Shape The Right Job Share With These 12 Questions

Shape The Right Job Share With These 12 QuestionsShape The Right Job Share With These 12 QuestionsYouve decided its time to head back to work after having a child but arent sure you want to work full-time.You love what you do but would prefer to work fewer hours while your child is still young.If you could remain in your current role but have someone else share the responsibilities, you wouldnt lose out on that experience but would still be able to spend time with your child. The way to do that is to participate in a job share. The Basics of a Job Share A job share lets two employees divide up a workweek. They split a jobs responsibilities and its pay.Another phrase for this arrangement is work sharing, as in sharing the workload between two people. This way of working sprung up in the 1970s but didnt become popular until the 2000s, when working moms were looking for more flexibility in their jobs and quality of life became more of a priority for everyone. For hourly workers, a j ob share offers a part-time workweek. For salaried employees, a job share offers the opportunity to pursue a high-pressure career without sacrificing your entire life to a company. Job sharing holds the most promise for work-life balance in demanding fields such as law, medicine, scientific research, and the upper ranks of corporate America. People who participate in a job share are typically highly motivated to make the arrangement last and so generally work hard during the hours theyre in the office. 12 Important Job Share Questions When you begin the process of establishing a job share arrangement, be sure to get these 12 important questions answered. How will the schedule be divided?How will sick days, vacation time, and maternity leave be handled?What benefits will each employee receive and how do they compare to full-time benefits?Is there a plan for promotion and advancement for each member of the job-share team?What happens if one job-share partner wants to end the arran gement?How will responsibilities be handed off to the other person?How will the performance and success of this arrangement be measured?How will the rest of the organization view this arrangement? Will there be an emaille alias co-workers and clients can use so that both parties are addressed on questions?How can the transition process be made smooth so that the new employee feels fully informed?What are the rules, if any, about being contacted during a persons off hours?How will after-regular-hours work emergencies be handled? Your Co-workers and Boss Its very important to find someone whom you can easily work with to become your work-sharing partner. Communication will be key, so that those who must interact with you wont feel like your job share arrangement is creating more work or stress for them. Your boss is the other big factor in making a job share a success. If they arent comfortable with the arrangement or the manner in which youre carrying it out, the job share wont l ast long. You and your job-sharing partner must make sure your boss has no reason to complain about how youre both fulfilling the jobs responsibilities.

Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 1

Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 1Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 1Stay Positive During Your Job Search, Part 1Deep Recession. Financial Industry Collapse. Taxpayer-financed Bailout. Consumer Spending Down. Nine Months of Job Losses. Worst Financial Outlook since the Great Depression.Even the most positive among us might feel deflated by the current newspaper headlines. With all the talk about the challenging economy, the failure of financial institutions like Bear Sterns and Lehman Brothers and the multi-billion dollar financial services industry bailout, it would be easy even for an optimist like me to get caught up in the doom and gloom. But negativity is really a state of mind and it is counter-productive, especially if you are a job landseeker. Its all a matter of perspective. As youve likely heard, Winston Churchill once said, A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.Here is the first instal lment of three articles focused on the positive. Through these words, I share with you essential mindset shifts that will help you put on the rose-colored glasses and see through the ubiquitous negativity so you can be successful in your job search.Re-live past wins.One way to keep negative thoughts away is to fill your mind with memories of past successes. When you remind yourself of how you rose above a challenge to accomplish something impressive, you have no room in your mind for negative or counter-productive thoughts. Make a list of all your accomplishments large and small so when you catch your mind wandering into downer territory you will have visual reminders of what you have achieved.One of my clients made a screen-saver with keywords relating to some of his greatest accomplishments. After ten minutes of computer inactivity, reminders of what makes him incredible scroll across the screen. He told me that every time he would glance at his computer and see one of those wor ds or phrases, it would make him smile.Consider the words from Helen Keller Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. And ask yourself, What is my greatest success story?If you cant get out of it, get into it.My friend Todd Wetmore said this to me once and I have never forgotten it Every time I hear myself saying I have to I change I have to into I am looking forward to To me, this means finding a way to make every situation an opportunity for enjoyment or growth.I recently had to travel to the middle of nowhere (really the middle of nowhere no cell-phone service and the address of the hotel welches not even in the GPS system of my rental car). to deliver a personal branding presentation and workshop. Being the most urban person I know, I was less than thrilled about driving three hours to a place without people, traffic or noise In fact, I was dreading it. And then I reminded myself that this was going to be a totally new experience for me. I focused my energy on the excitement of working with a new client Johnson Johnson for the first time. I changed I have to go to the middle of nowhere to I am really looking forward to getting to know this new client. It made the journey from Manhattan to nowhere much more pleasant. Mark Twain was right when he said, Optimist A person who travels on nothing from nowhere to happiness.What are you looking forward to this week?Visualize what you wantThat which you focus on expands. Certainly this is why Peace Pilgrim hypothesized, If you realized how powerful your thoughts are, you would never think a negative thought.Although it may be easy to lament the tribulations of getting no response to dozens of submitted resumes or the miserable interview experience you had, thinking about how hard it is to find the ideal job will prove you right. It willbe difficult. Frustrating. Painful. You will feel the impact of every rejected resume, excruciating interview, or phone call saying they selected someone else. Instead, you must keep the future in your mind. Visualize yourself at your new job. Know what it looks like, feels like and smells like. Make it visceral keeping the end in mind will help you navigate the job search process with ease and fortitude.What does it look like at your new office? Give yourself some time each day to daydream. Get comfortable, take some deep breaths and concentrate on your future your new job. What will you be doing? How will you spend your time each day? With whom will you be working? How will you contribute to your gruppe? The clearer the picture becomes, the easier it will be for you to stay focused on future.

