Whats your secret list of companies youd love to work for

Whats your secret list of companies youd love to work forWhats your secret list of companies youd love to work forThere was a time when you could count on your employer to take care of you for the long haul. Youd graduate college, join a large corporation, stay there for forty years and retire clutching a gold watch. The company laid out your career path, your pension, and your progression through assignments.Yep, there was a paternalistic moment in American corporate history.That moment is gone.Given upheavals this past decade, you never know when your present employer is going to retrench, reboot, release you. Theres leidhing less welcome than an unexpected and involuntary staffelung from a decent paycheck and a warm cubicle.So it is far, far better to keep yourself in the drivers seat and do heads up career planning keeping one eye on the future of where youre going is the best way to make sure you stay safe and comfortable in where you are.Youd prefer a running start should some thing ever go wrong with your current company, which is why its smart to have an updated list of 10 companies that youd like to work for in the future should the occasion require.Can you name 10 companies youd like to work for, or that youd enjoy working for? Can you do it right now?The important thing is to have a list - a secret list of companies youre seeing on the side - and for you to keep tabs, develop relationships, and ingratiate yourself further with the people and operations of those ten businesses. Keeping the number somewhat small is the only way to keep it manageable. You cant possibly track 20 or 50 companies, so by keeping your efforts focused on just 10, youll get far more deeply entrenched in your select list.By taking interviews, collecting information insights, and steadily growing your contacts at each of those ten companies, youll create a safety web for yourself in case of emergency. The bonus is that this strategy also pays benefits today by keeping you appri sed of whats happening in your industry.InterviewsYou should interview at one of your side companies each season taking the opportunity every three months to keep your interview skills sharp, and dig deeper into the business and people of that company.Its fine to interview on the basis of informed curiosity. You cant do it at the same company every year, because youll lose credibility, but interviewing at a rotating cast of interesting backup employers over a four or five year period makes sense.When pressed, you can share Im not looking, but Im always interested in what opportunities are developing, networking with people in the industry, and frankly, seeing how effective the competitions recruiting process is.Its a great way to keep up on whats going on in the market and understand what your competitors or peer companies are up to. Youll better understand the motivations and viewpoints of other people in your industry and may come away with inspiration for your own day-to-day work .One important wrinkle make sure to send gracious thank you notes thanking the contacts youve made for their generous time and attention. Mentioning a particular insight that you gleaned from your conversation is very helpful for establishing rapport for the future. Especially as youll be doing this regularly, you want each person in the industry to feel as great as possible when you turn them down.Information insightsGetting closer to your ten companies isnt just about interviewing with them but also networking with people who currently work there. And networking is something that you can do far more frequently than interviewing its easier to get started, its far less awkward, and its good to be a little bit social with your peers.Set a goal of meeting with somebody from just one of your target companies each month. Could be a friend, a fellow college alum or a former co-worker who has landed there. Or you could be trying to meet wholly new people you could go to a Meetup, a speak ing event, or a product launch.Share your interest, and feel free to indicate that its not deadline-driven, and that theres no particular outcome youre looking for other than learning more about one of your company crushes Im not looking, but Im just so intrigued by what youre doing in my area of expertise that Id love to learn more.Increasing your contact baseUse your networks - your online social networks, your offline social networks, your college alumni and former work colleagues - to steadily increase the number of people you know at each of your ten companies.Who else should I get to know here? is a particularly effective way to leverage your existing contacts.Over a five-year horizon, youll have interviewed 20 times at these companies. Youll have met 60 people working there. And youll know far more about their internal workings, market outlook, and employment possibilities than any other candidate or person looking for work there.So should a downturn come, or the Grim Reaper snatch your company from this mortal coil, youll have your ten lifelines at the ready.And thats how you stay ahead and stay afloat in this modern, maddening economy.

