking forward to their holiday, the authors wrote.So how do you get happy and extremely relaxed? Read on.Stay entirely detached from workThe American Psychological Association reported in 2013 that according to a survey released by the organization, 49% of respondents ages 18-34 reported looking at work messages at a minimum of once per day during vacation. Thirty-eig ht percent of those 55 and up said they did the same thing.This is a bad idea. Research shows that answering email for longer than an hour while youre on vacation wipes out nearly all your good memories of the trip.Thats why its important to set boundaries.Alex Soojung-Kim Pang writes about detachment in an article on TEDs Ideas website.In referring to research unnamed in the text, Pang writes, detachment also requires being able to escape work-related interruptions. Employees who carry their work smartphones or other devices during non-work hours or who must keep in touch with the office while on vacation show higher levels of stress and work-family conflict.The article wasexcerpted and adapted this information from the book Rest Why You Get More Done When You Work Less by Alex Soojung-Kim Pang (also the author of the article), with permission from the book.Cant fully disconnect? Theres a way to handle messages in a limited way.Martha C. White features advice from Rusty Lindquist, vice president of insights and human capital management strategy at recruiting software company BambooHR, in a 2015 article on TIMEs Money website.If you absolutely have to check emails while youre gone, give yourself a short time period and stick with it, Lindquist says. The key is to keep it quick, and the key to that is being ruthless. If it doesnt say urgent, it goes in the trash folder, White writes.Take more than one vacation a yearVacations refresh our minds and bodies, making us more open to creativity and attuned to the world around us.That cannot happen in only one week a year.Its beneficial for employers to work ample vacation time into employees schedules and to encourage time off. The alternative employee burnout and frustration.The authors of a 2013 article in the journal Organizational Dynamics write about this concept.They write that because the positive effects of vacation often fade out quickly, encouraging employees to take a few days (or more) off more than once a year will help maintain employee well-being in the long term. Furthermore, providing employees with a transition day before and after vacation would allow them to phase in and out of their work responsibilities gradually.Go big before getting homeWhile anticipation before a trip makes you happy, and shutting off work during a trip boosts your relaxation, your memories of the trip will depend on how you end it.A2015 article in The Wall Street Journal explained the concept behind positive time offStudies show people often reflect on an experience, including a vacation, based largely on how it ends, adding that psychiatrist Dr. Samantha Boardman told the publication,do your best to make things end well. If youre going to splurge and fly business class, dont do it on the way there, do it on the way home, Boardman said.The next time you dream about your ultimate trip from the confines of your desk, consider putting ansicht tips into action, ask your boss well in advance andprepare to g o for it.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The important mental shift you need to increase your productivity

The important mental shift you need to increase your productivityThe important mental shift you need to increase your productivityWe all have the power to pull ourselves up to keep going. - Richard BransonIf productivity were just a series of steps - a paint by numbers exercise - then wed all be functioning like efficient AI machines. It would be easy to master the course. But we would also feel robotic and unchallenged. Despite productivity experts promising us that it is a science and notlage an art, thats not entirely the truth.You need the routine. The consistency. But most importantly, you need the creativity to help get you unstuck first, in order to propel you in the direction of delivering high-level performance. Creative imagination drives ideas, which lead to thoughts, constructive plans and the ability to develop the framework for a routine.The intent of this article is not to share the tools and techniques of what makes you successful and productive, as there are plent y of those on the Internet. But rather, to promote the thought leadership required to become more productive. Productivity truly, in its simplest form, should be defined asCreativity meets know-how meets Consistency.Without any of these key components, there is no productivity.Theres a lot of great articles and literature out there about the routines and productivity rules of many successful entrepreneurs, businesswomen and thought leaders. Ive profited from these lists, and I have no doubt you have as well. Just know that checking the box on a few simple tips wont cut it. You must coach yourself to make a change in how you see yourself, your work, the management of your time and how you inspire yourself to act.Getting unstuckStop waiting for perfect conditions to launch a great project. Immediate action fuels a positive feedback loop that drives even more action. - Robin SharmaMany of us spend far too much time beating ourselves up about how and why we seem to do things wrong. When we dont reach our desired goals in a short amount of time, we start soul-searching, looking for a cure for what ails us. We self-examine, we blame