Safety and Efficiency, Brick by Brick

Safety and Efficiency, Brick by Brick Safety and Efficiency, Brick by Brick Safety and Efficiency, Brick by BrickIn this day and age, with the lightning fast pace of construction that has become the norm, it can often seem as though buildings are created overnight. However, the reality is far different. Long hours of work for construction teams can be grueling, dangerous, and costly.Enter Construction Robotics of Victor, NY. The company has developed a robotic masonry system named SAM100 (Semi-Automated Mason) that has been used to build everything from grocery stores to apartment buildings. Scott Peters, CEO and co-founder of the company, says the system is precise and easy enough to use that masons can be taught how to calibrate it in just five minutes.But efficiency is what sets SAM apart. It literally can lay the amount of bricks in one hour that can take a mason a whole day, Peters says. However, there are limitations to what kind of structure it can create. For a building with longer walls that are straight, its great, he says. But when you have a lot of turns, a lot of changes of direction, thats not what this is presently for.For You Robotic Lifeguard Changes Water RescuesFor many projects that are more straightforward, its truly helping to change the way buildings can be created. Scott Peters, co-founder, Construction Robotics The SAM100 bricklaying robot builds walls six times faster than a human. Image Construction RoboticsSAM100 began with the companys co-founder Nate Podkaminer, who spent more than 50 years in commercial construction, approaching Peters about what he felt welches an inefficiency in the market. He said this industry in some ways is backwards and that masonry, in some ways, was a part of that, he says. We thought Youre taking individual units and repetitively placing them on a wall to put up a veneer. Couldnt robotics do some of this?The key parts of SAM100 include a motorized carriage that travels along a scaffold. It has a mast-climbing work platform, a big bridge suspended on the mast, and it climbs up the mast, with the idea of working on the side of a commercial building, says Peters, who was previously a senior process engineer for General Motors. Its designed to work on a track system bolted to the mast climbers. In that connection there are safety features, but it has a track section and an extension of a deck and SAM is separate on that deck. And it goes back and forth on the track system. A carriage rides with the tracks and we have story poles, which is how the masons set the course.SAM also has a laser system that automatically climbs the pole, with the laser box on the unit automatically searching and finding tabs or markers.It shoots down the wall like a streamline would, he says. SAM itself is a self-contained unit set on the scaffold and on there we have a moving terrace and a generator so its self-powered. And then you have an electrical cabinet for components. We also have morta r mixing and a separating unit. There is also an area where bricks are loaded in bulk and the conveyor puts them with SAM. There are a couple of chutes where we can manually load in bricks and software. The system will say we need a specially covered brick or maybe a specially cut brick and load it into chute one or chute two.A gripper reaches over and grabs each brick, to which it applies mortar. Then it places it on the wall.When its placed, the laser system talks to it and determines its position in space and corrects for that position and places it where its supposed to go, he says.So far the response has been positive with many touting SAMs safety and efficiency. Those corners remain a challenge, however. The system may not deal with many corners, Peters says. But for many projects that are more straightforward, its truly helping to change the way buildings can be created.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.Read MoreMaking the Emotional RobotSolar-Powered DronesGo Mainstrea mHandheld Dronut Brings Drones Indoors