ASME Selects Adam Leemans as its 2013 New Faces of EngineeringCollege Edtion Rep

ASME Selects Adam Leemans as its 2013 New Faces of EngineeringCollege Edtion Rep ASME Selects Adam Leemans as its 2013 New Faces of EngineeringCollege Edtion Rep ASME Selects Adam Leemans as Its 2013 New Faces of Engineering-College Edition RepresentativeAdam Leemans ASME has selected U.S. Army Cadet Adam Leemans to represent the Society this year in the New Faces of Engineering-College Edition program. Leemans, an ASME student member and fourth-year mechanical engineering student at the United States Military Academy at West Point, has conducted research on renewable energy integration at Army installations and is currently redesigning deployable barracks to improve energy efficiency.Now in its second year, New Faces College Edition recognizes the best and brightest third-, fourth- and fifth-year engineering students, whose academic successes and experiences in the engineering field have positioned them to make an impact. The program is a spin-off of the New Faces Professional pr ogram, which welches launched in 2003 and recognizes engineers up to the age of 30 who have shown outstanding abilities in projects that significantly impact public welfare or further professional development and growth. Both programs are sponsored by the National Engineers Week Foundation.The 15 New Faces of Engineering College Edition candidates were announced April 2 on the programs Facebook page (https//www.facebook.com/CollegeEdition), an online forum where students can meet with their engineering peers in every field and learn about events, licensure exams, internships, jobs, competitions, the benefits of membership to engineering associations and more.As Brigade Energy and Environmental Officer at West Point, Leemans creates, leads, and manages energy, water, and waste conservation policy and programs for all 4,600 members of the U.S. Corps of Cadets. He previously served as assistant to the Energy Manager at the Directorate of Public Works, Rock Island Arsenal, and as a n intern to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations, Energy, and Environment).In addition, Leemans is an Engineers Without Borders board representative for the Military Academys Civil and Mechanical Engineering Department, a College Reading Learning Association-certified tutor in math, engineering, Russian and economics, and team captain and member of the West Point Triathlon Team. Leemans was also a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship winner (2012), a Marshall Scholarship alternate (2012), a Rhodes Scholarship finalist (2012), and a USA Triathlon All American in 2011. He has been an ASME student member since 2010. Anita RebarchakEarlier this year, ASME member Anita Rebarchak, E.I.T., was one of 13 early career engineering professionals who were selected as the 2013 class of the New Faces of Engineering Professional program. The names of the 13 engineers were released Feb. 18 in a full-page announcement in USA Today. Engineers Week 2013 took place Feb. 17-23.Rebarchak, who was nominated by ASME, is a senior systems engineer at Pratt Whitney, supporting the companys fifth-generation engine programs. In addition to her role as an engineer, Rebarchak is involved in a number of corporate initiatives, such as intern and peer mentoring, employee engagement, environmental health and safety assessments, and internal AS9100 certification auditing.To learn more about the New Faces of Engineers programs, visit www.eweek.org

Extreme Team Building

Extreme kollektiv Building Extreme Team Building Extreme Team BuildingTeam skydiving, rock climbing, white water rafting, and bungee jumping are all suitable activities for adrenaline-loving thrill seekers, but what role do they play in corporate America? All are extreme kollektiv recreational exercises that some executives believe help to boost employee morale and foster a spirit cooperation and creativity amongst team members.Most team-building activities focus on developing critical skills, like problem-solving, real -time decision-making, task delegation, and communication. Some are mental exercises and some just arent for the faint of heart. Take Vallarta Adventures, which offers an Adventure Team Building Program designed to facilitate the development of more creative and productive employees, effective managers, and efficient teams. Their outdoor skills program sends participants through mountains, mesas and canyons with few basic supplies - no tents, sleeping bags, stoves, ba ckpacks, watches, radios, or cell phones. The outdoor adventure program is just as challenging, as participants are engaged in a high-speed boat ride, hiking, rappelling, zip lining, mule riding, and traversing jungle bridges.Many corporate executives believe that extreme team building exercises help to boost employee morale and foster cooperation.Management consulting firm, Teambuilding Inc., organizes a high-tech treasure hunt, called Geoquest, where team members must work together to find hidden targets. Teams of four to five people receive handheld GPS units pre-programmed with the locations of hidden treasures. The GPS units guide teams to within 20 feet of their goal. After that, they use their wits and determination to decipher written clues to find the hidden answers. In their sailing team building exercise, participants battle the wind, currents, and their colleagues while guiding their sail boats through an obstacle course. Success requires extensive collaboration between boats using hand-held radios as communications skills.For the more adventurous, extreme team building exercises are designed to build team spirit or put decision-making skills into practice by placing participants into physically demanding situations. While treasure hunts, hiking, and sailing are relatively safe, team skydiving seems to move closer to the danger zone. jupe climbing, another demanding extreme sport, presents its own challenges and risks, yet some incorporate the activity into their team building program.Sound like fun teambuilding exercises? Not to everyone.Anne Thornley-Brown, president of Executive Oasis International, a Toronto-based management consulting firm specializing in team building retreats and facilitated business simulations, cautions that dangerous activities are being passed off as team building. Adrenaline junkies in some executive suites combined with an anything a group does together is team building mentality is a slippery, dangerous, and, at times very expensive slope, writes Thornley-Brown in her corporate team building blog.Team building can include recreational activities but a recreational activity is not the same thing as team building. Just because a group gets together and engages in an activity that is fun, does not make the activity team building, she says. Business team building is about bringing the team together and using their collective genius to achieve results. Expertly facilitated team building can help business organizations generate specific and measurable business results.Thornley-Brown adds Is there a place for strictly recreational activities in the corporate world? Absolutely. Companies would be dreary places to work if no one ever laughed or smiled. There is a place for company picnics, Christmas parties, and recreational outings... even paintball if it floats your boat. The key is that, unless your business is a country club or a recreation center, the budget for recreation should never exceed or be close to what is spent on real team building to help the organization achieve its mission and purpose.Tom Ricci is the owner of Ricci Communications.Team building can include recreational activities but a recreational activity is not the same thing as team building.Anne Thornley-Brown, president, Executive Oasis International