ourselves and highlight all our deficiencies.Now ask yourself this question - What good does the blame-game really do? For one it hurts our self-esteem. It stifles enthusiasm, which is needed to drive creativity and action. The best way to become more productive is to focus on making a behavioral change. That begins in your mind.Author of the book, Getting Unstuck How Dead Ends Become New Paths, Tim Butler talks about the ways to make a change and how that begins in the mind with understanding our place in the worldWhat impasse requires of us is to realize that our old models, our old ways of thinking about things, our old ways of feeling about things, simply are no longer working. So impasse requires, demands that we stop and say, my way of understanding the world and myself is no longer working. Ive got to dig deeper. Ive got to find a new way of understanding the world and my place in it. - Tim Butler Source HBRYou cannot keep going and repeating the saatkorn things that havent worked and expect new and different outcomes. You surely know the cliche by now the definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. You must be the one that drives change. And you must empower yourself to think differently to find new ideas that will lead to a new routine that gets you on the right track.We need to have a productivity routine that energizes and inspires us each day. Routines dont have to be boring. And frankly, the moment you do have a boring routine, youre in trouble. Youre not going to feel motivated to want to keep going. Youll find less desire to grow, learn and continue fueling your journey and as a result, youll be less successful and stagnate.So essentially we have to get stuck before we can grow. Impasse demands that think deeply in a radically different way . It gives us the opportunity to think of new methods, opportunities, relationships and situations to put ourselves in. This creativity and curiosity inspires productivity. It gets our brains moving and this synergy, before long, helps us to stop feeling sorry about our situation.Have a planIve learned through research and working with top executives that productivity is about breaking the pace of whats not working, then focusing your performance on what will work. To become more productive, determine the root cause of whats keeping you stuck, while developing a rhythm for repetition and consistency of planning and doingAuthor of the book, I Know How She Does It, Laura Vanderkam talks about productivity from a planning standpoint. The way we develop the routine AND consistency is through planning in advance. We must be prepared. We must be concerned with the moment, but always looking ahead to the future. Get ahead by planning the night before or at the beginning of your work day.Va nderkam saysPlot out what youre going to do when you get to work, that way you can capture that first burst of energy when you show up at work and use it to tackle something important. The best time to do this is Friday afternoon or Sunday evening. Friday afternoon is not the most productive of times as is, so repurpose it as planning time. Or try Sunday night, when youre already in workweek mode.Motion creates emotion Deep thinking fuels planning. While plans are meant to be modified, it doesnt diminish the importance of starting somewhere. Planning prevents poor performance, and more importantly protects us from just jumping in to situations that were ill-equipped to handle. Productivity is always driven by planning.Breaking the habitUltimately, the most important thing you can do to find your productivity breakthrough is to break the habit of whats not working. In other words - get out of a vicious cycle of repetition to find a stimulating, more effective form of routine. You ha ve to stop the flood and use your determination and brainpower to decide to step back, think things through, then game plan for shifting course.A prime example of this is setting reminders on your smartphone (ironically enough), to stop using your smartphone so much. Using the Pomodoro technique to budget your time more wisely to not waste time. That begins with where you are today. It starts with small changes, as this Harvard geschftliches miteinander Review article beautifully articulates Becoming more productive is more like losing weight than memorizing the presidents names - it is the product of behavior or lifestyle change, not (only) knowledge. As a result, the key to becoming more productive is changing small behaviors (i.e., developing new habits) and sticking with those changes over time.So be willing to change. Be a big enough person to embrace change The change will drive you to a new routine, which can always be modified and re-assessed to determine how well youre pe rforming. Ill close with remarks from Mr. Plummer, in the aforementioned HBR article. Make sure you have goals, but have a plan, an open mindset and a willingness to change.Your productivity depends on it. Lots of us spend our days developing strategic plans for our own companies, or helping clients do so, and yet fail to take a strategic approach to improving our own productivity. As most of us know, any good strategy involves setting goals, developing a plan for achieving those goals, and tracking progress towards those goals. The same is true for productivity. Yet most of us dont have sustainable productivity goals, much less a plan for achieving them.Keep goingJoin my newsletter and check out my book, The Value of You. This will give you inspiration to start planning for success on your journey.This article first appeared on Medium.

