Social Network Drives Workplace Innovation Productivity - Workology

Social Network Drives Workplace Innovation Productivity Corporate Social Media as Collaboration Alternative Corporate Social Media as Collaboration Alternative Companies are challenged to create and execute a strategy to facilitate knowledge sharing across the enterprise. Email, a 50-year old technology, is a one-way communication tool and an inefficient way to collaborate.   Executives have approved millions of shareholder capital for digital infrastructure, talent and processes; but many are still waiting for the ROI.  Companies are considering internal social networks  and corporate social media as providing the answer the employee productivity and performance puzzle. One of the most powerful ways a company can improve performance is to expose the creative talent in the organization and engage all employees in problem solving. MECE  (pronounced meesee), mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive, is a framework used by management consulting firms in organizing information and mapping business process. The MECE principle can also be applied to workplace social networks and online collaboration- Mutually exclusive (“no overlaps”) is about critical thinking; allowing information to flow freely, organizing it, synthesizing it and quickly eliminate redundancies.  Workplace social networks enable you to collect information from all over the organization, and identify and leverage the “right talent” to get the job done. Collectively exhaustive (“no gaps”) is about creative thinking, innovative thinking; being inclusive and considering all possibilities.    Workplace social networks foster crowd sourcing and creative problem solving; employees are engaged in their work, and seek ways to connect with others who share their passion and push each other to find the bet solution. Workplace Social Networks Share Knowledge Best Practices A recent WSJ article, “Social Networking Heads to the Office”, highlighted how companies are leveraging social networks to share knowledge/best practices and increase productivity by making it easier to find the right person and track activities. Organizations are leveraging internal networks to unleash a new theology of solving problems, executing with agility and creating an innovative culture. Is your company grappling with how to manage the flood of information and enable dispersed workers to collaborate? Think MECE Collaboration- harness your talent’s brainpower and leverage the critical thinking/creative thinking of every individual for a sustainable competitive advantage. SPECIAL THANKS to my niece, Carolyn Crosby, a Babson College senior- who exposed me to MECE concepts, expanded my thinking and took time out of our Easter weekend to collaborate with me on this post. Lisa Bonner is the Assistant Vice President of Contemporary Work Practices at The Hartford.   She is the proud mother of very active 14 year-old twin boys and resides in Suffield, Connecticut. Connect with her on  LinkedIn.  The opinions expressed are personal and not related to The Hartford.