Getting rich can boil down to 6 wealth factors no matter your age or salary

Getting rich can boil down to 6 wealth factors no matter your age or salaryGetting rich can boil down to 6 wealth factors no matter your age or salaryAnyone can become rich if they know the right steps to take.But if you possess a certain tischset of characteristics, you may be more likely to become wealthy, according to Sarah Stanley Fallaw, director of research for the Affluent Market Institute. She co-authored The Next Millionaire Next Door Enduring Strategies for Building Wealth, in which she surveyed more than 600 millionaires in America.To identify characteristics most predictive of net worth, Stanley Fallaw conducted two studies that included a group of individuals with a net worth ranging from $100,000 to $1 million and a group of high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreShe found that six behaviors, which she called wealth factors, are related to net worth potential, regardless of age or incomeFrugality, or a commitment to saving, spending less, and sticking to a budgetConfidence in financial management, investing, and household leadershipResponsibility, which involves accepting your role in financial outcomes and believing that luck plays little rolePlanning, or umgebung goals for your financial futureFocus on seeing tasks through to their completion without being distractedSocial indifference, or not succumbing to social pressure to buy the latest thingFrugality came up several times during Stanley Fallaws research - many of the millionaires she interviewed stressed the freedom that comes with spending below their means. Being frugal was one of three key ways they achieved financial independence.Spending above your means, spending instead of saving for retirement, spending in anticipation of becoming wealthy makes you a slave to the paycheck, even with a stellar level of income, she wrote. To properly build wea lth, experts recommend saving 20% of your income and living off the remaining 80%.Having confidence, another key characteristic, will help you be frugal. In a Gen Y Planning blog post, financial planner Sophia Bera wrote, It takes confidence to live within your means.It also takes confidence to invest properly - instead of making investing decisions with your emotions, you should leave your investments alone and focus on a long-term investment plan, certified financial planner Shelly-Ann Eweka previously wrote for Business Insider.But you cant invest - or manage your own money - without accepting responsibility for the outcomes.Like Stanley Fallaw, Chris Hogan, author of Everyday Millionaires How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth - and How You Can Too, also found that many millionaires take on personal responsibility- and most also happen to be self-made, meaning they didnt acquire their wealth through luck.Millionaires dont count on anyone else to make them rich, and they dont blame anyone else if they fall short, Hogan wrote. They focus on things they can control and align their daily habits to the goals theyve set for themselves.He also found that theyre goal-oriented and hard workers, which enable them to plan financially and focus on seeing those plans through. Ninety-two percent of the millionaires he surveyed develop a long-term plan for their money, and 97% almost always achieve the goals they set for themselves.These behaviors make it easy for them to be socially indifferent. They resist the lifestyle creep, the tendency to spend more whenever one earns more. Essentially, they dont feel pressured to keep up with the Joneses.As Hogan puts it, they avoid distractions and the shiny object syndrome the general bevlkerung suffers from because millionaires arent focused on what might make them happy today theyre focused on their long-term wealth-building plan.This article first appeared on Business Insider.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleGetting rich can boil down to 6 wealth factors no matter your age or salaryAnyone can become rich if they know the right steps to take.But if you possess a certain set of characteristics, you may be more likely to become wealthy, according to Sarah Stanley Fallaw, director of research for the Affluent Market Institute. She co-authored The Next Millionaire Next Door Enduring Strategies for Building Wealth, in which she surveyed more than 600 millionaires in America.To identify characteristics most predictive of net worth, Stanley Fallaw conducted two studies that included a group of individuals with a net worth ranging from $100,000 to $1 million and a group of high- and ultra-high -net-worth individuals.She found that six behaviors, which she called wealth factors, are related to net worth potential, regardless of age or incomeFrugality, or a commitment to saving, spending less, and sticking to a budgetConfidence in financial management, investing, and household leadershipResponsibility, which involves accepting your role in financial outcomes and believing that luck plays little rolePlanning, or setting goals for your financial futureFocus on seeing tasks through to their completion without being distractedSocial indifference, or not succumbing to social pressure to buy the latest thingFrugality came up several times during Stanley Fallaws research - many of the millionaires she interviewed stressed the freedom that comes with spending below their means. Being frugal was one of three key ways they achieved financial independence.Spending above your means, spending instead of saving for retirement, spending in anticipation of becoming wealthy makes you a sla ve to the paycheck, even with a stellar level of income, she wrote. To properly build wealth, experts recommend saving 20% of your income and living off the remaining 80%.Having confidence, another key characteristic, will help you be frugal. In a Gen Y Planning blog post, financial planner Sophia Bera wrote, It takes confidence to live within your means.It also takes confidence to invest properly - instead of making investing decisions with your emotions, you should leave your investments alone and focus on a long-term investment plan, certified financial planner Shelly-Ann Eweka previously wrote for Business Insider.But you cant invest - or manage your own money - without accepting responsibility for the outcomes.Like Stanley Fallaw, Chris Hogan, author of Everyday Millionaires How Ordinary People Built Extraordinary Wealth - and How You Can Too, also found that many millionaires take on personal responsibility- and most also happen to be self-made, meaning they didnt acquire their wealth through luck.Millionaires dont count on anyone else to make them rich, and they dont blame anyone else if they fall short, Hogan wrote. They focus on things they can control and align their daily habits to the goals theyve set for themselves.He also found that theyre goal-oriented and hard workers, which enable them to plan financially and focus on seeing those plans through. Ninety-two percent of the millionaires he surveyed develop a long-term plan for their money, and 97% almost always achieve the goals they set for themselves.These behaviors make it easy for them to be socially indifferent. They resist the lifestyle creep, the tendency to spend more whenever one earns more. Essentially, they dont feel pressured to keep up with the Joneses.As Hogan puts it, they avoid distractions and the shiny object syndrome the general population suffers from because millionaires arent focused on what might make them happy today theyre focused on their long-term wealth-building p lan.This article first appeared on Business Insider.