Monday, December 16, 2019

How to Interview Salespeople

How to Interview SalespeopleHow to Interview SalespeopleWhen youre hiring a new salesperson, a little due diligence on your part can help you to secure a highly-skilled team member. The candidates answers to your interview questions are important, but theyre only one possible source of information about that person. Examine Background Information While resumes are always helpful in gauging a candidates skills and qualifications, there are certain career areas where skill in preparing a resume translates directly into skill in doing the job itself. Writers, for example, had better have well-written, literate resumes. For salespeople, the resume a candidates primary marketing tool is a great indicator of his or her sales skills. How well does he sell his skills and qualifications on his resume? Does he give specific examples of his successes in past jobs? Are his experiences described in a way that presents him as a good fit for your firm? A poorly crafted resume should definite ly raise some red flags in your mind. Test Their Research Skills A good salesperson should always do his or her homework. Before you tell the candidate about your company or the position, ask why they applied for this particular job. The salespersons answer will demonstrate how much research they did for you and your company before the interview. A candidates attitude and behavior can be telling. Did she arrive either on time or slightly early? Was she courteous and pleasant to the people she encountered (receptionist, secretaries, etc.)? Was she dressed and groomed professionally? (Remember, the way someone looks on an interview is probably the best they will ever look on the job) Did she look you in the eye, shake your hand firmly (but not bone-crackingly), greet you warmly and demonstrate open, receptive body language? Did she communicate well and speak clearly? Did she talk too much and too fast, or barely speak at all? The way salespeople sell themselves is the way you can expect them to sell your product or service. Some specific interview questions to ask salespeople include What are some specific examples of previous sales experiences? What would you do the same? What would you do differently?What is your understanding of this companys sales cycle and how does it compare to what youve done in the past?Whats your process for making a sale in your current or most recent sales position, from getting the lead all the way through to closing the deal? (Note what if anything they have to say about following up with the prospect after the close this is critical to building repeat business.) What kind of compensation structure do you prefer? (The possibilities are usually base salary, base plus commission, or pure commission. A salesperson who prefers a pure commission job has considerable confidence in their own skills)What are your sales goals and how do your actual results compare to those goals?What do you see as this companys strengths and what ch anges do you think would improve sales and productivity? How do you feel you could contribute to this improvement?What new markets could we address and how would you suggest we develop these markets? Dont forget to include a few of the classic interview questions How do you feel your experience would fit this jobs needs?Whats an example of a great success from a past job and how did you accomplish it?Whats a significant mistake that you made, how did you correct it and what did you learn from it?What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses and what do you do to alleviate your weaknesses?How do you see your career developing in the next few years and how will you accomplish that in this company?What do you see as the greatest contributions you can make to improve the companys success? If there is a lag or a silence, see how they handle it this is something that can occur in a sales call and a salesperson who rushes to plug every silence by babbling or who does nothing at all will not be successful. Raise any issues or concerns that you have, either from their resumes or in response to things they are telling you in addition to providing the information you need, this will also demonstrate how they will handle similar objections that arise during a sales call. Do they attempt to form bridges and build rapport with you (notice the picture of your sailboat, children, etc. and share their common interest, for example)? Do they do it well? Making people feel comfortable with you makes them look for reasons to do business with you, another critical sales skill. Toward the end of the interview, give them an overview of what you see as the companys goals, what they can expect in terms of compensation (structure and a general range), benefits, travel expectations, etc. and what the next step in the interview process would be (including time frame). Ask if they have any questions or concerns. If they ask at least one or two intelligent, relevant questions its an excellent sign. A candidate who has no questions for you didnt bother to research your company and/or is too overwhelmed to think of anything clever to say neither of which is a good quality in a salesperson. Finally, make a note whether they follow up with a thank-you note/email to you. And if for some reason the hiring time frame changes, let the candidates know. Its simple courtesy and shows them that youd be a good employer, and it also helps keep potential star salespeople from taking offers elsewhere while youre still slogging through the hiring process.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Avoid Interview Landmines...