How to Manage Your Boss at Work - The muse

Instructions to Manage Your Boss at Work - The dream Instructions to Manage Your Boss at Work You're fastening the keep going catch on your jacket, having finished everything on your plan for the day for now. You and your companions have a great time supper out to make up for lost time, and you've been anticipating everything week. Similarly as you're getting your sack to take off, your telephone hums with an email you quickly lament opening: Jane, I at long last have a few amendments to the deck you sent me a week ago. I know it's last moment, yet please investigate and send an updated variant to me at the earliest opportunity. I'd prefer to send it off to the customer later this evening. Are you messing with me, you ask yourself, fuming as you understand you must choose the option to abandon supper. You did your part! On schedule! In any case, none of that issues since you're adhered offering an explanation to your supervisor when the workplace has discharged out. You may have overseen yourself, yet you didn't deal with your chief, and that is the place things can get unwieldly. Overseeing up isn't simple, however it isn't incomprehensible either, and learning its ropes will make you more joyful at work. Ahead, five things you have to have an idea about in the event that you need your supervisor to confide in you (and on the off chance that you need to leave the workplace at a rational hour). 1. Realize What's Expected When you get a baffling email demand from your chief, you must make sense of your best course of action, and discovering that ought to be founded on your administrator's desires: Is noting him something that must happen ASAP, or would it be able to hold up three hours without another excited email? In addition to the fact that you need to have a solid comprehension of what your administrator thinks about pressing whether he has expressed it all things considered yet you need to recognize what's worked previously and what's been regarded unsuitable. (Also, obviously, if the requests appear to be preposterous, you should discover some other chance to address your interests.) 2. Know Her Pet Peeves You have them-thus does your chief. Does your supervisor detest getting an email that requires a reaction following a specific hour? Is it accurate to say that she is pestered by the way that you store up inquiries as opposed to asking out of this world to you? Possibly she disdains the way that you delicately remind her about hitting you up on an undertaking when she has it on her rundown. Regardless of how unusual her annoyances appear, the brilliant activity is submit them to memory and do whatever it takes not to be the one liable for bothering her with seemingly insignificant details that can without much of a stretch be maintained a strategic distance from. The more joyful she is with you, the more probable she will be adaptable and open to your calendar and thoughts. 3. Know His Schedule and Priorities Your supervisor has requests, a calendar to follow, and needs of his own. It's aspect of your responsibilities to realize what such involves. Who or what is pulling him in various ways? What are his cutoff times? Who is he offering an explanation to? The more you think about your boss, and what's happening for him, the more ready you'll be for extinguishing a fire when one erupts or exploring a circumstance that from the outset appears to be unmanageable. For instance, on the off chance that you realize he has a major introduction coming up on Thursday, avoiding the workplace a half hour sooner than expected to go to the rec center the prior night presumably is certifiably not a splendid arrangement. 4. Know Her Preferred Communication Method Great openness is absolutely vital in all connections, and this quality is no less significant with regards to your chief. You can start understanding your chief's language by asking yourself how she gets a kick out of the chance to get data face to face, by means of email, over content? What's more, how and when? Does she get up ahead of schedule to figure out things before the customary workday starts? Does she drive home on a train and make up for lost time with things at that point? The objective is to clear the way for conveying the data as simple for her as could reasonably be expected. That way, she can concentrate on the substance or issue instead of the conceivably diverting mode (e.g., sending her a visit message twilight when email is ideal). 5. Realize When to Bring Up Potential Issues Try not to hold up until there's an issue. Remind your administrator when you have an excursion coming up. Be clear about significant supper plans or the way that you have show passes. On the off chance that you have a need that will outweigh his needs, similar to your grandmother's 90th birthday celebration party, give him some notification with the goal that he doesn't wind up putting a major undertaking on your plate hours before you should be some place. What's more, even better, make sense of if he's the sort to require both an early heads-up just as a day-of update. On the off chance that your manager feels circled in and mindful of any significant things you have going on outside of the workplace, it's improbable that you'll need to manage a minute ago inquires. This goes the two different ways however don't hold up until the night prior to your chief is going on a family excursion to request criticism on your introduction. Following these rules won't ensure everything will consistently go easily, however it will altogether expand its odds. Your relationship with your supervisor is a progressing one, and each administrator is extraordinary. Give a valiant effort to understand their work propensities, annoyances, and desires with the goal that your everyday is less distressing. At long last, figuring out how to oversee up will possibly help you when the opportunity arrives for you to take on an influential position. Photograph of lady perusing email on telephone civility of Shutterstock.

Productivity Tricks at Work

Profitability Tricks at Work There are a lot of weirdo strategies for driving yourself to complete stuff. We're not conversing with accomplish records and work runs, here. These inspiration stunts are distinctive enough to rattle you and into profitability. 1. Take a gander at charming creatures on the web. Yet, pause, we hear you state, would we say we should quit dawdling? All things considered, yes. Yet, as indicated by great researchers, taking a gander at photographs or recordings of cute creatures can really make you progressively gainful. The positive emotions evoked by taking a gander at container of infant sloths or a small goat in night wear means more noteworthy kind disposition, state specialists at Hiroshima University, just as more prominent profitability. Kawaii [cute] things make us more joyful, yet in addition influence our conduct, composed exploration group head and intellectual analyst Hiroshi Nittono. This investigation shows that survey charming things improves resulting execution in errands that require social watchfulness, perhaps by narrowing the expansiveness of attentional core interest. Understand More: ADP Jobs Report: Private Sector Added 214,000 Jobs in February 2. Gameify your workday. How would you go through your day? In case you're similar to the majority of us, you don't generally have the foggiest idea. You have an obscure thought of spending X hours in gatherings and Y minutes noting messages, and you're most likely frightened to discover how much time you spend on things like taking a gander at web based life. However following your time could be enlightening and profitability improving. By following your time, I don't mean playing with egg clocks or Pomodoro applications, composes Nick Loper at Lifehack. Rather, monitor to what extent you spend on every specific undertaking. This has the mental impact of 'game-ifying' your work time. Once in a while basically realizing that the clock is ticking is inspiration enough to attempt to perceive how proficiently you can complete something. Understand More: These Pokémon Characters Would Earn a Solid Salary IRL 3. Chuckle more busy working. How does humor assist you with completing more? By battling the pressure that can crash your profitability. Truth be told, it's a triple whammy, Humor at Work president Michael Kerr reveals to Jacquelyn Smith at Forbes. Amusingness offers an intellectual move by they way you see your stressors; a passionate reaction; and a physical reaction that loosens up you when you snicker. Understand More: Does Your Boss Pass the Teacher Test? So there you have it: track the time you spend snickering at infant creatures on the web today, and you'll arrive at new statures of profitability. My pleasure.