Study Bosses who overshare are seen as less powerful

Study Bosses who overshare are seen as less powerfulStudy Bosses who overshare are seen as less powerfulHow much do our coworkers need to know about our personal lives? Recent research shows that it may depend on ones age and rank.According to a LinkedIn and CensusWide survey, your answer differs partly depending on your age. The survey found that the majority of millennial employees are willing to divulge intimate details that would be considered taboos in previous generations, such as how much they make and marital problems and family problems theyre experiencing. Advocates of honesty and transparency say this can be a good thing.Social scientist Dr. Bren Brown, for example, has given a TEDx talk on The Power of Vulnerability and the courage to be imperfect that has reached millions of people. Brown argues that acts of vulnerability can help us overcome failures by helping us grow comfortable with discomfort. She has science on her side. Research has proven that self-disclosures ca n benefit our personal relationships by making us seem more likable to our friends and intimate partners.But the power of vulnerability is situational. Over-sharers at work beware Anew study in the Journal of Organizational Behavior and menschlich Decisions Processes found that disclosing personal information to our coworkers can backfire and make us seem less powerful and influential in their eyes.Bosses are a special caseIn three lab experiments, researchers got their student participants to believe they were working with task partners who were perceived to be going to higher-status schools than they were. During a get-to-know-you exercise, students in the manipulated group had high-status partners who disclosed a potential weakness in their chats. The researchers defined potential weaknesses broadly as what had the potential to trigger weakness attributions or assumptions about the discloser. Some of the potential weaknesses participants heard were doctor visits, a history of pas t poor performance, and seeing therapists for their mental health.The researchers found that self-disclosures like this signal vulnerability. When the students thought they were hearing vulnerability from someone they thought was a peer, they did not rate that persons status lower. But when the students thought they were hearing a weakness from someone from a higher status, that discovery resulted in diminished perceived status and consequently less influence, greater perceived conflict, less liking, and less desire for a future relationship.The role of hierarchies at workSo why can we support vulnerability in our peers and friends, but not in our high-status leaders and bosses? The researchers theorize that its because our workplaces operate under rigid hierarchies with clearly delineated roles. We set higher expectations of behaviors in people ranked above us, and when bosses disclose vulnerability that upsets the status buchung. We may start to doubt their ability to lead us.Once a status order has been established, group members are expected to engage in behaviors that support and justify their status position in the group (i.e., status markers) because these behaviors reaffirm the legitimacy of the status order, the study says. A high-status individual who displays vulnerability a direct contrast to the confidence and assertiveness expected of them behaves in a way that violates the expectations of their status position and does so at the risk of having their status taken away.What you should doIf you want to share personal news with a peer at work, go ahead and spill. Bonding over shared miseries and triumphs can bring you closer together to the coworkers coming up alongside you.But if youre a manager, think twice before disclosing your shortcomings to the coworkers you lead. To be the fruchtwein effective leader to your team, there are some parts of your life that may be better off staying private.