Avoid Interview Landmines...Avoid Interview Landmines...It was a cold, cold weekend here in New York City, with 20 inches of snow bringing the town to a standstill. Theres nothing quite so beautiful as a still, quiet New York in the snow.So what can we do with all this extra time on our hands? Get you more great $100K+ jobsWeve got over 4,000 new jobs in Ladders newsletters this week ausverkaufLadder, MktgLadder, FinanceLadder, and UpLadder (for law, HR, technology, operations and all other occupations). I sure do hope weve found the right one for you (and check out the great jobs accepted by Ladders.com subscribers this week below)And I also hope youve been enjoying Ladders.comic, drawn especially for Ladders each week by our talented MK Perker. MKs clever pen will be here, week in and week out, to lighten the always challenging, frequently intimidating, search for your next perfect job.JOBS ACCEPTED BY Ladders.COM SUBSCRIBERS LAST WEEKHere they are as reported, folks, typos and all TitleCompensationAccount Manager$225,000Business Analyst$110,000Business Development ManagerCEO250000CFO$400,000CFO175,000Client Development Director$135-285,000CMO$170,000+Commerical Litigation Associate130,000Consultant$250,000ConsultingCorptorate Counsel100KDirector$100,000Director Financial Services$100,000base+bonus+stock optionsDirector of Business Developent$120 K salary + $90 K bonus 100% of planDirector of MarCom$100K+Director of absatzwirtschaft120,000Director of People$116,000.00Director, Business Development200kDirector, Business Development$120,000Director, Market Development100K base +CommissionDirector, Sales Administration$150K +Director,President150,000District Sales RepresentativePackage $100K 150KEngagement Manager$160,000Engineering Manager130KFinancial AdvisorCommission basedFinancial Reporting ManagerGeneral Manager, Provider Services$175,000 + $100k bonusGroup Product Manager$100,000HSE Manager or Director100k +International Sales Manager$100,000IT Director (Telecom)150.000 Euroabsatzwirtschaft ManagerMembership Director/General Managerbase and comm bonusesNorth American Sales Manager$125K+Outside Enterprise Sales110 base 280 packageOwner125,000mann an ihrer seite in private law firm$220,000/yearPremier Client Manager120kPresident and CEO200K +Project ManagerProject Manager, SBC Consumer Marketing$43/hourReal Estate159+Regional Sales Director100K base, $400K at plan, stockRegional Sales Manager$175Kregional sales manager100,000sales200+Sales and Marketing Director$120000sales director100kSales Director$250k OTESales Manager200,000Sales Manager Mortgage$120000Solution Architect$120,000.00Sr Brand Manager125000Sr. Internet Marketing Manager$112,000Sr. Product Marketing Manager$127,000 base salarySVP OperationsTerritory Account Rep135V.P. Western DivisionVice President$140,000Vice President District Executive$130,000Vice President of Sales180+Vice President Sales$150K+vp250000VP Business DevelopmentVP Finance175,000VP Supply ChainRathe r not sayVP, Business Development150,000/yr.VP, Business Development135KVP, Communications190000VP, MarketingVP-SlsMktgWestern Regional Sales Manager

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Why Everybody Is Talking About Healthcare Resume...The Simple Truth Revealed

Why Everybody Is Talking About Healthcare Resume...The Simple Truth Revealed There is nobody right means to structure a resume. On the flip side, if you desire a more hands-on, higher-earning position, you will want to put in some work to receive certified. After youve identified a job which youd love to get, its time to acquire your application going. Its possible so you can abide by resume examples to get inspired, but you need never to copy somebody elses work. When selecting a template, you also need to consider how you would like to organize the info. If youre seeking to customize professional, pre-formatted resumes, have a look at our absolutely free downloadable templates. Our creative templates permit you to stick out from the crowd. Each one of our creative style templates provide a perfectly balanced mixture of personality, professionalism and some style. The Debate Over Healthcare Resume Some facets of healthcare administration are very similar to an administra tive job in any area. Many healthcare professionals need resume help to acquire positions in the health care field. Based on the position you decide to concentrate on in the medical field, youre want to acquire exclusive education or training. You might also want to appear at internships or job-shadowing