The Process Of Career Management - Work It Daily

The Process Of Career Management - Work It Daily Vocation the board alludes to the arranging, managing, controlling, dealing with, adapting and administrating one's expert life. It extensively covers a nitty gritty perspective on what you need to be, the place you need to go, how you will arrive and at last to what extent you mean to remain. All the appropriate responses are legitimately identified with one's very own objectives and targets. Having the option to deal with changes in your vocation will best empower you to stay away from slip-ups of the past, set up a certain way to deal with the present and an execute a positive heading for what's to come. Generally speaking, dealing with your vocation will help keep up and build up your expert development, advancement, and course. When Should I Begin To Manage My Career? Fruitful profession the executives can begin as right on time as the principal day you stroll into school or school. You ought to plainly distinguish your objectives before taking a crack at a specific degree or course and planning for a deep rooted vocation. (This sets aside a great deal of cash and time later on down the track!) Be explicit with what are you acceptable at and what you appreciate doing; in particular what you can see yourself doing each day going ahead. Having the option to respond to these inquiries will help you in understanding yourself better and what zones you are well on the way to succeed. In the event that you find that you have committed an error don't freeze. Fumes your choices, comprehend the worth included aptitudes that you have and how best you can use these current abilities. Try not to be hesitant to pose inquiries. Inquire as to whether you are equipped for playing out the undertaking or in the event that you see yourself advancing in a specific zone. In the event that the appropriate response is indeed, at that point start your journey to accomplishing your objectives. Always remember to network and search out whatever number individuals and feelings as could reasonably be expected. You just never know where the nearby will open. To what extent Does Career Management Last For? Profession the board is a long lasting activity. Adjusting your work and public activity is a shuffling demonstration. It isn't simply restricted to one period in your life or a specific calling. In life numerous things change so don't be reluctant to change with the occasions. It is about versatility and learning. The capacity to gain from each mishap will make you more astute in making your next profession move. The business market may appear to be packed and not promising, yet being available to change will assist you with getting by during those dim months. The changing occasions are not snapshots of depression, but instead snapshots of chance. Related Posts 5 Simple Career Management Tips You Should Follow Profession Management: Are YOU Lazy? Planning For A Career Discussion With Your Manager Photograph Credit: Shutterstock Have you joined our profession development club?Join Us Today!

Create an Employee Engagement Plan Before its Too Late

Create an Employee Engagement Plan Before its Too Late I was speaking to a friend of mine recently about employee engagement and organizational culture. He is an executive at a small company in Austin and was talking about how happy and engaged his employees are. He and the other executive team members worked hard to create their culture and take pride in what they accomplished. How do you know your employees are satisfied? Because its in my nature, I pushed him on his comment. (I sometimes can’t stop myself.) I asked him, How do you know they are happy? He replied with a list of signs that tell him that his employees are engaged and happy: Employees appear happy. There are very few complaints to management. The company has a low attrition rate. Employee production level is high. Are you listening to your employees? I shared with him a phrase I recently heard, “it doesn’t have to be bad to be better.” With that notion, I asked him: “In what ways would your employees like to develop professionally and personally?”He mentioned that the employees have monthly 1:1 meetings with their managers, but he is unsure if those questions are asked. I also asked him: “What suggestions do the employees have to improve the organization, culture, and working environment?”He was a bit stumped and said that he knows this topic is brought up often in informal conversations. I asked him my final question before letting him off the hook: What is your plan to make sure your employees continue to be engaged?”He told me in all honesty, that he doesn’t have an actual plan for that because, up to this point, the strong culture they built had created the strong engagement. Because this is also in my nature, he walked away from our conversation with homework. He is going to think more about the questions I asked and find ways to address them in this organization. Having strong employee engagement is great for everyone. The employees enjoy coming to work and find it fulfilling. Plus, they produce better products/services for the organization. Even if it is strong, you don’t want to take your eye off of the employee engagement ball. You can do that by asking yourself these questions: How strong is our employee engagement? If it isn’t strong, how can you begin talking to your employees to hear their ideas? If it is strong, where can we improve our employee engagement? What are we putting in place to ensure our employee engagement stays strong? These are all important questions that may get overlooked especially if nothing seems wrong. Thats where trouble can start so be proactive! There’s no need to wait until your employee engagement is poor to start trying to make it better.