Guide to Writing Realistic Dialogue

Guide to Writing Realistic DialogueGuide to Writing Realistic DialogueYour first draft of a story may be messy, with a lot of unnecessary words and phrases. Youll probably find that as you edit your dialogue, it will become more succinct. Try to think in terms of speech patterns, and less about storytelling through your dialogue. Listen to how people talk and pay attention to what your characters are already familiar with. For your dialogue to be realistic, both the characters AND the reader need to believe it. Keep Sentences Short In general, keep sentences short. Oakley Hall, in The Art and Craft of Novel Writing, offers the rule, One thought at a time and keep the lines short. Most people dont talk in perfectly formed, complex sentences. For example, in this passage from Raymond Carvers What We Talk About When We Talk About Love, note how short and simple most of the sentences are When I left, he drank rat poison, Terri said. She clasped zu sich arms with her hands. They took him to the hospital in Santa Fe. Thats where we lived then, about ten miles out. They saved his life. But his gums went crazy from it. I mean they pulled away from his teeth. After that, his teeth stood out like fangs. My God, Terri said. Cut Unnecessary Dialogue Paring down your sentences may not be enough, however. Chances are, therell be scenes you wrote for yourself, to get to the next part of the story. Cut any unnecessary dialogue. If it doesnt build character or advance your plot, edit it out. In the Gotham Writers Workshop guide to writing fiction, Allison Amend explains it this way The realism of good dialogue is something of an illusion. Readers of fiction have a higher expectation for dialogue than the conversations of real life. Fictional dialogue needs to have more impact, focus, relevance, than ordinary conversation. A conversation about the correct route to take when driving, for instance, is extraneous if it goes like this So I think we should take Elm all the wa y to Lincoln, Mary said, the map spread across her lap.Is that really the best way? Mel asked her. What if we hit traffic?But its Sunday. Well be fine. Theres no tension and nothing necessary is revealed here, so theres no reason to include this scene, though it is true to life. Presumably, these characters are on their way to something important why not fast-forward to those key scenes, and leave out the logistics of getting there? On the other hand, if the scene were to reveal something about Mel and Marys relationship, something that mattered to the plot, we would keep it Why arent we taking Elm? Mary asked.Did I ask your opinion? Mel said, switching lanes a bit too quickly. When you drive, you can zupflmmel the route. But Im driving, so Ill pick the godd*n route.Fine, fine, Mary said. With a sigh, she reached over to switch on the radio. If youd ever let me drive, then maybe I could, she said under her breath. Further Reading For more, check outHow Do People Talk in Fiction? where you find information on how to edit your sentences so they sound like real dialogue, use dialogue correctly, and learn more about when to use dialect. See also Writing Dialogue in Action Scenes. For the correct use of grammar when writing dialogue, readHow to Punctuate Dialogue Correctly.

Top How to Write Objective in Resume Reviews!

Top How to Write Objective in Resume Reviews An objective needs to be personally-tailored to the employer. My purpose is to find the job. If your Objective says youre searching for a full-time job and youre asking for a part-time internship, you will probably be disqualified immediately. The career objective doesnt state specifically which strong abilities and expansive knowledge the applicant would love to use. Transportation jobs involve plenty of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can deal with that. The resume summary is simply a bridge to have the hiring manager in your experience. Resumes may be used for a number of reasons, but most often theyre utilised to secure new employment.A well-written one is going to impress on the hiring manager the methods by which you are a best candidate for the job. Expand your objective to include things like a persuasive overview of why youre the ideal internship job candidate. Securing a job for a chemist can be h ugely competitive. Also show youre a well-rounded worker. Effective learning objectives utilize action verbs to describe what you would like your students to be in a position to do by the close of the course or unit. Outlining specifics will increase odds of succeeding. Sales is much like customer service as salespeople can be effective in a wide selection of industries. The health care industry can be quite competitive. Distinct kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with several of the exact same skills. Realize that though you previously do the job for the company, managers in various departments might not be acquainted with your work. Entry-level objectives can be particularly hard to write since you likely dont have loads of work experience, but you do want to solidify that you know the sort of career youre searching for. You must organize your resume to assist agencies evaluate your experience. Be sure your career objective matches the role youre ap plying for. The target of resume objective is to raise the odds of getting positive response from the prospective employer. For instance, if your learning objective has the action verb identify, then you dont need to get an assessment thats above that degree of learning, including analyzing the topic. Rather, the aim of the career objective is to showcase your abilities and abilities that can help you to successfully fulfill the responsibilities of the position. Ruthless How to Write Objective in Resume Strategies Exploited Resume objectives can be a little controversial. Our resume builder is the quickest approach to create a resume that can help you get your fantasy job. The mixture of our templates and your input is likely to make your resume fly to the peak of any pile. However much or what kind of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Stick to the tips above, and youll have a resume that compensates for the a bsence of expertise and gets you the interview. Each guide includes step-by-step explanations and examples, which means you know just how to create a winning one. As a guideline, you dont need to use each bit of the formula for your resume objective. How to Write Objective in Resume - Dead or Alive? The end result is that speaking more languages makes it increasingly likely you will become hired. A potent internship resume objective is important to stand out as the ideal internship candidate. Resumes could be organized in various ways. Make certain you highlight technical wisdom and certifications.