programs. When you put together your healthcare resume, it is very important to ensure you include all the info that the hiring manager is searching for. Medical assistants are a valuable part of the health care industry as they provide essential support within healthcare facilities. Healthcare and healthcare jobs provide a steady income and an opportunity to create a career thats focused on helping people. In some places, the work market for nurses can be very tough. When it has to do with the medical profession, hiring managers wish to realize your experience. Resume objectives can be a bit controversial. Required skills for healthcare administrator jobs vary based on t he sort of position. So should you need to employ college essay writer online, were just the people that you want to contact. If youre helped by the notion of the article Healthcare resume, dont neglect to share with friends and family. Once you receive a task done from us you will return again if you need assistance with another one of your essays. For more ideas about how to strengthen your program, have a look at our education and teaching resumes. Healthcare employers are usually impressed by a distinguished collection of publications. Healthcare industry wants a number of distinct skills to be able to be prosperous. It resume is one of the design ideas that you can use to reference your Resume. Our healthcare resume samples help you conserve time and energy as you make your own document. Writing a superb healthcare cover letter is tricky, unless youve got the most suitable resources. Include software and program expertise, if its linked to healthcare. Your summary w ill go at the peak of the webpage and include a great snapshot of your healthcare abilities and experience. As soon as you have distributed your resume, we give you a whole collection of organizations who received your resume so that you can track your complete progress. How to Choose Healthcare Resume As a way to compose a productive healthcare resume, you will need the type of guidance provided by MyPerfectResume. Working in healthcare includes many perks. One other great thing about the medical business is that youre always in demand for those who have an accomplished healthcare resume. While healthcare administration doesnt involve direct patient care, its still important to comprehend healthcare in a fundamental way. The New Angle On Healthcare Resume Just Released Limit your skills to the work advertisement youre applying. Youll locate a job that meets your skills in almost no time. For instance, it is important to get strong problem-solving skills in the health care industry. Even though you will probably list some soft skills in your abilities and qualification section, its important to likewise demonstrate your aptitude. The Good, the Bad and Healthcare Resume Developing a cv isnt a job that youll have the ability to leave up to chance. With this kind of competition in the work market, it is essential that your resume is tailored to the job for which youre applying.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Top 5 Job Skills Employers Want #INFOGRAPHIC - Spark Hire

Top 5 Job Skills Employers Want INFOGRAPHIC - Spark HireWe know what employees want from employers, but do employers know what they want from employees? Do you think you know what skills you want most out of job seekers and employees? Of course, each position will have its own needs and specific skills, but what overall work skills do you want out of job seekers? As the infographic below from Phoenix University and Visual.ly reveals, it differs among geographical regions and cities but there are five skills that are consistently desired by employers nationwide.So what are those five skills? According to the infographic, employers want job seekers with the ability to analyze and synthesize new skills, the ability and willingness to learn, critical thinking and problem solving skills, interpersonal communication skills, and collaboration. Does this seem consistent with what you look for in candidates overall? Its interesting to see what skills each of the three cities- Chicago, Los Ang eles and Philadelphia- desire most out of their candidates. The east coast and the west coast cities both think that collaboration and team work is most important. In the Midwest, it seems as though critical thinking and problem solving is at the top. Take a look at the infographic below for yourself. What skills do you and your company value most in your job seekers and employees?