How to Manage Graduates, Guide for Baby Boomer Bosses [Guest Post] - Career Pivot

Instructions to Manage Graduates, Guide for Baby Boomer Bosses [Guest Post] - Career Pivot Step by step instructions to Manage Graduates At Inspiring Interns we manage setting graduates in graduate occupations consistently. Gen Y's have various desires and work place esteems to their person born after WW2 managers â€" from multiple points of view they are the exclusive standards age. They've been raised with gold stars, being told they're stunning, and being urged to discover their energy and accomplish work they love. In this manner their desires for the workforce are higher than any age to date; they need adaptable hours, incredible partners, energizing and changed work that challenges them, vocation movement, great compensation and benefits, and to be recognized when they progress nicely. This may seem as though they're asking a ton â€" they are. What's more, it's fabulous. What better approach to have our workforce change to furnish every one of these things than with a push from the more youthful age's new vitality and elevated requirements? It implies the work place needs to improve on the off chance that it needs to keep youthful ability utilized. The principle worry for managers with respect to youthful specialists is worker maintenance. Consequently what is the most ideal approach to oversee graduates so they need to continue working with you? Shared regard Graduates need to be regarded, despite the fact that it's feasible they haven't done a lot to 'merit' it, they need to be regarded for what their identity is. Research shows they favor a fellowship relationship with a chief, rather than a various leveled relationship. They need to have the option to carry new plans to the table, and have those thoughts tuned in to and considered, assuming great. In this manner a decent method to oversee graduates is to concentrate on building an individual relationship with them. Offer the vision of current ventures, sharing why they have to accomplish the work they've been given; why it's significant, and how it will support the organization. Moment criticism Age Y wouldn't like to hold up a half year to get input, they need to know how they are getting along now. Research shows that numerous Gen Y's don't remain in graduate occupations longer than two years, so holding up a fourth of that to get criticism doesn't sound good to them. At the point when given steady input they can develop and advance considerably more rapidly, which is the thing that a considerable lot of them need. A decent method to do this is to have a discussion with them about how as often as possible they might want criticism; every other week/month to month/tri-month to month? Assortment Redundant occupations bore anybody, yet graduates have especially low degrees of tolerance for them. Giving Gen Y's the opportunity to concoct imaginative activities as an afterthought, or to work with another division for a day to all the more likely comprehend that job, are extraordinary approaches to keep Gen Y's locked in. Get in contact with them routinely about how they're making the most of their work, regardless of whether they've had any out-of-the-case thoughts, and whether they're happy with the assortment of work they have. Is it true that you are dealing with your more youthful representatives thusly? If you don't mind compose a remark beneath on what you can do any other way. â€" Tune in to the latest scene This post was composed by Ben Rosen. Ben is the CEO and fellow benefactor of Inspiring Interns, the UK's driving alumni enlistment office. Moving Interns interfaces gifted alumni with top organizations and new businesses over the UK, filling graduate occupations and paid temporary positions (with the point of going changeless). They have launched the vocations of more than 5,000 youngsters. Like what you simply read? Offer it with your companions utilizing the catches above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights Look at the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