8 Ways to Knock Your Next Job Fair Out of the Park

8 Ways to Knock Your Next Job Fair Out of the Park Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers Have a question youd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QATodays Question Job fairs can be kind of odd, cant they? The purpose of this piece is to help job seekers navigate the strangeness and get the most out of job fairs. Share your best job fair tips for job seekers1. Go in With a Strong Game PlanIf you have a floor plan or list of companies exhibiting at the job fair, highlight the ten organizations youd most like to work for. Visit those ten first, starting with the one thats furthest from the entrance. Then quickly hit all the other booths. This ensures that you dont end up working for a less desirable company simply because its booth was closest to the door. Joni Holderman, Thrive Resumes 2. Do Your ResearchA job fair is a n opportunity for job seekers to connect with employers. Therefore, when attending a job fair, you need to do your research. Get a list of the companies that will be attending, and research each one. Visit their websites to understand what they do and the kind of people they hire. Tailor your resume to meet each companys needs. Muyiwa Oyadiaro, ICS Limited 3. Turn Your Conversations Into Mini-InterviewsI advise finding out what companies will be there (sometimes they are listed on the registration website sometimes you have to plek up the phone and call the organizers to find out). Then, go to all of those companies websites and apply for the jobs that make sense for you. Print out the description of each job to which you applied. Staple a copy of your resume to each position description. With a yellow highlighter, highlight the requirements on the position description that you meet. Go to your resume and highlight where you meet those requirements. When you arrive at the job fair, seek out the companies you applied to. Turn your five minutes with the company representative into a mini-interview. Tell them you applied, show them the position description, and explain the highlighter. If they like the way you look, speak, and present yourself, they can go back to their company and pull your resume from the thousands of others who applied for the same job. David Nast, Business Leadership Coach 4. Get Your Cover Letters and Conversations Right Writing unique cover letters for each of the employers you are interested in will help you stand out. If you can make a connection and strike up a conversation with the recruiter at the fair, it could help get your resume to the top of the pile. Keep all of your conversations professional focus on how you are qualified for the role and why you are interested in that particular company. Leila Hock, Alignment Coaching5. Always Follow UpThis is one of the keys to personal and professional success. You cant expect every compan y to call you. So, take it upon yourself to contact them and build a relationship. Even if it doesnt work out this time around, there may be a future opening that is aligned with your skill set. Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, Feather Communications 6. Direct Recruiters to Your Online PresenceGive recruiters options to learn more about you. Invite them to view your LinkedIn profile to learn more about your key accomplishments, or mention your personal website as a portal to read about how youve added value to other organizations. Include these links on a networking card or directly on your resume. fahl Brady, Path2Hired.com 7. Carry Yourself WellAs a business major, I have been to more than my fair share of job fairs for companies spanning across the United States. But more to the point, I was able to gain interviews with the companies I wanted to work for and learned a lot from their representatives using these three tips. Tip 1 The suit maketh the man and woman There is nothing th at looks worse than your dads old brown suit with a green wrinkled shirt and a silk red tie. Opt instead for a charcoal two-button suit with a light blue shirt and a navy blue tie. Tip 2 Confidence is key Look a representative in the eye when you want to ask them something. Think about what you want to say before approaching their table or booth, and give them a firm handshake when you introduce yourself. Tip 3 Do you have a card? Although there are many things you can do and say to stand out among other job seekers, business cards are the simplest and classiest way to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack. It doesnt cost much to buy a pack of them from Vistaprint. Vincent Ramos, 3span8. Make Genuine ConnectionsRelax, be yourself, and be friendly with the folks to whom youre speaking. Dont feel the need to ask about work or the company thats all theyve been talking about all day. Stand out from the crowd by making a more personal connection. Ask the employee or interviewer about their day, their interests, or their trip to the job fair. Oftentimes, these are the conversations that people remember the most vividly, because they are the most genuine. Sam McIntire, Deskbright .openingBlock img width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display gruppe clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto margin-bottom 20px .openingBlock .alignleft width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto .middleBlock img border-radius 150px -webkit-border-radius 150px -moz-border-radius 150px box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -webkit-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -moz-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) .middleBlock strong font-size 24px color 1f77a0 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb max-width640px displayinline-block clearnone font-stylenormal font-size 16px color 666666 background f9f9f9 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb p font-style normal font-size 16px color 6666 66 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb .socialIcon border-radius 0 -webkit-border-radius 0 -moz-border-radius 0 box-shadow none -webkit-box-shadow none -moz-box-shadow none