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Hugging Etiquette at Work

Hugging Etiquette at WorkHugging Etiquette at WorkBusiness hugs. Many of us are guilty of doling them out from time to time. When you work in the creative industry and in a casual environment, a handshake can sometimes feel too formal when interacting with colleagues.In fact, 65 percent of advertising and marketing managers recently surveyed by The Creative Group said its at least somewhat common to hug coworkers. And 52 percent said the same regarding clients and business contacts. (You can view the full survey results in the infographic below.)But just because business hugs are happening in todays professional world doesnt mean theyre always appropriate. Non-huggers and fist-bumpers would agree.So whats a creative professional to do? We reconsulted Daniel deutsche post ag Senning, author of The Etiquette Advantage in Business, 3rd Edition, for hugging etiquette pointers, particularly in light of the Me Too movement.TCG Given current events and growing attention on harassment, whats your current stance on business hugs?Daniel Post Senning Traditional etiquette standards are in place for a reason They make people feel comfortable. The handshake remains the standard for a business greeting or introduction. If you deviate from it, know that youre deviating from the standard.The handshake is like the tie - it gets a bad rap. People think its formal and artificial, but it can be a warm and genuine gesture.Were curious Do you shake hands or hug it out when greeting business contacts?Its situationally dependent. But in a business setting, I defer to a slightly more formal standard because the stakes are higher. In an increasingly casual world, were asked to make a lot of choices. We have the option to greet people with a handshake, a fist bump or a hug. Generally speaking, unless youre sure its going to be OK to hug someone, stick with a handshake. Its a universally accepted and globally understood gesture of goodwill and friendship.What if youre someone who likes t o hug? Is there any stigma of being the office hugger?There can be. You need to be aware of other peoples perspectives. Some teams may be comfortable hugging, but its not always appropriate. Its contextual. Know your audience and assume that not everyone is as comfortable with hugging as you are.People wont always tell you how they feel - and asking someone if he or she is open to hugging can get awkward. In a professional setting, dont impose hugs on anyone. Observe body language and let others take the lead.Finally, find ways to greet people that are fair to everyone versus handhabung it on case-by-case basis. Think of etiquette as people being courteous to people.Would you be comfortable hugging both male and female colleagues, for example? Treating people differentially could be problematic.Are there certain business contacts you should never greet with a hug?Stick with a handshake when meeting people for the first time. Hugs are only an option once youve gotten to know someone .Whats the best way to recover from an awkward business hug?Dont dwell on it, and then try not to let it happen again. This is why I love the handshake. People know what to expect with a handshake, so you avoid any uncertainty. By offering your hand, you can take control of the situation. And good eye contact and a smile also help.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Wheres my computer Survey finds onboarding needs improvement

Wheres my computer Survey finds onboarding needs improvementWheres my computer Survey finds onboarding needs improvementThe first few days of work are always awkward. Half the time, it seems like no one knows where youre supposed to sit. Then, your computer doesnt work. And wheres the bathroom? What is all this paperwork for? And the person who is supposed to teach you the proprietary CMS is on vacation ServiceNow, a cloud platform, surveyed2001 U.S. office workers about the onboarding experience, conducted by Edelman Intelligence.Companies processes for managing their new hires everything from first-day wheres my computer issues to first-month whats my job training tasks are supposed to make everything run smoothly.It doesnt always work out that way, although onboarding is crucial a recent study showed that companies with a good onboarding process can improve its new-hire retention by up to 82%. One in three office workers would rather go on a cringe-worthy first date than an onb oarding orientation for a new job, the survey found.Thats because onboarding isnt always as well thought-out as employers might think it is. Seventy-nine percent of office workers have experienced glitches during the onboarding process. Of that percentage28% felt they had no clearly defined job