The Undisputed Truth About Objectives on a Resume That the Experts Dont Want You to Hear

The Undisputed Truth About Objectives on a Resume That the Experts Dont Want You to Hear Maybe youre interested in a particular industry. Instead, companies will be searching for more specific expertise and advertising and marketing specialists. Looking to help a developing company expand across the area, country, and even the planet. Twenty-year veteran in restaurant sales prepared to help an expanding company make it in the big leagues. Understanding how much you fit in the position requirements, youre feeling confident that you are going to be receiving a call from the Human Resource Manager. Conduct Your Research developing a problem-solving resume requires conducting a decent amount of research on the organization youre applying with. Strong planning abilities and organization are traits which are highly desired in an employee, particularly in the plan world. A Project Coordinator is vital to larger companies since they manage the work the Project Manager is not able to do while running huge projects. New Step by Step Roadmap for Objectives on a Resume There is nobody right means to structure a resume. As a result, while your resume objective should consist of information on the career that you would like, you also need to spell out why you are the perfect candidate for the job. Adding the incorrect things or too many things to your resume will save you from getting the market job which you want. A good resume is fantastic, but nothing beats an applicant who can offer the particulars without needing to glance at the paper each and every second. An objective is a brief anschauung that clarifies your goals about the sort of employment desired and the way in which your skills make you a nice fit. A crystal clear statement about how youll utilize your strongest relevant abilities and professional experiences to satisfy the specific role youre applying for 3. Just like its possible to sort publications on PubMed by relevance to a particular subje ct, you can sort your work experience by relevance to a particular position. Of course communicating on behalf of another person is far simpler than doing it for yourself. A strong summary statement at the peak of your resume can increase the possibility of them noticing what youve got to offer from the beginning. An executive summary is a brief statement at the summit of your resume that quickly summarizes what makes you the ideal candidate for the job. Think of your strategy and the story you would like to tell, then determine the ideal structure to tell that story. The absolute most efficient objective is one which is tailored to the job youre applying for. A great objective statement can highly boost your probability of finding the job. A resume objective can explain why youre qualified for the job, even if its the case that you do not own a lot of related experience. The above mentioned objective statement examples provide you various ideas that you are able to use in bui lding a fantastic objective statement for your cashier resume. The Little-Known Secrets to Objectives on a Resume You may also Simple Resume Template. The Resume has to be written in English. Your Resume has to be typed and printed. An excellent Resume shouldnt be longer than two or three pages. If you write in various fields, think about dividing your portfolio into sections. Objectives ought to be checked for spelling and proofread by an expert. Writing a resume is not hard, but it does take some time and planning. The process might be defined in two types Sequence is used when the tasks should be completed in sequential way. After you know your value proposition, you may use it as the foundation for a fabulous resume summary so you start your resume with a true bang. There are a number of good formats. You must have five objective statements. For that reason, its important to compose a compelling objective statement that hits the target and produces a great impression i nstantly.