If you live in one of these cities, youre probably happy with your salary

If you live in one of these cities, youre probably happy with your salaryIf you live in one of these cities, youre probably happy with your salaryThe job market continues to be strong as we approach mid-March. According to the latest jobs report, in February the U.S. added 313,000 jobs, the fruchtwein since July 2016 acrosslow-, middle-, and high-wage industries. Be sure to check out Ladders list of companies hiring for the highest paying jobs as of March, 2018. The jobless rate also remains at its lowest point in a whopping 17 years. In other words, the economy is strong.Hopefully, you are one of those lucky people who not only has a job but also feels that they are being properly compensated for their work. However, if you dont feel satisfied with your salary it could be because of where you live. Employment review and research sitekununu ran a studybased on 69,378 reviews done in 2017 for companies located in the largest U.S. cities.The study asked employees whether they felt fair ly compensated for their work to determine the 50 cities with the highest and lowest satisfaction rates. To give you some comparison, the average national annual pay for 2016 was $53,621,according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So which city came out on top? Check out the list below.Washington, DC ($68,000)Minneapolis, MN ($55,010)Seattle, WA ($61,170)San Francisco, CA ($69,110)Columbus, OH ($48,850)Boston, MA ($64,080)Sacramento, CA ($54,690)Omaha, NE ($46,490)New York, NY ($61,790)Los Angeles, CA ($55,650)High-wage industries fuel happinessWashington D.C. coming out on top isnt too surprising, as the high-paying tech sector is strong in our nations capital. Last month, we learned that women working in tech in D.C. are actually beating the national pay gap with their salaries.Minneapolis workers may be especially satisfied with their average salary of $55,000 because unlike other cities like New York and Los Angeles, half of their salary isnt spent on rent.Some of these cities are dominated by high wage industries like tech and finance and therefore tend to receive high ratings in salary satisfaction too, said Johannes Prller, of Kununu, in a statement. However, as our salary satisfaction index shows, you shouldnt preclude midsize cities when searching for a new job.Some of the lower ranking cities tended to be dominated by industries that just arent as lucrative such as tourism and agriculture. San Antonio, TX Las Vegas, NV and Albuquerque, NM were ranked in the last three spots for salary satisfaction with averages between $43,000 and $46,000.Money does help with happiness when it comes to liking where you live (and so do some other things) but when it comes to being satisfied with your job, salary is not the most important factor.A strong work culture with good teamwork and gender equality, employee autonomy and challenging work tasksall ranked higher than compensation.