8 Essential Steps to Take for Effective Interview Follow Up

8 Essential Steps to Take for Effective Interview Follow Up Imagine you finally get your resume into the right hands. Then, you finally get a chance to interview with key decision makers with the company of your dreams. Are you ready? Are you ready to make the right moves before the interview, during the interview, and after the interview to position yourself as the best candidate to be considered? Savvy executives know that effective interview follow up continues well after the actual interview, whether you’re applying to a corporation or with a search firm. There are certain interview follow-up steps you must take to uphold the good first impression you made in the interview. Remember: The interview follow-up steps outlined below begin while you are still on the interview â€" not after it has ended! I’m a big believer that how you conduct your search communicates to the employer how you will conduct yourself on the job, so you need to continue your follow-up appropriately and professionally to seal the deal. Keep these things in mind when following up after an interview: 1. Before the Interview Ends, Ask About the Next Steps in the Process: When you sense the interview is coming to an end, and the hiring manager or recruiter asks if you have any questions… ask! After you have asked your other questions about the business, the position, etc, ask about the next steps in the process. By asking about next steps, you’ll get an accurate action plan for when you can appropriately follow up and in what timeframe. It’s a no-brainer that eliminates the guess work on your part. As a former recruiter, it would stun me that so few people ended the conversation with this question. 2. Ask If You Can Connect on LinkedIn: Yes, you’re interviewing in the hopes of getting the positionâ€"but you’ve also just formed a new professional relationship and added another name to your list of business contacts. Asking the interviewer if you can connect on LinkedIn is perfectly acceptable. During the interview, look for natural segues into a connection request. If the interviewer mentions they love to golf, for instance, you can mention a great article on golfing you just read and offer to forward it to them. If they attended your alma mater, you can mention how great its LinkedIn group is and offer to introduce them to some former classmates who are active in that group. Bonus Tip: When you send the actual request to connect, make sure   you include a personalized note along the lines of, “I enjoyed speaking with you today. I’d like to introduce you to some fellow classmates as we discussed.” (Or whatever personal connection you made with them) Even if you don’t get the job, you’ve still made a great new professional connection who could wind up assisting your job hunt or career in the future. Don’t neglect to capitalize on that. 3. Take the Traditional Route and Ask for Their Business Card: At the end of each interview, ask the interviewer if you may have one of their business cards. This will help you when writing the thank you note we’ll cover in the next section. Business cards are an easy way to make sure you get key information correct when following up, such as the correct spelling of the interviewer’s title, their exact position, and their email address. If the interviewer doesn’t have his business card on him, jot down this information on the notepad you should be bringing along to every interview. 4. Make the Effort to Send Thank You Notes Immediately: Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Interviewers see multiple candidates each day, and thank you notes are a quick and easy way to distinguish yourself from the competition, emphasize your interest in the position, and leave the interviewer with a positive lasting impression. Send thank you notes via email and/or express mail â€" when appropriate, sending something tangible will, no doubt, set you apart from other candidates. How you send this thank you note depends on the interviewer; it’s always best to ask them how they prefer to be contacted. Email is usually best method due to its immediacy; you can send it from anywhere and the interviewer will receive it instantly, keeping you top of mind (and impressing them with your timeliness). However, if the interviewer prefers traditional mail or you want the extra personalization that comes from a handwritten note, a physical note is also acceptableâ€"just make sure you send it via express mail so you don’t lose the immediacy factor. Bonus Tip: The note itself should be brief, to the point, and professional yet pleasant. Thank the interviewer for their time and restate your interest in the position, reminding them of a few key reasons why you’d be a great fit for it. If you’re sending your note via email, this is also an appropriate time to attach any information you discussed, such as an article you recommended or an example of work you’ve done previously. And don’t forget to send personal notes to each interviewer if you met with more than person. 5. Reach Out Meaningfullyâ€"and More Than Once (Maybe More Than Twice): It’s okay to check in occasionally after the interview, so long as you do it the right way. Sending multiple emails and leaving multiple voice mail messages simply (or annoyingly) asking if a decision has been made will not do you any favors in the interviewer’s eyes. Rather, touch base periodically in a way that demonstrates your value and your interest in the position, without coming across as pushy or desperate. At the end of the interview, you should be asking about the next steps in the process (as we covered in the first section). Once you know it will take about a week for the company to make a decision, you can gently follow up after 10 days to check in and see if there is any other information you can provide. If you can demonstrate extra value by attaching an article you’ve come across that you think the interviewer will find interesting, you get extra points for being a useful professional contact. Remember that you’re likely not the only person following up on this position, so if you can do something to differentiate your message from the other candidates’, do so. 6. If You Don’t Hear Back Immediately, Don’t Assume the Worst: In the absence of information, don’t choose to fill in the blanks with negative information. That often isn't productive. Everyone in the hiring process has good intentions to move the process along. But so much of it is out of their control, despite those good intentions. So always keep in mind that no news does not necessarily mean bad news. Maintain a positive attitude, and try not to dwell on it if you’ve yet to hear back from someone. 7. Remain Confident in What You Have to Offer: Remember … You are awesome! You have unique experiences, knowledge, achievements, contacts, and more. You can bring something (or multiple somethings) to this opportunity that nobody else can. Bring this confidence into the interview with you, and carry it with you afterwards as well. Also, know that if this particular opportunity doesn’t come through for you … there is another company, or opportunity, out there that is going to be a better fit for you â€" where you will be fortunate to find EACH OTHER. Believe this. 8. Don’t Wait to Move On and Look for the Next Opportunity: This is one of the most important pieces of advice that I give my clients: Don’t just sit and wait on this one position; keep your job search moving along. This tactic will preserve your sanity and give you a greater chance of ultimate success. Even if the opportunity you’re waiting to hear about is your dream job, if you sit around and wait for the company to get back to you, it’s like watching a pot of water come to a boil. Resume your search immediately. Go for a run. Head out to meet a friend. Do all of these things, in fact. Distract yourself from the opportunity as soon as the interview is over to give yourself a fresh perspective when they do call back (remember, think positive!), and maintain your leverage by exploring other options. If you don’t feel prepared to do all of these actions confidently, and feel like you can use some help, know that we're here for you: http://www.chameleonresumes.com/interviewcoaching/