The Importance of Top 10 Resume Writing Services Toronto

The Importance of Top 10 Resume Writing Services Toronto Vital Pieces of Top 10 Resume Writing Services Toronto Needless to say, the best method to discover such assistance is if you have a look into the top rated professional resume writing services reviews. When it regards the caliber of the resume, theres no guarantee a certified professional resume writer will provide increased quality work. Make the most of our reviews to make sure that the online resume writing service you decide to hire truly will be able to help you secure a bright future for you and your family members As a consequence, you can select among the best services at a price thats realistic to you and get invited to all the interviews you wished to enter. By checking out all features and services a lieferant offers, were getting sufficient info to produce a conclusion on which are the best resume services that can enable you to get the job that you are applying for. If you would like a plain resume and yo u may write your own content, the tool will offer you the format. Ask to see samples of prior resumes, which can help you get a sense for the grade of the services work. Scannable resumes need specific page designs because computer scanners cant read certain products. Our online resume writer service is among the largest, services resume services readily available online. If you are searching for a writer that can be found in your nearby market, weve compiled a list of the best 10 resume writing services for all the key cities in the U.S. and Canada. As soon as you open the search engines and begin searching for a reliable resume writing service, you will observe there are dozens and dozens of businesses that provide such help. Unless youre properly trained on how best to write ATS Resumes, it is essential that you seek the services of a Minneapolis Resume Specialist Service trained in ATS Optimization. Where to Find Top 10 Resume Writing Services Toronto Possessing a plan i s important in addition to knowing how to make a resume that Canadian employers wish to see. Toronto is a digital cornucopia of chance for job seekers. For those who havent been trying to find a new job in a couple of years, read it. The aim of a resume is to acquire an interview and ultimately to have the job or internship. Evaluate resume writers want senderaum work. Wherever youre in your career, were here to assist. A professionally written resume or CV provides a great deal more than simply listing your skills in a normal way. The good thing is that the best resume writers arent necessarily the priciest ones. The skilled writers make sure that the resume communicates strengths that employers try to find in nursing resumes. Should university students utilize wikipedia. If you are searching for top essay writing companies, try out the mentioned above. There are several essay writing services that think theyre the very best, and thus dont be cheated and check the authen tic collection of the very best.