Getting unstuck The myth of work-life balance

Getting unstuck The myth of work-life balanceGetting unstuck The myth of work-life balanceHave you ever felt like you were in a rut or experiencing a particularly low point in your life? Its times like these when we feel down, hopeless and stuck. This can run the spectrum of significance, such as being unfulfilled at work to grieving the death of a family member or friend, but the symptoms are the same. We become disengaged and canleid fully focus or show up with our best selves. In fact, women are more dissatisfied with their careers than their male counterparts.According to a new report by the Conference Board, a New York-based gemeinntzig research group, 53.7% of women are unsatisfied - thats over half of all working women The key to getting unstuck is self-care, even when that feels like your lowest priority and the last thing you have time for. But really, self-care is the only way to move forward again.This type of stuck is a gestalt of grieving and too often, we try to muscle our way through it instead of moving gracefully beyond it. We try to busy ourselves, self-medicate or avoid the flood of feelings accompanying the situation. Most of us havent been taught how to grieve, and because we are so uncomfortable with the pain we cant sit with it and be patient with the process. It takes time and requires gentle progress toward doing what it takes to feel better one day and sometimes one moment at a time.The good news is, you cant think your way toward better acting, but you can act your way toward better thinking. When youre ready for progress, use the practices below to move forward again. In the process, youll redefine success and what it means to be your best self.ExerciseMany of us fail on this one because we set expectations that are too high for ourselves. When you are coming out of a low period, you need to consistently have the experience of succeeding. To accomplish this, you must lower the bar and set a goal that is attainable given the circumst ances. For example, you might commit to some form of self-care once a week once you are consistent and making progress while gaining energy, only then will you raise your goal to twice a week. If at any point the self-care causes stress, its no longer self-care. Self-care also includes sleep. Often we neglect sleep as a key ingredient to health. At times like this, you may need more than your usual amount to sustain your energy for the long term.Try it Commit to some form of self-care once a week. This could be 30 minutes of exercise, sleeping seven hours in a night or spending quality time with a friend. Youll start to see the positive impact of these practices and be motivated to do them more often.GratitudeRemembering there are things to be grateful for, even in the darkest of times, helps keep us focused on the positive and moving forward. Keep a gratitude journal and list at least ten things you are grateful for every night before going to bed. This one intentional practice is a game changer for how you approach each new day. Some days the weather may be all youre grateful for and you can detail ten aspects of that at the bare minimum.Try it The Doubler- this is an exercise developed by Shawn Achor that helps increase gratitude and positive thinking. Every night write down the most meaningful thing that happened to you that day. Then, write down three details about that thing. Causing your brain to recall details has the doubling gratitude effect that gives the practice its name. Do it every day for two weeks- you will bedrngnisice a differenceHealthy dietWhen you begin to treat food as fuel as opposed to a drug, you become more mindful of what you put in your mouth. When youre down, you may not even be conscious of this. Fueling yourself with good foods helps your body stay healthy and your mind stay sharp. Make a commitment to nourish yourself the way you would nourish your children. Time is often a barrier for busy people, but there are many services like Origins, Blue Apron and Instacart that can help minimize the effort shopping and cooking takes. There are healthy options around being intentional means youll slow down to ensure youre taking care of your body.Try it Youd be amazed how cutting just one thing out of your diet affects your body. Try cutting out sugar just two days a week. As I shared above, lowering the bar will get you started and help you be consistent with the practice. Or, commit to packing a lunch twice a week. Youll save money and most likely choose a healthier option. Planning and dedication will make your practices happen successfully.Support networkSurround yourself with positive people and inspirational messaging. This can be from family, friends and non-human sources like pets, social media, and other reading materials. You need to evaluate how your interactions make you feel do they give you energy or drain your energy? Do you feel forwarded or mired as a result of the interaction? Filter out anything that lessens your energy, including relationships. Take a break from social media or limit the amount of time you spend online daily. When youre stuck, gravitate to what is easily moving you forward. Once youre in a better place mentally, physically and emotionally, you will be able to change your thinking.Try it Take an inventory of the people in your life and how they make you feel. Do you leave interactions with them feeling happy and energized or drained and negative? These reactions are important to pay attention to. Every person has a season in our lives, and at some point, it may be time for your relationship to end. If you dont leave feeling better than you did prior to seeing someone, spend less time with them.Getting unstuck is a process that takes time. Be patient and kind to yourself, and know that even small progress is a success. In addition to the practices outlined above, find other ways to recognize you are winning. When you dont believe you have the time to put yo urself first, remember that taking care of yourself is like putting on your oxygen mask before helping others on the plane. If youre not around, you cant help anyone elseMore than just a bestselling author, Sue Hawkes is a keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, award-winning and globally recognized seminar leader, and an entrepreneur. She is CEO and Founder ofYESS Your Extraordinary Success Strategies, and brings over 25 years of experience to her clients. Hawkes is also a wife, mom of three, and a bulldog owner. Her new book,Chasing Perfectionis now available for purchase.