responsibilities and goals26% had IT issues26% had no real onboarding program19% didnt feel completely onboarded, even after 3 months18% didnt have a computerSome of the top things that workers said would make their first day at a new job great (and heres another list)A walk-through of important processes (58%)Being assigned a buddy to ask questions (58%)Being given time to review the onboarding materials (47%)A welcome lunch (40%)Frustrated? Onboard yourselfSometimes, a successful onboarding process is one you can take control of yourself Instead of waiting for the company to guide you, go ahead and make a friend, set expectations for 30, 60, and 90 days with your manager, document your earl y successes, and begin to scout around for a mentor. You dont even have to wait until the first day to begin taking action like reaching out on social media with members of your new organization.Harvard Business Review also recommends seizing the reigns on your own onboarding by taking initiative to ask your boss key questions in the first months about how you can help them succeed, what theyd like you to accomplish in certain time frames, and how your success will be measured.Just make sure you have a computer first.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 2

7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 2 7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 2 7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree, Part 2Part 1 of 7 Ways to Move Up the Ladder with a STEM Degree looked at planning, training, and honing your skills to advance an engineering career. Here are a few more strategies to help you along.4. abflug networkingNot only is networking a good way to continue developing your interpersonal skills, its also useful to develop positive relationships with other people in your field particularly if you ever find yourself looking for work outside of your firm. The best approach is to figure out how you can help other people in your network. In this case, helping others is helping yourself.Networking is not just about what I can get. Its about giving, Suffredini says. What can I give? How can I support others in getting what they want? Theres that old saying from Zig Ziglar, You can have everythinginlife you want,if youll just helpenoughother people get whatthey want. Make those connections and maintain those over time. 5. Exercise your right brainWhile its important to have strong analytical skills both as an engineer and as a manager, upper-level positions often involve a bit more creative thinking than you may be doing now. Maybe that means taking some nontechnical courses, like business training, or it could even mean doing something artistic or studying a language. Whatever it means for you, start developing your right brain.When you start to exercise the other side of your brain, you can really have success outside of the engineering field, because youre taking your analytical skills and adding to them, Fasano says. It gives you a big advantage, because most people usually focus on either or.For You Learn more career and strategies.An engineering degree is one of those degrees where people just assume that youre smart. There are opportunities that can come from that. Terry Suffredini, engineerin g career strategist6. Hold yourself accountableIts all well and good to educate yourself and hone your unique skillset. But its another thing entirely to put that practice into action.You could always read a book on how to become a better manager, but theres no accountability to have to implement those things in the book, Fasano says. Think about something that youre going to do thats going to hold you accountable. Whether its something within your firm, or making a commitment to your company that youre taking a course, or going after a license all these things are going to force you to really implement the things youre learning, he says.7. Look outside the boxIf your firm isnt willing or able to promote you to the job you want and deserve, then it may be time to start looking elsewhere. You have a valuable skill set to offer, and someone else may will see them, even if your company cant. Update your resume to reflect all of the training and skills youve taken on and position yourse lf for management roles. The truth is, your engineering says a lot more about you than simply that you possess the technical skills needed to be an engineer.An engineering degree is one of those degrees where people just assume that youre smart, Suffredini says. So they will oftentimes give you the benefit of the doubt. There are opportunities that can come from that.Tim Sprinkle is an independent writer.Read MoreSolar-Powered Drones Go MainstreamArtificial Intelligence Transforms ManufacturingHandheld Dronut Brings Drones Indoors