Your emotional brain is smarter than your brain thinks

Yur emotional brain is smarter than your brain thinksYour emotional brain is smarter than your brain thinksDecisions drive our daily activities.The need to decide is never-ending. You make decisions even when you unconsciously think you are choosing not to decide.And we dont always choose the fruchtwein rational option.Everyone processes information with both the rational and emotional parts of the brain. Here is an example that sounds familiar.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreYour rational brain knows that certain habits like smoking, and skipping even minimal exercise are bad for your health, the emotional part of your brain sometimes overcome this knowledge, justifies and even rationalize these bad behaviours, and convince you to keep doing everything wrong for your health.The timeless and obvious question is why dont we do things we know we should do?Welcome to the divided br ain.There is a lot of information on the power struggle between the emotional and rational part of the brain.In Kahnemans book, Thinking beinahe and Slow,they are described as two separate systems of thinking first, the emotional and intuitive process, and then the slower and more effortful process of rational logic.These two sections of the brain are always competing and typically call upon either section depending on a lot of factors.Certain situations may require more activity in the rational part of your brain, while others will rely on the emotional section to make a choice.Whether your emotional brain operates out of habit, or personal comfort, its a powerful force when you make decisions every day.Heres the real truthYou cant be rational if you are too emotional, but at the same time, you cant be rational if you are not emotional.When you are too emotional, you wont make rational choices, even though you know whats best for you.Think of times youve decided against your better judgment, ate the cookie, had the drink, or smoked the cigarette.When you are too emotional, your rational brain wont win, even though you know what will make things better.Dealing with life choices, especially, life-changing ones can sound difficult. Without the right information to help you rationalize, it could be overwhelming.But if we had to use logic, and reason in all situations, if we had to rationalize, and critically every decision wed be trapped in a cycle, unable to move in any direction because we would be caught in a loop as we analyze, and contemplate the pros and cons of every choice.Decisions, even critical ones, are not just made away from emotions.Your rational brain represents your ability to reason through various options whilst your emotional brain represents your instincts, impulses, and intuition.While your thinking brain is making provision for your retirement, your feeling brain wants to plan for a vacation.The rational brain is systematic and impartial, but also slow. Like a muscle, its built over time if you exercise it more often.The emotional brain, however, makes decisions quickly and effortlessly, even though its often irrational.While too much emotion can impair reasoning, a lack of emotion can be equally harmful.The heart ofreasonThe heart has reasons that reason knows nothing about, says Pascal.Our emotions are trained by years of logic and experience, retaining it all for real wisdom.Gut feelings and intuition are an integral part of the ability to reason. While emotions can overwhelm rationality, rationality cannot exist without emotions.While too much emotion can impair reasoning, a lack of emotion can be equally harmful. When emotion is impaired, decision-making suffers.To make the right call, you need to feel your way?- ?or at least part of your way?- ?there,writesDrake Baer, The Cut.Make no mistake, your emotional brain drives most of your choices.Michael Levine of Psychology Today, says every time we make a choice, our left-brain arm-wrestles with our right, but rationality only represents about 20% of human decision-making. HeexplainsIt is said that emotions drive 80% of the choices Americans make, while practicality and objectivity only represent about 20% of decision-making. Oh, and forget about making a decision when you are hungry, angry, lonely or tried. The acronym HALT is axactly the point here DONT DO IT If you make a decision while feeling Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired (or God-forbid some combination of more than one of the above) emotion wins 100% of the time and will likely push you in the wrong direction.Emotions are the most present, pressing and sometimes painful force in our lives. We have the tendency to allow emotions to dominate logical feelings.We are driven more by our emotions. Reason without emotion is impotent.We take chances quickly because were excited about new prospects.Without a doubt, our emotions dictate our thoughts, intentions and actions with superior authori ty to our rational minds. But when we act on our emotions too quickly, or we act on the wrong kinds of emotions, we often make decisions that we later lament,saysDr Carmen Harra.When close relatives are involved, our emotions dominate even more.Human brain research has suggested that, as our minds have more to process, the likelihood to decide emotionally increases.Less time for reflection may lead to more decisions that seem irrational, but the good berichterstattung is that the emotional brain function to reduce and bound our reasoning which then creates the opportunity to reason more fully.Some people succeed in balancing the two some are always logical but depends on values, personality, and education.The most important decisions we make in life tend to be those that overwhelm us and stress us out. And when we have too much information to consider, our ability to make the right decision is impaired. Jacqueline Claire CiraldowritesStudies have shown that when our mind is overload ed with information, the emotional aspect of our brain tends to win out. When confronted with decisions we are usually faced with a lot to consider, which overwhelms the rational part of our brain. With so much stress put on the rational mind, it is too weak to put up a fight against the emotional mind.The emotional brain drives our consciousness more than we think.Ultimately, our emotion drives action. Thats because action is emotion.While the rational brain exists to help you make calculated choices, the feeling brain is the wisdom and stupidity of the entire body.Anger pushes your body to move. Anxiety pulls it into retreat. Joy lights up the facial muscles, while sadness attempts to shade your existence from view. Emotion inspires action, and action inspires emotion. The two are inseparable,saysMark Manson, author ofEverything Is F*cked A Book About Hope.Your emotional brain is stubborn. Even in the face on facts, and data, it will still choose the path of comfort...the two brai ns are like an elephant and its rider. The rider can steer and pull the elephant in a particular direction, but ultimately, the elephant is going to go where it wants to go, says psychologist Jonathan Haidt.The balance of power between the rider (your rational brain) and elephant(emotional brain) plays a large part in shaping your daily decisions and is typically skewed towards the latter, writes Haidt in his book,The Happiness Hypothesis.No matter how you rationalize a decision, if you dont feel like it, you wont obey your thinking brain. Ultimately if the elephant decides to do something there is little the rider can do to stop it.Your emotional brain sees itself as the intelligent, rational brain, and it believes its in control of your consciousness.Even when you believe you are making rational decisions, the actual choice may, in reality, be based on emotion.Rationality depends on a deeper system of regelung that consists largely of emotions and feelings, says Damsio.Emotion can disrupt reasoning in certain circumstances, but without emotion, there is no reasoning at all.Emotions and feelings are not a luxury, they are a means of communicating our states of mind to others. But they are also a way of guiding our own judgments and decisions. Emotions bring the body into the loop of reason, writes Antnio R. Damsio in his book,Descartes Error Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain.Closing thoughtsThe current age of information overload means, a greater amount of emotional decision making because your rational brain sometimes cant handle all the stress that comes with making calculated choicesBecoming aware of emotions has the benefit of correcting many emotional biases. As you make decisions daily, if you can be mindful and become aware of your emotions, you can identify which decisions can be addressed rationally.Despite the strength of your emotional brain, you can correct the many emotional biases, and give yourself the chance to make more complex decisions ra tionally.This article first appeared on Medium.