How to Ask Your Boss for Help With a Problem - The Muse

How to Ask Your Boss for Help With a Problem - The MuseHow to Ask Your Boss for Help With a ProblemThree different times today, youve made your way to your boss door, paused before knocking, and then just decided to turn around altogether. Youve drafted and then promptly deleted five separate emails. You awkwardly loitered behind your manager at the coffee pot, willing yourself to speak up.Why? Well, you have a work-related issue thats been plaguing you all day. And, on top of that, you have another dicke bretter bohren mssen You have no clue how to actually deal with it.You want to approach your teamberater to get her advice on how you should proceed. However, you also dont want to seem like a fumbling idiot whos incapable of handling even the smallest roadblock.All of the career advice youve read taunts you with this one sentiment Come up with a potential solution that you can bring to your boss for approval.That strategy is great- provided you have any clue where to get started. B ut, you? Youre totally lost. You have no idea how to even begin resolving this issue, meaning the idea of coming up with a suggestion on your own is pretty much a pipe dream.So, what do you do? How can you bring this dicke bretter bohren mssen to you boss, without seeming totally helpless and incompetent? Follow these five steps. 1. Determine Your MethodFirst things first, you need to determine how you should approach your manager. Will you send an email or have this conversation in-person?The lure of email can be tempting, especially since it saves you the embarrassment of needing to look your boss in the face as you confess your own perceived stupidity. Fortunately, jotting your supervisor a message can work just fine for any non-urgent matters. Plus, email gives you the opportunity to document any information that your boss might require (mora on that in a minute). But, if this problem youre dealing with is particularly time-pressing or groundbreaking? Much like any other serious conversation, those issues are best handled face-to-face. 2. Gather Your FactsImagine that you strolled into your managers office and nonchalantly said, Hey, boss The building is on fire and I was really hoping you could jump in and put it out.Your manager is bound to have questions. How did this fire get started? Has anybody already tried to put it out? Why is this happening?Just because you cant bring any potential solutions to your supervisor doesnt mean that you can wander into his office without any context. Hell need the necessary hintergrund information in order to better understand the situation and help you identify the best way forward.Before initiating the conversation, take some time to think through the entirety of your problemWhat conversations or circumstances led you to this point?Did you make any mistakes that exacerbated this issue?Are there any other players involved that your manager should be aware of?Is there any documentation your boss will need to get a bett er understanding of the whole picture?Coming armed and ready with all of this information in place will show that you arent just aiming for an easy way out of your sticky situation. You may not have the answer- but at least you took the time to gather the facts. 3. Explain the Potential FalloutTheres a reason that youre going to your boss with this problem- not only because you dont have the solution, but also because you know that making the wrong move could have some serious consequences.You need to make that potential fallout explicitly clear. What makes this problem worthy of his time and attention? Is a client really angry? Is the companys reputation at risk? More often than not, managers prefer to get involved before stuff really hits the fan. So, your own supervisor will likely be happy that you brought the issue to him before things turned into even a bigger mess.4. Resist the Urge to Apologizenotlage having the answer can be a blow to your ego. But, cut yourself some slack and remind yourself of the fact that- whether youre new or well-established in your position- youre not supposed to know everything. Its for that very reason that you have a boss to guide and advise you when these sorts of things come up.As embarrassed as you might feel, dont fall into the trap of repeatedly apologizing for what you assume to be your own ignorance. Instead, be matter-of-fact about the help that you need and express gratitude for your managers insights.What does that look like? Instead of sayingIm really sorry that I need to bother you with this. I just dont know what to do.Try something like thisId really appreciate your help in figuring out the best way to respond to this client.5. Take NotesNot knowing how to resolve something once is totally understandable and forgivable. But, if you continue to repeatedly approach your boss with that exact same issue, youre bound to begin fostering that helpless reputation youre so desperately trying to avoid.When your manager d oes walk you through how to solve the problem thats on your plate, make sure you document it. Create yourself a little cheat sheet where you can record the answers to questions and issues you might see crop up again. That way, if you encounter that issue in the future, youll be able to take a little more initiative on your own. Needing to approach your boss with a problem can definitely poke holes in your confidence- and, even more so when you dont have any ideas for how to address that setback yourself.However, it happens. You dont have all of the answers, and every now and then youll need to lean on your managers experience and wisdom to get you through some sticky situations.So, take a deep breath, follow these five steps, and finally knock on your boss door. Im willing to bet youll be pleasantly surprised by how that conversation plays out.