This is how you can use fear to your advantage

This is how you can use fear to yur advantageThis is how you can use fear to your advantageFor all the things that were taught in school, the most important lesson we learn in life is one that is a product of the school of hard knocks Fear is our lifelong adversary and friend. Fear is what moves us. Fear is what keeps us in our place. Fear is what pushes us backwards. Fear is what scares us. But boy does fear inspire us. Our quest is to learn how this lifelong adversary and friend can both spur us on, and tear us apart.Think of what an education in life really means. Ask yourself - what does it mean to you?Is it about getting good grades to get a good job? Is it about getting to know yourself in a truer, more intimate way? Is it about love? Hope? Faith? Knowledge? What are the things that you truly want to comprise your life - system be damned? And what are you willing to do to get them?Every step of your journey fear will be their by your side. So you better get used to it. And it s helpful to realize that no matter your path, you will learn as much from fear as you will learn from anything else. It will shape you, but you are also empowered to use it to shape the world around you.The Education of LifeWe learn how to read, learn arithmetic, analyze compounds, elements and more, and yet the most important lessons of life overcoming fear and adversity, rebounding from mistakes and failures and developing rock-solid personal and professional relationships come outside of our school system. Were expected to glean these things from parents, friends, even enemies.But what about when we dont?Were left to our own faculties, which are often unable or inexperienced enough to help us with the things that really matter. A great education will take you far. Theres no doubt about it. But where you really go for the win is when you learn how to meld emotional intelligence into your thoughts and actions.Thispiece from Harvard geschftlicher umgang Review, by Matt Brubaker and Foster Mobley, takes into account four great ways to combat fear. Its an excellent step-by-step process to incorporate emotional intelligence and break down four parts of fear and how this cycle manifests itself in our livesStep 1 Acknowledge the Fear In the acknowledge phase, we suggest that people take a close look at their history and examine the choices theyve made and the reasons behind those choices.Step 2 Interrogate the fear to better understand it assess current reality and look at the costs of fear spen(d) time considering what it would mean if (you)failed at something.Step 3 Choose a different course of action. This is about deciding what to do next and making commitments - understanding what truly matters to you.Step 4 Act on that choice - in a way that aligns with your values. The last step is to deliver on your commitments.Attributes like acknowledging, confronting and choosing action and commitment are essential for dealing with fear. This brings out our self-aware ness, empathy, self-care and the courage to combat fear. Absolutely essential for living life on our terms.And yet, so many of us run away from our dreams. Our harte nuss isnt that we arent bold, mindful or thoughtful enough, its that we give-in to fear.Making Your MoveYou can also try this simple exerciseThink about the thing that you love most in life.This may be your family or loved ones, but cast that to the side for a second and place that into a separate bucket. Think about the thing, hobby, activity or venture that you are most passionate about, that gets you excited, inspired, enthused and that truly lights the fire inside of you. What are the things that give color and meaning to your life?The things that you dream about, that deep down your intuition, heart and mind are calling you to do?Now - try this simple exercise Look back at the past six months. How many times have you moved in the direction of this thing during that time period? In fact - if you were to attempt in hindsight to measure your progress toward that thing that you love, how far have you actually traveled?What if I told you that all of the successful people that you admire started out from identical circumstances to you? Im bedrngnis talking about financial status or class, race or background. Im talking about the mental and emotional states in life. The fight or flight response to tackling your biggest dreams and challenges.We either move in the direction of what we want most, or by not advancing - or perhaps even retreating - we stay stuck. We never find out the answer to one of lifes most important questions What if we actually become who were are destined to be?Its never a question of desire. To want or hope begins in our minds. Then, we have to believe that what we want is possible. Thats called faith. By backing faith with enthusiasm, we have formed a firm, rock-solid foundation of emotional and mental well-being. Without this, its doubtful you will ever be able to do somet hing great.The good news is - its very likely you already have this. You certainly have this in you, you need to believe and you need to get excited about it.From this seminal moment - this epic life decision point - is the crossroads of whether you will live the life of your dreams or settle for mediocrity. I dont mean to sound dour or pessimistic, in fact, far from it. Im an external optimist. And Im also hear to tell you that this next step - this willingness and wherewithal to overcome fear - is what will make or break you.Counter-Intuitive FightIf youre willing to fight - you first must be willing to mentally and emotionally prepare yourself to overcome that terrible enemy who threatens to thwart you before you even begin. You must overcome the voice inside your head telling you all of the following liesYoure not talented/good/skilled/able enoughYoure too old OR too youngYou dont have enough experienceYou wont know what to do with successYou wont be able to grow your busi nessYoure better off trying something different this is too toughAnd the list goes on. If youve ever been there before, please, know that Ive been and will continue to be right there with you. And so will the greatest success stories in every field and industry all throughout history. No one knows for sure if theyre ever going to make it. Our success and ideas are dependent on whether tens, hundreds, thousands and millions of other people will accept, need or want themAnd no matter how well researched or prepared we are in the market we aim to penetrate, we will never, ever know until we try. Whether our idea is original or unoriginal, we have to give things a shot.This is why secondly, it all comes down to action. Are you willing to act? Are you willing to go for what you really want? Because if you are, you must turn back to your foundation of desire, faith, and enthusiasm. You must not care what others think. You must fight on by using fear to your advantage. This is how to achie ve the greatest hopes and dreams of your life.Face YourFearsJoin my newsletterfor ways to improve your life and confront your biggest fears. Check out my bestselling book,The Value of Youand if youre interested in working with metry me here.

How HR Best Practice Customization Can Drive Better Results

How HR Best Practice Customization Can Drive Better ResultsHow HR Best Practice Customization Can Drive Better ResultsHow HR Best Practice Customization Can Drive Better Results M. Cantrell and David SmithTodays leading companies are tailoring their work experiences to employees talents and interests. The reward? Greater productivity, higher levels of engagement, lower turnover and a better ability to attract top performers who produce outstanding results.It only makes sense when rewards, learning and jobs are customized to individuals, greater motivation and learning result and peoples work tasks become better aligned with their actual strengths.Customization also improves companies ability to attract and hire top talent by customizing recruiting practices toward specific, desired individuals (and enticing them with a customized experience once they join.) It also increases engagement and lowers turnover costs because people who receive customized offerings often feel more satisfied in their jobs.A Growing Trend toward CustomizationDespite these benefits, few organizations today offer customized HR practices. Consider this shocking statistic only six percent of the 557 employees we surveyed agreed that their human resources practices are highly relevant to them.We think its no coincidence though that the same six percent strongly agrees that their human resource department significantly erleichterungs and improves their performance at work. In an age of increased expectations and fewer resources, generic HR practices have become increasingly hazardous to organizational health. Many organizations face their fruchtwein diverse workforces ever, while they struggle to adapt to complex knowledge needs that no longer fit yesterdays industrialized HR practices.Research from our new book, Workforce of One Revolutionizing Talent Management through Customization (Harvard Business Press, 2010) reveals how a few leading organizations are harnessing new advances in technol ogy to do things differently.Instead of treating their workforce as a single monolithic entity, they are treating each individual as a workforce of one by creating customized work experiences. And they are doing so in a highly structured, coordinated, scalable way that retains some degree of organizational control, consistency and manageability while meeting individuals needs.Four Approaches to CustomizationTo achieve the benefits of customization in a scalable and manageable manner, a number of organizations are pursuing one or more of the following approaches to customization1.Segment the workforce.Straight from the handbook of marketing, companies are grouping employees based on shared preferences and needs, such as their value to the company, role, or generation and then tailoring people practices for each group.Advances in business intelligence and analytics have spurred companies to create altogether new and ever more meaningful segmentation schemes. Companies now also group e mployees by learning styles, values, personality, wellness profiles, mobility, behavioral patterns and even networking and communication styles. For example, Accenture segments employees in part on their overall well-being (e.g., the number of vacation days they have taken and length of time on a project) to identify those who might be at risk for leaving or who cope with high levels of stress.2.Offer bausteinfrmig choices.Companies can also offer employees a predefined list of organizationally-defined options for them to customize and configure their own work experience. At Capital One and Microsoft, for example, employees get to choose from a variety of mix and match workplace options based on their individual needs and changing work tasks.3.Define broad and simple rules.Alternatively, an organization can create a rule so broad and simple that it can flexibly be interpreted in many different ways.Best Buy, for example, sets a broad rule get results and lets employees determine how to accomplish it.The retailer allows many of its headquarters personnel to define when and where they want to work as long as they get the job done.4.Foster employee-defined personalization. Consumers today can define and create their own content using the video-sharing site YouTube or the volunteer-written reference site Wikipedia. In the same way, todays employees can define and create their own people practices. Instead of having a central authority to define employee learning, for example, individuals can define it in highly personal ways through wikis, blogs, YouTube- or Facebook-like applications or even with on-the-job experience.In yet another example at the US Navy, employees, not HR, set the compensation levels in hard-to-fill jobs through an online job auction website. Organizations deliberately decide which practices to foster, monitor and support via processes, technology and incentives.Challenges and Solutions When Transforming the Workplace to MyplaceSculpting work t o fit every employee instead of requiring employees to conform to a standard mold of work is a more complex, sophisticated way of managing talent. While offering vast rewards, it requires organizations to navigate some tricky territory.For example, fairness issues can crop up when peoples employment experiences vary from one another. Organizations that emphasize justice rather than equality and sameness can avoid this scenario.Our research shows that the vast majority of employees will support differential treatment if there are clear, logical, and well-communicated reasons as to why such differential treatment exists.Likewise, as organizations collect more and increasingly personal employee data as a means of offering more relevant people practices, privacy may be challenged too. Yet evidence suggests that once employees understand how the collection of personal information will benefit them, what data will be collected and how it will be used and protected, they are likely to fe el more comfortable sharing this information.Companies that take a deliberate and thoughtful approach to customization for their own organization will have a significant advantage over competitors. By helping employees do what they do best, organizations can become the best they can be, while reaping significant business benefits in the process.Author BiosSusan M. Cantrell is a Research Fellow at the Accenture Institute for High Performance. David Smith is the Managing Director of the Accenture Talent Organization Performance practice.